Getty James Harden and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers
In a January 30 ESPN roundtable, multiple analysts, including Bobby Marks, were asked which NBA contender could comfortably stand pat at the NBA Trade Deadline. While mentioning both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, Marks explained the one move the Sixers should consider.
“I am putting the 76ers up there with Boston as a team that can contend for a championship without making a deadline deal,” Marks said. “Of course, health will play a major role, but since starting the season 12-12, Philadelphia is a league-best 20-4. The only move that should be considered is the financial benefit of dropping below the luxury tax. The 76ers would receive a $16 million tax distribution if they shed $1.17 million in salary.”
At the moment, the Sixers have multiple players on their roster who haven’t been consistently featured in the rotation, like Furkan Korkmaz ($5 million), Danuel House ($4.1 million), and Jaden Springer ($2.1 million), among others, that could potentially be traded to shed salary.
Daryl Morey’s Thoughts on the Upcoming Trade Deadline
Sixers’ President of Basketball Operation Daryl Morey gave his candid thoughts on the upcoming NBA Trade Deadline during his appearance on “The Anthony Gargano Show” on January 27. Morey delved into the difficulties of finding someone to help the current Sixers’ roster but believes the Sixers will get someone.
“Our only goal, we’ve had multiple meetings this week, we’re going into another meeting right after this call, on finding someone who can contribute to this team. It’s our job, but it is hard because we look around the league, and you say, ‘That guy is not better than our 11th guy who just won the game in Sacramento for us.’ It’s a harder year, but hey, we will find somebody, I think,” Morey said.
Morey also said that the pool of available players isn’t very large due to how many teams are vying for the play-in.
“If you overlap players that would play in our playoff rotation with the players that are available, especially with so many teams who feel they are in it with the play-in game and everything, it gets down to a very small group of players. It’s not zero, but it’s not a big group of players.
Sixers May Look to Trade Shake Milton
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus reported that Milton might be among the players the Sixers could trade to save money.
“The 76ers are looking to add to bolster their chances in the Eastern Conference, but in the absence of a move to improve, look for the franchise to shop a wing like Furkan Korkmaz or Matisse Thybulle (or guard Shake Milton) to get under the luxury tax,” Pincus said.
Milton is slated to make nearly $2 million this season, which is less than Korkmaz and Thybulle ($4.3 million), but he has been featured more in the Sixers’ rotation than Thybulle or Korkmaz. Milton has played nearly double the games (44) that Korkmaz has (24) and has played substantially more minutes per game (23) than Thybulle (12.1).
Milton is averaging 10 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three this season.