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Danny Green’s future appears very much in limbo following a major left knee injury. He is expected to miss the first half of the year as rumors swirl that the Philadelphia 76ers may cut or trade him before July 1.
Green’s contract for the 2022-23 season is non-guaranteed so releasing him wouldn’t clear cap space. However, it would free up $10 million in annual salary for them to use on potential free agents. The most logical thing to do would be to include Green in a trade. Title contenders tend to love three-time champions.
Green still has value around the league thanks to his veteran leadership. He could be the pot sweetener in a deal that includes Matisse Thybulle, according to Heavy’s Sean Deveney. An Eastern Conference executive told Deveney that the Sixers are “making a push to package Green’s contract with some other assets.”
“If they move forward with trading Matisse Thybulle, you can put him with Green’s contract and bring back a good piece in return. They need two-way players, and they need shooting,” the executive told Deveney. “They’re interested in keeping off the luxury tax, too, so they can have a little flexibility going forward.”
Important note: the Sixers would need to guarantee Green’s $10 million contract prior to trading him. Why? Because there likely isn’t a team with enough cap space to take him, per Deveney, and once his contract is guaranteed then they can use his salary to match other salaries.
Thybulle is only due $4.37 million for the 2022-23 season but he’s eligible for a rookie-scale extension, a move that would add four more years to his current deal. The Sixers have a tough decision on their hands when weighing what to do. Can they rely on their defensive stopper to return with a consistent jumper? If not, how much is a one-way player worth?
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Mailk Beasley Could Be Ideal Trade Candidate
The Minnesota Timberwolves were mentioned multiple times in potential Ben Simmons’ trades. Nothing ever materialized, but one name that kept getting thrown out there was Malik Beasley. The former first-round pick – 19th overall by Denver in 2016 – could give them some serious firepower: 38.6% from three-point land for his career, including one season where he shot 42.6% from deep and averaged 20.7 points per game.
Deveney’s source named Beasley as an “ideal target” for the Sixers. Some combination of Thybulle and Green, mixed with a draft pick or a young player like Isaiah Joe might get a deal done.
“A guy like Malik Beasley is the ideal target for them,” an Eastern Conference exec told Deveney. “They can give the Wolves a young guy back, like Thybulle and maybe add in a second-rounder or an Isaiah Joe, then put Green in the deal, too, to make the money work.”
Expecting the Worst, Hoping for the Best
Green expressed interest in wanting to return to Philly next year and running it back with the same roster. The 34-year-old has no plans to retire, instead forcing all his energy into rehab this summer. Once his knee is healed up, he could be wearing a different uniform. Green has no idea what Sixers president Daryl Morey and the front office has planned for his immediate future.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do,” Green said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I’ve said of this league, it’s a business. You just expect the worst, hope for the best. But, for me, I think I’ll play at least half the season, or the tail end of the season and the playoffs. They might not pick [my contract] up, they might trade it.”
The deadline to decide is July 1 before that $10 million becomes guaranteed for the 2022-23 season. Green is prepared for any and all outcomes.
“I’m hopeful, but I’m preparing for the worst,” Green said, “because you don’t know how it’s going to go in this league.”
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