Getty Pistons combo guard Langston Galloway could be an attractive trade piece for the Sixers at the deadline.
The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away, and the Sixers are supposed to be major players. No one is off-limits.
Well, maybe a few guys are untouchable. The franchise isn’t likely to move either franchise center Joel Embiid or franchise guard Ben Simmons — although both names have been mentioned in passing — before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Everyone is aware of what the Sixers need on offense: a wing player who can hit threes. They have been linked to several big names like Bogdan Bogdanović, Robert Covington, Davis Bertans, Josh Hart and Langston Galloway, among others.
Sports Illustrated‘s Jeremy Woo wouldn’t throw out any new names but he named the Sixers as one of “Five Teams to Watch” at the NBA trade deadline. Instead, Woo explored possible assets on the Sixers roster the team may be willing to part with. He specifically mentioned Mike Scott and Zhaire Smith as possible trade pieces, along with a package of draft picks in exchange for a proven role player.
But expect Philly to explore all available avenues to fill out its rotation with more experience, and preferably playoff-tested role guys. As far as trade ammo goes, the Sixers can theoretically combine the salaries of Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith (whose perceived value as a prospect is down across the league) and others to create a mid-level salary slot.
If Philly is willing to attach a first-rounder in some form, or even just a combination of the four 2020 second-rounders it owns, it could conceivably add a viable player or two. If they really want to raise the stakes, they could dangle a protected 2021 or 2022 first instead. Regardless, reinforcements are certainly in order, and this is not a front office that’s been content to stand pat.
New trade deadline column is up @TheCrossover, with a look at the intriguing teams to watch this week:
Right now, the Sixers sit at No. 6 in the Eastern Conference standings after dropping a tough road game to Atlanta. They will battle the third-place Celtics on Saturday night (Feb. 1) in Boston at 8:30 p.m.
Langston Galloway Emerges as a Leading Trade Candidate
On Friday, The Athletic‘s James L. Edwards III reported the Sixers are pursuing Langston Galloway, a 6-foot-2 combo guard from the Detroit Pistons.
The Louisiana native played his college ball under long-time Philly staple Phil Martelli at Saint Joseph’s University. Martelli, of course, is now an assistant coach at Michigan.
“With Langston, what you see, and the fact that he is in the NBA, is all the man in the mirror,” Martelli told The Athletic in 2018. “He had a gift. He can really, really shoot, but his work and his self-determination — it’s not confidence, but it was a belief in self that has put him there.”
Galloway, who went undrafted in 2014, is averaging 10.2 points in 25.6 minutes per game this season while shooting nearly 40-percent from three. The Sixers could get the 28-year-old on an expiring contract, meaning they would only be on the hook for the rest of his 2019-20 salary valued at $7.3 million.
The Pistons would probably be seeking a second-rounder in return for Galloway. Just something to consider.
I can’t imagine the Pistons would trade Luke Kennard, I just can’t.
I’d be absolutely stunned.
Unless the Pistons got some huge haul for him, no way. I can’t see it happening.
Now, Langston Galloway, on the other hand, I think he’d be a real nice fit with the Sixers.