Getty Joel Embiid and James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers did not sit on their hands before the NBA Trade Deadline passed. They traded the seldom-used Matisse Thybulle in a three-way deal for Jalen McDaniels, as first reported by Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Even so, Michael Pina of The Ringer called the Sixers loser after the deadline.
Pina praised the Sixers for the McDaniels trade primarily for getting under the tax but was not a fan of what they did at the deadline because of what they didn’t get.
“They ducked under the tax by moving Matisse Thybulle for Jalen McDaniels, another tentacle-armed wing who isn’t scaring anybody behind the 3-point line,” Pina said. “McDaniels may or may not crack Doc Rivers’s playoff rotation. (Isaiah Joe, he is not.) But beyond a lateral move that was financially motivated, the Sixers are losers because of what they didn’t do.
“Finding a backup center for Joel Embiid has always been an impossible, tortuous journey for Philadelphia. P.J. Tucker may be able to moonlight in that role for certain playoff matchups when Philly goes small and spaces the floor around James Harden. Or perhaps they find the big they need on the buyout market.”
Pina added that the Sixers’ inability to acquire a backup center stands out more because their competitors managed to do just that.
“After watching the Nuggets get Thomas Bryant, the Clippers get Mason Plumlee, and, to a lesser degree, the Celtics grab Mike Muscala, Philadelphia’s inactivity here is hard to ignore.”
Sixers Receive High Grade For McDaniels Trade
Though Pina criticized the Sixers for not acquiring a backup center, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report gave them praise for acquiring McDaniels for Thybulle. Favale first praised the Sixers for managing to get under the tax.
“The Sixers will deal. They comfortably skirt the tax as part of this trade, affording them necessary wiggle room in advance of #buyoutseason. And turning one second-rounder into two is useful divesting for a team barren of movable selections,” Favale said.
Favale then praised the Sixers for getting McDaniels based on how high his offensive upside is at least compared to Thyblle.
“Philadelphia doesn’t need someone to generate from-scratch scoring, but McDaniels can grab-and-go on the break and should be able to advance his pump-and-drive game inside the Sixers’ offense.
“Couple his size and multi-level help defense with this brand of ‘any offensive upside whatsoever,’ and you have someone infinitely more playable for this team in the postseason than Thybulle.”
Sixers Interested in Nerlens Noel Reunion
Marc Stein reported on his Substack on February 8 that the Sixers were interested in acquiring former lottery pick Nerlens Noel from the Detroit Pistons, but they weren’t the only team.
“The Piston most likely to be traded this week: Nerlens Noel. Sources say Miami and Philadelphia continue to register interest in Noel,” Stein said.
Noel did not get traded at the deadline, but it is possible that he could get bought out. The Pistons acquired Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman at the trade deadline and Noel was listed out for the Pistons’ next game on February 9 due to him being “not with team” as James Edwards III of The Athletic reported.
Nerlens Noel is listed as OUT for tomorrow. “Not with team” is what the injury report says.
If a buyout is where things are headed with Noel, a reunion with the Sixers could be in play.