Getty Joel Embiid and Furkan Korkmaz of the Philadelphia 76ers
In a January 31 PhillyVoice article, Kyle Neubeck named three players on the Philadelphia 76ers who are the most likely to be traded at the NBA Trade Deadline while giving a brief explanation for why.
“In terms of potential outgoings, the most likely names to be sent out are Furkan Korkmaz, Danuel House Jr., and Jaden Springer, sources say, with the first two out of the rotation and the third never having cracked it,” Neubeck said.
Neubeck then elaborated further on why House and Springer in particular are likely to be traded.
“Springer has not made an impact on the team in his first two years, though the Sixers drafted one of the youngest players in the class with the long-term (and frankly, trade value preservation) in mind. House is an interesting one in the sense that I think he’s (in theory) the style of player they’re hunting, but he has disappointed up to this point and is likely to be in deals for pure salary-matching reasons.”
While Springer and Korkmaz were drafted by the Sixers, Danuel House is one of the several former Houston Rockets personnel who has crossed over to Philadelphia since 2020, including Daryl Morey, James Harden, P.J. Tucker, and Montrezl Harell.
Matisse Thybulle is ‘Likely Path’ to ‘Higher-End’ Trade
Neubeck said that if the Sixers were to seek any upgrades, fourth-year wing Matisse Thybulle would be the key to them finding one while also relaying which team is interested in him.
“If the Sixers pursue a “higher-end” deal, Thybulle is their likely path to getting there. The Sacramento Kings are said to have an interest in Thybulle, and as we reported at PhillyVoice earlier this season, there is at least a small handful of teams interested in Thybulle leaguewide,” Neubeck said.
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer included another Western Conference playoff contender who is interested in Thybulle.
“Multiple NBA sources said the Golden State Warriors have had internal discussions about Thybulle and that they do like him as a defensive stopper,” Pompey said.
Thybulle has not had as big of a role with the Sixers compared to years past. This season, Thybulle is playing less than half as many minutes this season on average (12.1) as he was playing last season (25.5). Thybulle’s defensive abilities have earned him league-wide recognition, making two all-Defense teams in 2021 and 2022.
The 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Second Team:
🏀 Bam Adebayo
🏀 Jimmy Butler
🏀 Joel Embiid
🏀 Kawhi Leonard
🏀 Matisse Thybulle
The 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Defensive Second Team:
🏀 Bam Adebayo (Miami)
🏀 Draymond Green (Golden State)
🏀 Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee)
🏀 Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia)
🏀 Robert Williams III (Boston)
Thybulle and Korkmaz Included in Trade Proposal
While reporting that Korkmaz is the most likely Sixer to be traded at the deadline, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report proposed a trade that would send Korkmaz among other assets to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Caleb Martin.
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Cody Martin
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, 2028 second-round pick
Favale then explained how both sides agree to a trade.
“Martin is battling left knee issues and hasn’t looked great when available,” Favale wrote. “That just means it’s a good time for Philly to try buying low. Martin fills a bunch of gaps at both ends, and Charlotte might be skittish amid his injuries after signing him to a new contract over the summer.”
He then explained why the Sixers would be interested in Martin.
“Philly might prefer a perimeter player who is higher-volume from deep—and has a better track record of making them. Martin’s 38.4 percent clip on triples last year is an outlier compared to his career clip (31.8 percent) and came on just 3.1 attempts per 36 minutes.”