Getty Matisse Thybulle, Philadelphia 76ers
Daryl Morey seems hell-bent on fixing some of the issues that blighted the Philadelphia 76ers during their recent post-season failures.
According to a June 24 report from Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Portland Trailblazers have an interest in trading for Matisse Thybulle, but the Sixers are looking to enter into a three-team trade, with the hope of landing Houston Rockets wing Eric Gordon.
The #Sixers are trying to acquire Eric Gordon and using Matisse Thybulle as an asset, even attempting to get a third team to participate, according to multiple league sources. The Portland Trail Blazers are willing to make a straight-up deal for Thybulle, sources says.
“The 76ers are trying to acquire Eric Gordon and using Matisse Thybulle as an asset, even attempting to get a third team to participate, according to multiple league sources. However, teams want to deal with the Sixers exclusively rather than help facilitate a deal to get Gordon from the Houston Rockets, sources say…Morey is familiar with Gordon from their time together in Houston,” Pompey wrote.
Three-team trades are not unheard of, but if the Trailblazers would prefer a standard trade package for Thybulle, Morey should see what’s on the table, because there’s no guarantee Houston would want to enter into the fray when a direct conference rival is also improving their roster.
Morey Sticking to What he Knows
When you take a step back, you could be forgiven for thinking Morey is trying to reconstruct his former Rockets team, except this time, he’s building it around Joel Embiid rather than James Harden.
Rumors have begun to surface about the Sixers’ interest in PJ Tucker, and now, with Gordon also a rumored target, Morey would be bringing three of his most trusted players to Philadelphia. However, when you take a more holistic viewpoint, it’s clear the Sixers President of Basketball Operations is simply sticking to what he knows best – and it’s not like Tucker and Gordon couldn’t help the Sixers in the post-season.
The Sixers are interested in Daryl Morey’s former Houston Rockets players PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon, according to @WindhorstESPN
As Pompey also noted in his article, Gordon is still a productive force off the bench and is also capable of slotting into the team’s starting five when called upon.
“For his part, Gordon averaged 13.4 points for the Rockets this past season. The shooting guard/small forward could be used as the Sixers’ fifth starter or a scoring threat off the bench. Gordon was the 2017 NBA sixth man of the year.”
Sixers Make First Major Addition
While most of the outside noise is currently focused on Tucker and Gordon, the Sixers have continued to work towards their long-term vision and took a big step forwards on June 23, when the team traded for De’Anthony Melton of the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Sixers have traded Danny Green and the No. 23 pick to the Grizzlies for DeAnthony Melton, per @ShamsCharania
Melton fills two major needs for the Sixers: he’s a solid perimeter defender and can provide some offensive consistency as an off-ball scorer and slasher – two things the team sorely lacked during their post-season run, which came to an end at the hands of the Miami Heat. This past season, Melton averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 37.4% from deep and 40.4% from the field.
The fact the Sixers were able to acquire the former Grizzlies guard while getting off Danny Green’s contract could potentially be viewed as one of the better trades this off-season, and Morey certainly deserves some credit for that.