Getty Montrezl Harrell of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Ahead of the February 9 trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers might be looking to save money, not spend it. If that’s true, a few of the team’s pricier rotation players might find an earlier-than-expected exit from Philly.
The Sixers might look to move defensive stopper Matisse Thybulle to the San Antonio Spurs, bringing back big man Zach Collins, according to one Eastern Conference general manager.
“San Antonio is one that has had some interest [in Thybulle]. Thybulle is a [head coach Gregg] Popovich kind of player, and they’re trying to do some reclamation projects down there,” the GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney. “The Sixers could take a chance on Zach Collins. They’re really looking for some depth up front. Not sure of their interest in Collins, but that would be the only guy who makes sense there.”
The GM noted that Philly was closely eyeing front-court depth, a spot of inconsistency that’s plagued the third-place Sixers at times this season. So far, Montrezl Harrell has cemented his place as Joel Embiid’s backup, but he is also in the midst of his worst season since his rookie year, 2015-16.
Philadelphia 76ers Looking for Big Man Upgrades?
Harrell is far from a trusted source on the floor, according to Dave Early of Liberty Ballers, who wrote on January 1 that head coach Doc Rivers even “senses on occasion that Trez isn’t the answer vs. elite teams.”
And the team’s younger backup big, Paul Reed, also hasn’t developed enough trust with Doc Rivers. “[The Sixers] don’t trust Reed, and the guy they do love to play hasn’t helped enough to justify his consistent role … for the third year in a row,” Early wrote.
Harrell’s minus-1.7 net rating over the last 12 games (15 minutes per game) suggests he’s not the answer. Over that stretch, the Sixers have gone 8-4, suggesting Philly is winning games despite getting less than zero from its backup big.
Montrezl Harrell extends the 76ers lead in OT with a 2-handed rim rocker 😤
Anyone replacing Embiid, last year’s MVP runner-up, is bound to disappoint. But given his injury history, the Sixers need to find someone reliable enough to potentially be called upon during playoff time.
Of course, Collins’ plus/minus stats aren’t great, either, but he’s playing with the second unit on a Spurs team that is routinely outgunned by the opposition. Nonetheless, he’s contributing 9.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per night. Collins is in the second year of a three-year, $22 million contract.
Philadelphia 76ers Also Eyeing Andre Drummond?
On the January 14 episode of “Postin’ Up With Keith Smith and Adam Taylor,” Smith suggested a few backup bigs that Philly could potentially target via trade, including one player who played well for the Sixers in the past.
“I wouldn’t be shocked fully if it turned into a, ‘You know what, let’s get Andre Drummond back,’” Smith said. “So he is a guy whose contract has expired and he signed with the Bulls. If the Bulls say, ‘Yeah, backup center is a luxury for us because we’re not very good,’ Philly could go trade for Drummond for next to nothing. And that could be, you know, this was because he played really well for Philadelphia a year ago.”
Smith isn’t alone in that prediction. Drummond has been the target of significant trade chatter by many for Philadelphia, including the hosts of “The Rights to Ricky Sanchez” podcast.