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The Philadelphia 76ers chose not to address their frontcourt depth at the recently passed trade deadline, but one insider believes they could still make a key addition through the buyout market.
Going into Thursday’s trade deadline, many insiders expected the Sixers to look for help behind MVP candidate Joel Embiid. The team ended up making only one move, sending away lockdown defender Matisse Thybulle in a three-way deal that landed them Jalen McDaniels from the Charlotte Hornets.
While head coach Doc Rivers has given a vote of confidence to the big men currently backing up Embiid, Michael Kaskey-Blomain of CBS Sports believes the Sixers could still have one more move coming.
Sixers Could Target Veteran Big Man
With the trade deadline passed and the Sixers adding only a wing, Kaskey-Blomain picked another potential target to bolster the team’s playoff rotation — veteran center Dewayne Dedmon. The Miami Heat had traded Dedmon to the San Antonio Spurs, who waived the center on Thursday.
The veteran big man had appeared in 30 games this season, averaging 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game. Though Dedmon performed well in relief of Bam Adebayo when he missed time after undergoing thumb surgery last season, he ran into some conflict this season on the Heat. The team slapped Dedmon with a one-game suspension in January for a high-profile spat on the bench.
“The move came one night after Dedmon had an outburst after being subbed out of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder,” a report from The Associated Press noted.
He exchanged words with coaches on the sideline, then angrily swatted at a massage gun and sent it flying onto the court during play.”
The Sixers could also move forward with the roster as currently constructed. Rivers said last week that he trusted the big men currently backing up Embiid, and would be fine keeping them in the rotation for the playoffs.
“Doc Rivers, asked if he feels like he has bigs behind Joel Embiid that he can trust in the playoffs, says that he does trust Montrezl Harrell and Paul Reed in the playoffs and that they’ll push each other,” reporter Austin Krell tweeted. “Adds that PJ Tucker will get a look at the backup center spot, as well.”
Sixers Earn Praise for Long Trade on Deadline Day
While the frontcourt depth may still need to be addressed, the Sixers did earn praise for their only move on deadline day. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s David Murphy noted that Thybulle showed little improvement through his four seasons in Philadelphia, and McDaniels is a better-improved version of the player they just traded with a better touch on the offensive end.
“In a lot of ways, McDaniels is the type of player that the Sixers thought Thybulle had a decent chance of becoming,” Murphy wrote. “He isn’t a great offensive player, but he is an active one, and capable enough that he can command his fair share of a defense’s attention.”
The Sixers achieved another important goal through the trade — getting them below the luxury tax threshold.
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