Getty PHILADELPHIA, Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets heads for the net as Tobias Harris #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers defends.
When free agency went underway at 6 p.m. on June 30th, the Philadelphia 76ers wasted little time getting to work. After being linked to P.J. Tucker for weeks, they inked the veteran forward to a multi-year deal. On top of that, Daryl Morey also signed three-and-D wing Danuel House.
Securing wing depth was crucial for the Sixers with the departure of Danny Green, and this pair of signings should help alleviate that weak point. That being said, Morey might not be finished re-tooling the roster around Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. During a recent appearance on ESPN, NBA insider Brian Windhorst cited the Sixers could bring in multiple new faces over the next week.
By the way, they’ve been all over the place in trade talks. They’re talking about [Matisse] Thybulle, they’re talking about Tobias Harris, they’re talking to all kinds of teams. I got all kinds of things in my phone about where they’re potentially going with players in this next three to seven days. Maybe they do a deal, maybe they don’t. But they’re going to bring in three to five new players. It was opened up by Harden willing to do this.
Sixers Still Eyeing Eric Gordon
Another player the Sixers have been connected to in recent weeks is Houston Rockets’ sixth man Eric Gordon. Michael Kaskey-Blomain of CBS Sports reported talks centered around the veteran guard are still ongoing, with Matisse Thybulle being a key piece in the deal.
“Trade talks between the 76ers and Rockets revolving around Eric Gordon are still active, per a league source. Matisse Thybulle has been mentioned in the talks, but a third team might be needed to facilitate a deal,” he tweeted.
With Danny Green’s contract off the table, facilitating a trade might get tricky. If the Sixers want to acquire his services, they will have to come close to matching his $19.5 million salary for this upcoming season. Last season for the Rockets, Gordon averaged 13.4 PPG and 2.7 APG while shooting a stellar 41.2% from beyond the arc.
Sixers Could Target Patrick Beverley
For the Sixers, defense and toughness have been words thrown around a lot. With that in mind, one analyst tossed around a new name for the Sixers to keep an eye on.
While news of Kevin Durant requesting a trade has been the big talk of the NBA, there was another massive trade that went down. The Minnesota Timberwolves sent a massive haul of players and draft picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Rudy Gobert. Among the players sent to the Jazz was veteran guard Patrick Beverley.
Following this mega-deal, Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report suggested the Sixers as a team to watch if Utah decides to buyout Beverley once the trade becomes official. “If Pat Bev gets bought out in Utah, look for the Sixers explore adding him to the roster. Makes too much sense,” he tweeted.
Like P.J. Tucker, Beverley is a physical and hard-nosed player that prides himself on the defensive end of the floor. He also has multiple connections to the Sixers. Not only is he a former Houston Rocket, but he played under Doc Rivers as a member of the LA Clippers. Last season for the Wolves, the 33-year-old averaged 9.2 PPG, 4.6 APG, and 1.2 SPG.