Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – November 14: Buddy Hield #7 of the Indiana Pacers takes a shot on Patrick ,
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Heading into the NBA trade deadline on February 8, the Philadelphia 76ers were shrouded in uncertainty.
All-Star center Joel Embiid is expected to miss at least 6-8 weeks after undergoing a procedure on the lateral meniscus injury in his left knee on Tuesday. Shams Charania Of athletic. Meanwhile, the Sixers went 1-7 in their last eight games and fell out of the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
If the Sixers were confident in Embiid’s return this season, would they go all out at the deadline to maximize his historic campaign? If they think he’s out for the year, would they trade his over $80 million in expiring contracts and start waiting out the offseason? Or will they split the difference and try to remain competitive while maintaining their long-term flexibility?
He chose option C on the time limit for different results.
The Sixers started the day by trading three second-round picks to the Indiana Pacers for forward Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz and sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who would fill their apparent need for more long-range shooting. That put them so close to the luxury-tax line that they proceeded to salary-dump Danuel House Jr. on the Detroit Pistons with a second-round pick and cash for a highly protected second-rounder who will likely never be told. .
Those two moves indicated that the Sixers were both trying to remain competitive and keeping an eye on their long-term future. His next two moves raise doubts about his intentions.
The Sixers first sent Patrick Beverley to the Milwaukee Bucks for Cameron Payne and a 2027 second-round pick. Just minutes before the 3 p.m. ET deadline, they agreed to trade Jaden Springer to the Boston Celtics for a 2024 second-round pick, which is likely to be worth in the high 30s or low 40s. The Sixers now have absolutely zero backup point guards behind Tyrese Maxey, at least for the time being.
If Hield and/or Payne miss Friday against the Atlanta Hawks, the Sixers could be down to nine healthy bodies, including their two-way players. Their roster, plagued by injuries, can’t get the All-Star break anytime soon. Their schedule coming out of the break couldn’t be more difficult, as they face the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Bucks and Celtics in a week’s span.
Apart from their three-point win over the Utah Jazz on February 1, the Sixers have lost each of their last six games by at least 12 points. Their closest loss since Embiid missed time was a short-handed loss against the Denver Nuggets, when he was fouled shortly before tipoff.
With that in mind, some fans may be disappointed that the Sixers effectively traded five healthy players at the deadline for two. However, all five will either be on the fringes of the playoff rotation or out entirely.
The Sixers need enough healthy players to make the playoffs in the first place. But if De’Anthony Melton and Nicolas Batum return in the coming days or weeks, the Sixers’ outlook will be much brighter than it appears right now. This will be especially true when Hield and Payne make their Sixers debuts.
The main complaints about the Sixers’ deadline approach appear to be two-fold. One, they strengthened two potential rivals in Boston and Milwaukee with Springer and Beverley, respectively. Two, they increased their cap space for the offseason, but there’s no guarantee they’ll land anyone notable with it.
Beverley may be a great addition to the Sixers’ playoff rotation, but that depends on what else he does in the coming days. Many reporters have noted their interest in Philadelphia native Kyle Lowry if he earns a buyout from the Charlotte Hornets, and there are many reasons to believe the Sixers would have an advantage over other teams for him.
Beverley endeared himself to the Philadelphia faithful by embracing the city’s ethos – tough, hard-nosed, and talking nonsense all day long. However, he was shooting just 32.1% on low volume from deep. Although he provided grit and energy during the regular season slump, his rotation spot could have faded in the playoffs if opposing teams ignored him on offense to send additional help elsewhere.
If Lowry signs with the Sixers, they’ll be getting someone who shot 38.5% from deep on 4.4 attempts per game in 37 appearances with the Miami Heat this season. He may not be the same defender as Beverley at this stage of their respective careers, but Lowry is no slouch in his own right. If nothing else, the two would have competed for backup minutes.
Rather than force Lowry to compete for minutes, the Sixers cleared the deck for him to immediately acquire the backup point guard role. They used both Beverley and Springer to replenish some of the draft capital they sent to Hield and salary-dump houses earlier in the day, making it look like they’re going to make another move at that spot. Are.
The same may be true in the frontcourt, as the Sixers did not add reinforcements there before the deadline. Paul Reed and Mo Bamba now remain their only two nominal big men, and Morris had occasionally moonlighted as a small-ball 5 before his departure. Unless the Sixers are ready to fill out the lineup regularly with center Tobias Harris, they will need to use one of their three open roster spots for a big signing.
The Sixers are now $4.9 million under the luxury-tax line, giving them plenty of room to sign players on the buyout market. Since they do not exceed any apron, they are not subject to the restriction limiting teams to players who were previously earning less than the non-taxpayer mid-tier exception.
Lowry, who is on an expiring deal worth $29.7 million, fits into that bucket. That means he can’t sign with the Celtics, Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers or Phoenix Suns if he is traded to other teams. But beyond the potential homecoming, the Sixers have another advantage over potential suitors for Lowry and other buyout targets: They still have the mid-level exception.
A handful of title contenders, including the Nuggets, Cavaliers and Knicks, have already spent some or all of their respective mid-level exceptions. The Sixers can offer free agents more money than teams who have MLEs and multiple years on their contracts. (The smart play would be to offer multiyear deals with 2024-25 salaries non-guaranteed through July 15.)
For now, without knowing what the Sixers plan to do with their three roster spots — not to mention their potential ability to open up nearly $65 million in cap space this offseason — the Sixers are left with incomplete waivers at the deadline. It is appropriate to give. They’re trying to remain competitive while maintaining their long-term flexibility, but without seeing what they use that flexibility for, it’s impossible to give a final judgment on that strategy.
If nothing else, the Sixers will put on a fascinating event in Philadelphia over the next few months.
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