Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 3:28pm

SIXERS PICK UP TALENTED WROTEN FROM GRIZZ

The Philadelphia 76ers acquired combo guard Tony Wroten from the Memphis Grizzlies for a 2014 second-round draft pick and a trade exception.

What does it give the Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers have overhauled pretty significantly this off-season, with the biggest move their trade of All-Star point-man {P=2049 Jrue Holiday} to New Orleans. That leaves unproven rookie {P Michael Carter-Williams} running the point, and while Wroten isn't any more polished than Carter-Williams he at least gives Philly added depth, athleticism, and some promise at both guard spots. Veteran 2-guard {P Jason Richardson} may not play early or often (due to a knee injury) so it won't be surprising if Wroten backs up at both guard positions.

What does it give the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis has several more proven guards than Wroten on their roster, who disappointed as a rookie last season. Moving him here saves the Grizzlies just over $1 million dollars (which helps with their cap flexibility). Getting a second-rounder isn't a great return for a talented prospect like Wroten, but the Grizz are trying to contend this season and won't miss him much in the coming campaign. The trade exception allows the Grizz to trade for a player with Wroten's salary, without having to send the equal salary back (so long as they do it in the next year).

Fantasy impact
The 76ers lost a lot of quality guard talent this off-season, which will probably lead to small forward {P Evan Turner} shifting back to shooting guard (and even point guard for stretches, depending on how ready Carter-Williams is as a rookie). Wroten is still pretty raw but he has stellar potential, so it won't be surprising if he sees an uptick in minutes backing up both guard spots. This should also mean more minutes in the frontcourt for {P Arnett Moultrie} (behind starting big men {P Spencer Hawes} at power forward {P Lavoy Allen} at center, with {P Thaddeus Young} likely shifting over to start at small forward). In Memphis Wroten's departure means a few more minutes (but probably not many) for backup guards {P Nick Calathes} and {P Josh Akognon}.