The NBA trade deadline was two weeks ago. Although no real blockbuster trades happened, some teams-like the Knicks- took on assets to make a stronger push into the playoffs.
Another one of the busier teams was the Sixers, and many think that the moves that Daryl Morey made were rather questionable.
Buddy Hield
After nearly four years of multiple trade rumors and jersey swap edits, Buddy Hield finally became a Sixer. Heading into the deadline, it was clear that the Sixers desperately needed shooting and scoring, so they were able to make a trade with the Pacers for the 31-year-old knockdown shooter.
The Sixers traded away Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz (who’s been requesting a trade for a few years), and three second-round picks in return for Hield.
In his first few games as a Sixer, Hield has produced nicely and has been a great addition to the team. So far in the small sample with the Sixers, he’s averaged 22.3 points while shooting 45 percent from three. When Embiid does come back, Hield should most definitely be able to produce in the Embiid-centric offense, as most shooters do.
Danuel House Jr. to the Detroit Pistons
The next trade that the Sixers made was trading Danuel House Jr. to the Pistons for cash considerations and a second-round pick in 2024. Then, later reported by the Athletic’s Shams Charania, House was waived by the Pistons.
This move was simply done to create cap space to sign a player in the buyout market.
Patrick Beverley to the Bucks, Cameron Payne to the Sixers
When this trade was reported, it was not well received by Sixers fans. Make no mistake, getting at least a second-round pick for Beverley at this late stage in his career is good. To add on, they were even able to add the Philly native point guard, Kyle Lowry.
However, the Sixers traded a fan-favorite player away to one of their top rivals. Although Pat Bev isn’t going to play a significant role on the Bucks, he’s a solid perimeter defender, which is just what the Bucks need.
During a press conference a day after the trade deadline, Morey stated that he traded Beverley because, to him, it felt like his role was declining on the team. Morey further added that he traded Beverley where he could play a more important role.
Now for Cam Payne, he’s looked solid during his short stint with the Sixers so far, averaging 10.8 points per game.
Jaden Springer to the Boston Celtics
The last trade in the Sixers was another deal that left tons of fans of the Sixers frustrated. The team traded their 2021 first-round pick Springer to the Boston Celtics for another second-round pick. Springer, in year three of his career, was a project player that the Sixers took with the 28th pick.
But with all the injuries the Sixers started to face, Springer eventually found his way into the lineup. With that, he even started to slowly find his footing in the league, locking up MVP contender Luka Doncic and superstar Steph Curry the day before he got traded. Although his offense is still in development, the 76ers probably shouldn’t have traded away a young player to their biggest rivals in the NBA.
Kyle Lowry
In late January, the Miami Heat traded Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick for Terry Rozier. Eventually, the Hornets and Lowry agreed to a buyout with the team and decided to then sign with the Philadelphia 76ers for the remainder of the season.
The six-time All-Star, who won it all back in 2019, not only gets to make another playoff push with his former coach Nick Nurse, but also plays in his hometown team.
Final Thoughts
Although some of the trades were questionable, especially the Springer one, I think it did leave the team with a better roster overall. Trading with rival teams can come and bite the Sixers back in the future. However, when they’re fully healthy, the team looks great as Maxey, Hield, Harris, Batum, and Embiid will round out the starting five. The bench also looks solid which includes Lowry, Melton, Oubre, RoCo [Robert Covington], Paul Reed, Cam Payne, and more.
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