DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls
The trade deadline is upon us, and front offices have until 3 p.m. on February 8 to finalize trades. The Philadelphia 76ers are exhausting all options to improve their roster in the absence of Joel Embiid, including monitoring DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls, per a report.
The February 8 report, from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, stated “The Philadelphia 76ers have remained active in trade talks for several potential impact players, including DeMar DeRozan.”
The other impact players that Scotto mentioned the 76ers were looking at included Bojan Bogdanovic, Kelly Olynyk, Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, and Andre Drummond.
Scotto provided more insight regarding the timeline and intensity of discussions regarding some of the above-mentioned players, writing “Most of those trade conversations have happened more earnestly over the past couple of days except for DeRozan. Heading into Wednesday night, there was a gap in talks for Brogdon and Hield, with the Sixers focusing more on a Bogdanovic pursuit that stalled as the night went on, league sources told HoopsHype.”
DeRozan is a Proven Scorer
DeRozan, who is a six-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Team member, would provide a significant offensive boost for the 76ers. He is currently averaging 22.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
Embiid, who was averaging 36.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, won’t be re-evaluated, following surgery he had on a torn meniscus, for four weeks. In his absence, DeRozan would certainly be able to make up for some of the offensive that is lost without Embiid.
DeRozan is a master of the mid-range, and has taken 330 total shots from that range so far this season, 41 more than Kevin Durant, who has taken the second-most.
Another area the DeRozan could significantly improve the 76ers in is isolation play. Embiid is one of the most dominant isolation threats in the game. Prior to his injury, he was generating 1.09 points per possession (PPP) on a whopping 6 isolations per game, the second-most in the league.
While he doesn’t go iso at nearly the same volume as Embiid, DeRozan still averages 2.8 isolations per game and also generates 1.09 PPP. Tyrese Maxey is currently the only other player on the 76ers to average at least two isolation possessions per game, and it isn’t his strong suit, generating just 0.82 PPP.
DeRozan is also effective in the pick and roll, generating 1.03 PPP on over 7 possessions per game, which ranks in the 85th percentile in the league.
Expect Trades From Philly
NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported on his February 8 episode of The Woj Pod that the 76ers would be a team to watch on the deadline. Woj stated that the 76ers were “determined to improve and make some deals.”
The 76ers have been linked to several players who could provide some offensive firepower while they wait, and hope, that Embiid returns from injury by the playoffs. On February 8, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported “Another target for the Sixers is Pistons guard Bojan Bogdanović, sources said, who is on the books for $20 million this season, but has just $2 million guaranteed for 2024-25. Detroit has long shown an interest in a reunion with Tobias Harris, league sources told Yahoo Sports, but in any deal where the Sixers bring back Bogdanović, it would seem Philadelphia doesn’t want to part with Harris.”