The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly tried to trade Michael Carter-Williams earlier in the offseason, and the rebuilding squad is expected to continue shopping the 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year this season.

Zach Lowe of Grantland reported that the 76ers surprisingly shopped Carter-Williams before the 2014 NBA Draft despite the young point guard's strong showing last season.

"They tried hard during the draft, but they couldn't draw the trove they envisioned or guarantee that the player they wanted with an acquired pick would be there, per several league sources," Lowe wrote.

Lowe added that the 76ers will continue shopping Carter-Williams in the upcoming 2014-15 NBA season as they are still looking for high draft picks as part of their rebuilding plan.

Trading Carter-Williams might sound surprising, especially after the 23-year-old point guard averaged 16.7 points to go along with 6.3 assists and 6.2 rebounds, but the 76ers are willing to do it if they will get valuable assets in return.

"Expect Philly to repeat the exercise," Lowe said of shopping Carter-Williams. "It's not a shot at Carter-Williams, or even a signal that the Sixers are dying to trade him. He may well end up a long-term cog in Philly. The team knows point guard is the most replaceable position in the league today, and it will seek out any deal that adds to its stockpile of high-value draft picks."

While Carter-Williams posted impressive stats last season, 76ers top executives are reportedly discouraged by the former Syracuse standout's 26.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Carter-Williams, the 11th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, also underwent major shoulder surgery, and the 76ers aren't sure how will he respond to the setback.

Meanwhile, Lowe also reported that the Atlanta Hawks tried to trade Al Horford last season before the star power forward sustained a season-ending pectoral muscle tear.

The Hawks reportedly reached out to several teams about their interest in acquiring Horford for an unprotected 2014 first-round pick, but no teams gave into their demands.

Horford, who only played in 29 games last season, played 11 minutes in their 109-103 preseason loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday. Once he regains his health, the Hawks are expected to look again for possible trades for Horford.

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