Big picture move. It's the same reason I thought the second Chris Paul trade was better than the one that was "vetoed". In the first trade, they would have received some serviceable talent like Lamar Odom that would have allowed New Orleans to tread water. The NBA owned the team at the time and refused to approve such a short-sighted move. Instead, they traded Chris Paul for Eric Gordon and a 1st. Gordon and the 1st (Austin Rivers) didn't pan out, but by making that move they allowed the HOrnets to efficiently bottom out - resulting in Anthony Davis.
Same with Philly's moves. The goal was to bottom out. The fact that they have the #1 pick in this draft, widely believed to be a superstar prospect, means moving MCW for a long-range asset was a wise move. I'm sure they would have preferred for it to convey this season... and there's a chance the Lakers make a shocking quick turnaround leaving Philly with a late 1st. And there's a chance MCW ends up significantly better than what that pick becomes... but one could argue Philly wouldn't be on the verge of adding a franchise player had it not been for moves like that. And it's pretty clear Philly was right in believing MCW was not a franchise talent. He's struggled.