NBA Reporters Think The Sixers Will Be Busy At Trade Deadline
Joel Embiid getting hurt has turned the Sixers season on its head. What seemed like their most promising season yet, now is hanging on by a thread. And it had people wondering how the Sixers would approach tomorrow’s trade deadline. Will they go all in to try to stay afloat hoping Embiid will be healthy come playoff time? Or do they hold onto their assets to go all in next season?
Well if you go by what National NBA reporters are saying, we should expect them to be busy. On NBA Today, Brian Windhorst said he thinks the Sixers will be very busy at the trade deadline.
“I would expect Philly to make one to three trades before Thursday afternoon”
It falls in line with what other reporters are saying. Marc Stein said he thinks the Sixers have a strong interest in a reunion with center Andre Drummond. And Adrian Wojnarowski went on NBA Today on Tuesday and said they will be buyers, specifically mentioning Centers like Andre Drummond and Kelly Olynk.
As Woj pointed out in the above video, the Sixers feel like it is a risk they have to take. The clock is ticking, and right now is Embiid’s prime. If they can make a trade or two, stay afloat, and get him back before the playoffs, they may still have a chance. But if they just fold now, they may be too far out by the time Embiid comes back to make any noise this year.
It is probably the right play. This team was playing at such a high level before the injury. They were one of the most efficient teams on both ends of the floor with Embiid playing. And it seems like the news about his injury is better than we feared after his successful surgery.
So expect them to at least try to be busy tomorrow before the deadline. One move that seems in the works is a center who can start for now, and then play backup come playoff time.
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Ranking Every Back Up The Sixers Have Tried Behind Joel Embiid
20) Deandre Jordan
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Jordan was clearly over the hill by the time he landed in Philly. But what made his stint here even more frustrating was Doc River’s insistence on using him. He was getting cooked every time he stepped onto the floor, but Doc kept throwing him out there.
19) Greg Monroe
(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Embiid took heat for his performance in the Raptors series in 2018. But you know what their real issue was? The -90 when he was off the floor. Greg Monroe got cooked on defense and offered nothing in terms of offense.
18) Tiago Splitter
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
How many people remember Splitter being on the Sixers? He played 8 games here in Embiid’s rookie season, and then never played in the NBA again. He still goes above Monroe and Jordan because not remembering him at all is better than my memory of Jordan and Monroe actively destroying the Sixers hopes of winning.
17) Willie Cauley-Stein
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Cauley-Stein was here for only 2 games, for 6 total minutes, and he scored no points. Like Splitter, he never played another game in his career once the Sixers moved on. I am sensing a trend.
16) Paul Milsap
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Milsap was thrown into the James Harden deal. But like several other guys we talked about, he struggled to get onto the floor. He did start one game, but he didn’t make much of an impact, and wound up being mostly left out of the rotation altogether.
15) Mo Bamba
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Can’t get onto the floor, fails to make an impact when he does get on it. I feel like a need a keyboard shortcut to enter that exact phrase because I am writing it a lot.
14) Norvelle Pelle
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Pelle was an interesting player. The athleticism was there. And he made some explosive plays. But those rare moments weren’t enough to overcome his lack of offense and his poor instincts.
13) Charles Bassey
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Like Pelle, there were things to like about Bassey. Those things just weren’t abundant enough. His offensive game just was not developed enough to be a realistic option when he was here. To his credit, he is still sticking around with the Spurs. But even now the game isn’t good enough to be a backup on a playoff team.
12) Jahlil Okafor
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Okafor couldn’t score outside of the paint, didn’t play defense, and didn’t rebound. So pretty much he had none of the qualities you want in a center. The Sixers held onto him for way too long until his value reach 0. They probably should have traded him after his productive rookie season. Or maybe the genius Sam Hinkie just shouldn’t have drafted his 3rd center in 3 seasons.
11) Boban Marjanovic
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
We loved Boban. But it was also very clear he was not good enough. He was pretty much unplayable against any center who can move outside of the paint. And while watching him sunk without jumping, and his relationship with Tobias, were all fun, he was not a very good backup center except against very specific opponents.
10) Kyle O'Quinn
(Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images)
O’Quinn wasn’t great, and he wasn’t bad. But he was part of that ill advised Horford season, and didn’t see the floor too much with Horford taking a lot of the backup center minutes. But he was fine, just nothing special. He did not have a negative impact on the team like many of these other players, but he didn’t have much of a positive one either. The Sixers were the last team he ever played
10) Amir Johnson
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Amir was actually solid when he first got here. In 2017-2018 he was a solid although unspectacular backup. But the next year was a bit of a mess. So he averages out to being the 10th best, or maybe the 11th worst. Whatever way you want to phrase it.
8) Tony Bradley
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Sixers fans loved this guy. he had a few great games, then got traded, and some Sixers fans lost their mind. We got calls for another two years from fans complaining that he was traded. But look at the rest of his career, and you will see he is at best an adequate backup. But Sixers fans have been so starved for backup centers, they saw one guy have a few good games, and fell in love.
7) Montrezl Harrell
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Another guy who couldn’t get on the floor enough. They brought him in thinking he would at least bring a scoring threat, even if his defense was lacking. But he couldn’t score enouhg, and his defense was lacking. But there was at least a semi-nice pick an roll game between him and Harden when he did play.
6) Paul Reed
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
There is a lot that Paul Reed does well. He brings a ton of energy to the floor. And when you are just asking him to play 14 minutes behind Embiid, he gets the job done. But the problem is if you need to him to start in place of an injured Embiid. That is when some of his flaws have been exposed.
5) Richaun Holmes
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
There was a ton to love about Holmes. He could make some incredible plays. The problem when he was here, was the simple plays. Too often he was out of position, or getting himself in trouble by trying to make one of those great plays. Still, his ability made him amongst the best backups Embiid ever had.
4) Nerlens Noel
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Noel could defend his position at a very high level. At least in terms of being a backup center. The offensive game was not good enough. But it would be nice to have a guy you can put in for Embiid, and at least know the defense wont fall off too much.
3) Al Horford
(Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images)
Horford time here was a disaster. That was not all his fault. The idea of putting him and Embiid on the floor together was flawed from the onset. But his effort and his play was also lacking in his time here. But as bad as it went, you cant deny Horford talent. And when he slid over to Center in place of Embiid he did a good job. It was just a poor fit and a bad roster that season.
2) Dwight Howard
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
There were times when having Howard as the backup was fantastic. There were times it was not. But when it came down to the playoffs, he was not playing very well. It seemed like the perfect fit at the time, and in some games it was. But he let them down in the Hawks series.
1) Andre Drummond
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Andre Drummond was by far the bets backup Embiid has ever had. The key was he was too good to be a backup. But for whatever reason he was not getting much attention and free agency, and the Sixers were able to bring him in on the cheap. He had to be sent to Brooklyn in the James Harden trade, and Sixers fans have missed him ever since.
