Early Returns Show The Sixers Nailed It At The Trade Deadline

Trade deadline day was met with hysteria among many Sixers fans. People hated the moves. In particular, they hated trading Pat Beverley for Cam Payne and a 2nd round pick. And even while certain people who cover the team said the Sixers did well at the trade deadline, some fans were losing their minds. But the early returns are telling us that that hysteria was unwarranted.

Let's start with Buddy Hield. He is exactly what the Sixers need right now with Joel Embiid out. Watching them play without Embiid made it clear they needed more scoring. There was way too much pressure on Tyrese Maxey to both create and score. But Hield has changed that. Since coming to Philly he has averaged 22.3 points per game. And he scored 24 in the Sixers' impressive win over the red-hot Cavs last night. He has been red hot from 3, shooting .448 from distance in his 3 games with the Sixers. Hield is not only keeping them afloat right now, but he will also give them another top-scoring threat once Embiid is back. And there is no such thing as having too many great shooters around Embiid.

To be fair, that is not what upset Sixers fans. People maybe underestimated how good of a move he was, but the trade itself was not what had Sixers fans angry. So let's move on to the Pat Bev deal. Cam Payne is averaging 13.7 minutes with the Sixers so far over 27 minutes per game. That is right about in line with his points-per-minute production with the Bucks, he is just playing more minutes. His shooting % is down, but a lot of that comes from 1 bad game where he was 0 for 3. He had 20 points in his first game here.

With Embiid out, they needed more shooters. As much as we all love Pat Bev, he provided very little from that end of the floor. Cam Payne may or may not see the floor much in the playoffs. But they need someone like him to stay afloat while Embiid is out. Right now their goal needs to be to stay above water. Cam Payne helps them do that more than Pat Bev would. Pat Bev's grit and toughness are nice to have. But that won't help the Sixers fill up the bucket. Camp Payne can. He helps them right now way more than Pat Bev could.

Believe it or not, the Sixers did well at the deadline. As Daryl Morey said, Buddy Hield might be the best player moved at the trade deadline. They got him without giving up one of their first-round picks. The season still relies on the health of Embiid. But if he does come back, and can be 100% by playoff time, they are set up to be very competitive. A starting lineup of Tyrese Maxey, Buddy Hield, Nico Batum, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid is formidable. And Melton, Reed, Oubre, and Lowry are better than any bench they have had in past playoff runs. We will see if Ricky Council can keep up his high level of play going forward too.

It is still a small sample size. But early returns show that perhaps the hysteria was overblown. And maybe some fans owe Daryl Morey an apology for freaking out on trade deadline day.

The trade deadline is upon us. Today is the final chance for NBA teams to make a trade. After 3 pm, veteran buyouts will be the only way to add to your roster before the playoffs. And from what we are hearing around the NBA, the Sixers might be busy. The rumor mill is in full effect, and moves are already being made.

If the Sixers want to stay in the playoff race, they will need to be. They have looked lost since they lost Joel Embiid to a meniscus injury. Last night's blowout loss was only the latest example of how flawed this team is without the reigning MVP on the floor. They have been bad enough that many fans want the Sixers to sell at the trade deadline and stock up for next season. And those fans may have a point. Going all-in on this season when we don't even know if they will have Embiid for the playoffs, or how effective he will be, could hurt them down the road. But at least from what we are being told, they will be busy.

What will they do? Will they bring in a Center to replace Embiid, as much as one can, for the time being? Will they go for another guard? Are they going to go all-in this season, or will the Embiid deal keep them from making big moves?

We will keep track of everything they do and are rumored to be doing right here. All the trade deadline slop in one place. Every move they make, and everything reporters are saying they might do. We will push the actual moves they are confirmed to have made to the top, and leave the rumors and slop below the real moves.

Another move people did not really see coming. The Sixers have traded Jaden Springer to the Celtics for a 2nd round pick. They have now traded 4 2nd rounders but gotten back 2 more. but it is weird that they traded him away after trading to Pat Bev. Jaden Springer was their next-best option for perimeter defense. And it seemed Pat Bev being traded would be a chance for him to step up. Now its unclear who their primary perimeter defender off the bench will be.

In a slightly shocking move, Pat Bev is on the move. The Sixers sent him to the Bucks, and in exchange received Cam Payne, and a 2nd round pick. The pick helps restock the shelves after already trading 4 of them today. And Cam Payne is another upgrade for the Sixers shooting 3s. But they will lose the leadership and toughness Pat Bev brought. We will see if the trade-off is worth it. If they do get Kyle Lowry though, he kind of replaces what Pat Bev gave them.

Their first move was to bring in Buddy Hield. They sent Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz, and 3 2nd round picks to the Pacers in exchange for the 8th-year shooting guard. Hield gives them a guy who can fill it up from 3  off the bench. He is on an expiring contract, so the move won't affect their cap space next season.

Their next move was to clear up cap space. They sent Danuel House and a 2nd round pick to the Pistons. In exchange, they opened up some cap space they could use to add a player during the buyout period. And Keith Pompey even mentioned that Kyle Lowry could be a target for the Sixers.

This is from earlier in the week, but it is still relevant today. Woj thinks the Sixers will be looking for a center. He specifically mentions Andre Drummond and Kelly Olynk. And that is certainly a need while Embiid is out. And having one of them as Embiid's backup once he is back will be nice as well.

NBA reporters cant seem to agree if the Sixers would have any interest in Demar Derozan. Many guys local and National have said they don't see him going to the Sixers. But Woj seems to think they would. And said this on his podcast.

But if that is the case, the Sixers don't fit that bill. They can't offer young players, they only have draft picks to offer. And DeRozan's fit with Embiid is questionable too. Both of them love to shoot from the same parts of the floor. While he would certainly be a player capable of keeping them afloat. It does not seem like the ideal move for them to make. But there are plenty of people around the NBA saying they think the Sixers should trade for him.

Bojan Bogdanovic would have been perfect for the Sixers. Instead, he went to the Knicks. As Paul Hudrick from Liberty Ballers points out below, it came down to the Sixers not having a player to headline the deal. All the Sixers have are picks. So any team that wants a good young player back may not have any interest in the type of package the Sixers can offer.

Murray has been a name Sixers fans threw around a lot. But the Sixers themselves have not been connected to him much. And now it seems like he may be staying put. The Pelicans reportedly were into deep conversations, but the deal fell apart. And as of now, it does not seem like anything else will happen.

The latest on Drummond is that they are still in on him, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Fischer also says the Sixers are not pursuing Demar DeRozan. which makes sense for all the reasons we mentioned before. DeRozan is not a natural fit with Embiid on the court.

The trade deadline has passed. And while trades still trickle out after the fact, we know Drummond will not be one of them. Chris Haynes confirmed that Andre Drummond will not be moved. It looks like the Sixers will stick with what they have at backup center, outside of any potential buyouts.