Brian Windhorst Had Some Interesting Comments On The Sixers Offseason
Yesterday, NBA Insider Brian Windhorst went on Mike Greenberg’s ESPN radio show to discuss the coming NBA offseason and answer some questions from Greenberg and producer Paul Hembekides. With Hembo being the Philly guy we know he is, the conversation was eventually steered towards the Sixers, and a couple of interesting tidbits were shared by Windy on the futures of Doc Rivers, James Harden, and the path of the Sixers this offseason. Some of it deserves some stock, and there are parts of it that should be ignored entirely at this time because they’re really nothing more than speculation. Let’s break down what was said, and what we should be looking forward to/worried about as Sixers fans.
First, here is the conversation between Greenberg, Hembo, and Windhorst, as first heard on Greeny’s ESPN show and as transcribed by our friends over at NBC Sports Philadelphia:
Windhorst: “I promise you that Daryl Morey has big, giant plans to acquire another star. Whether he’s going to execute it, I don’t know. But part of getting that done is to require Harden to take some sort of paycut.”
Greenberg: “What are the names that we’re going to be talking heavily about when we get to [free agency]?”
Windhorst: “Well, you’re doing a very good job of asking a question that would potentially create news if I give you the honest answer, so I’m going to stop just short of that. Philly has dreams and plans, Daryl Morey does. A key factor here is that they have Tobias Harris, who would have value in a possible trade. They have Tyrese Maxey, who would have value in a possible trade. And you would need a player, potentially near the end of his contract, to come and say, ‘I would like to go and play in Philadelphia.’ Is that something that could happen? Maybe. We’ll see. I know Philly and Daryl are going to try and make it happen.”
The immediate thing that stands out is that it seems Windy is very confident that Morey is going star hunting for another offseason, despite already adding James Harden at this past year’s trade deadline. Who that star might be is still up for debate, but that sets the stage for a very interesting offseason. I 100% believe what is being shared here about the Sixers’ intentions over the next couple months.
Next, following Greeny’s question about names that will be talked about heavily, Windhorst replies mentioning two names: Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey. What you just heard was the sound of the collective Sixers fan base screaming no to the idea of trading Tyrese Maxey. First, though, take a closer look at the exact wording. Windhorst says that both Harris and Maxey “would have value in a possible trade”. That DOES NOT mean that either will be moved this offseason, or even that they’re being shopped. Because of the vague wording, let’s use our better judgement. Harris will certainly be discussed in trade talks this offseason, but the chance of Tyrese Maxey moving is miniscule, if not zero. Will other teams ask about him? 100%. That doesn’t mean that he will ever be in danger of actually being dealt in a deal for another super star. Even without Maxey being included, though, the Sixers have a chance to make another big move to try and bolster their roster. We’re only a few days in, but it already looks like we’re in for one heck of an offseason.