Times really are changing in Philadelphia.
Used to be that the Sixers were one of the NBA’s trade-deadline draws, as they proved only last season in many ways, most notably with their decision to flip 2013-14 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks in a deal that netted them the Los Angeles Lakers 2016 top-five protected first-round draft pick from the Phoenix Suns. General manager Sam Hinkie, long the asset-hoarder, was always looking to deal, to position his Sixers for a transcendent talent by way of accumulating draft picks through player and salary dumps.
But now Jerry Colangelo is in town, championing moves for impact players (Ish Smith) and locker room leadership (Elton Brand). That, though, may be the extent of Philly’s moves this season, per Keith Pompey of philly.com:
The 76ers will listen to trade offers, but chances are they won’t make any moves by the Feb. 18 trade deadline.
“We will continue to look for opportunities if there are things that we can do to add players for now and the future,” general manager Sam Hinkie said Monday. “We will look, but I’m not sure it will happen.”
No self-respecting general manager is going to publicly reveal his plans when he has no reason to, so take this with a metric ton of salt. But Hinkie isn’t necessarily blowing smoke, nor would the Sixers’ situation be any different if Colangelo wasn’t helping call the shots.
Philly at some point needs to break up its frontcourt logjam. Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor already don’t fit together, while both Joel Embiid (injured) and Dario Saric (overseas) have yet to make their NBA debuts. Long term, two of those prospects need to go. But Noel and Okafor are the only known commodities of the four, and that’s putting it kindly. The Sixers won’t get just compensation for Embiid or Saric, and Okafor hasn’t yet had enough of an opportunity to drum up his trade value.
Next season should be a different story, with Embiid healthy, Saric stateside, Okafor a year into his career, Noel on the brink of restricted free agency and another wave of draft selections on the roster. The Sixers will have a better idea of what they have and who needs to go.
For now, barring a monster offer that allows them to clear up their frontcourt carousel, expect the Sixers to sit out this year’s trade deadline.
