Getty Isaiah Thomas, NBA ramblin' man
The Philadelphia 76ers had a somewhat quiet trade deadline, making just one move, and they’ve entered the All-Star break with an impressive victory over the Clippers. However, the team could still use upgrades if it’s going to compete for an NBA title this season and the buyout market could be a place for the club to find another player to add depth to the squad.
Is Dion Waiters Worth the Risk?
As our own Mike Gregor wrote, Waiters is one of the buyout candidates with Philadelphia ties. The former No. 4 overall pick grew up in South Philadelphia and was once considered a top shooting guard in the country. However, his career hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype.
Bringing Waiters on is a risk. He was suspended three times by the Heat earlier this season, including once for ingesting too much edible marijuana.
The shooting guard agreed to a buyout with the Grizzlies after Memphis acquired him in the Andre Iguodala deal. He’s only appeared in three games this season, all of which coming with Miami.
Could Isaiah Thomas Provide Any Value to Philly?
Isaiah Thomas’ stint with the Wizards was short-lived. He appeared in 40 games for Washington, scoring 12.2 points per game, before he was traded to the Clippers in a three-team, trade deadline deal. Los Angeles waived him upon arrival.
Could he be a fit for Philadelphia? The question comes down to whether he would be an upgrade on Raul Neto. Neto isn’t the best defender in the world, though compared to Thomas, he looks like Gary Payton.
Thomas, who underwent hip surgery two years ago, doesn’t have the lateral quickness anymore to compete at a high level. Sure, he can still score but the Sixers would need more from the 31-year-old. For Philadelphia—a place where he went into the stands to confront a fan earlier this season—he’s likely not a fit.
Evan Turner, Again?
Evan Turner was traded to the Wolves in the four-team, Clint Capela deal prior to the trade deadline. He reportedly is working on a buyout and the Clippers could be eyeing the wing.
Turner joined Atlanta before the season with the franchise hoping that he could be their answer behind Trae Young as a facilitator off the bench. He never really gelled into that backup point guard role and the team traded for Jeff Teague to man the position.
The 6’6″ wing has playoff experience, playing a role for Boston and Portland previously. The former No. 2 overall appeared in just 19 games for Atlanta this season and it’s unclear whether he can be that same player for a team during this upcoming postseason.
The Sixers could use a scorer off the bench, though the acquisitions of Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III have given the team some additional firepower, although Brett Brown hasn’t been keen on using them.
Turner’s lack of three-point shooting might make for an awkward fit next to Ben Simmons, though if used as a backup to the All-Star, he could provide some value to the team.