At 6'6'' and with excellent ball-handling and passing skills, Exum is seen by some scouts as a better version of MCW. At 18 years old, he is also 4 years-younger than Carter-Williams. Brett Brown has an existing relationship with Exum as the former coach of the Australian national team. It is possible that Sam Hinkie and Brown don't believe Carter-Williams and Exum can coexist on the court. Trading away Carter-Williams in this scenario would give the Sixers the #3, #7, and #10 picks in the upcoming draft.
The other part of this deal would send away the 76ers' longest tenured player in Thad Young. Thad Young is owed $9.4 million for 2014-15 season and close to $10 million for 2015-2016. This trade would give Philly even more cap space next summer for free-agents as Nash's contract is expiring.
This deal is still only rumored but if the Sixers take Exum at 3, they could use #7 and #10 on other highly regarded prospects like PF/C Noah Vonleh, PF/SF Aaron Gordon, SG Marcus Smart, or even C Joel Embiid if he happens to fall that far. Giving up the rookie of the year is a lot to ask but picking up 3 rookies with a lot of potential paired along with a healthy Nerlens Noel would be an awesome core for the future. But its also a big risk, as Carter-Williams is a known commodity and has proved himself as a starter and possibly a future star.
By: Matt Ryan