By Connor Thomas
The NBA trade deadline is coming up on February 10th, but the Sixers have been on the clock since this past summer. Now, with only a few more days to work a deal, it seems like a Ben Simmons trade is not in the cards. Of course, there could always be a last second shocker, but these targets are going to be assuming that Simmons does not get moved this season. Despite #25 pouting and sitting out the season, the Sixers are still near the top of the Eastern Conference, though, and there are some ancillary moves that could put them in better position to make the most out of this year. Here are some of those players that Daryl Morey and company could take a look at:
Caris LeVert
LeVert is quietly having a solid season in Indiana for a Pacers team that has been absolutely abysmal this year. The Pacers should be sellers at the deadline, and with LeVert averaging 17.8 ppg, he would be an interesting wing scoring option for the Sixers. He doesn’t space the floor all that well, so he would probably fit better into a bench role rather than sharing the floor often with Joel Embiid, but that seems to be more of a point of need for the Sixers anyway. Replacing someone like George Niang’s minutes with a Caris LeVert would make Philly’s bench unit more intimidating on the offensive end for sure.
Jerami Grant
The Pistons have only won 12 games this year, and it looks like once again they will be potential deadline sellers. Grant had a breakout year in 2020, nearly doubling his career average in points per game, and he’s close to replicating those numbers this year with his 20.1 average points. He’s only 27, which is crazy when you think back to his first stint in Philly with the process Sixers, so he may still have more development in him too. Just like LeVert, he doesn’t space the floor as well as you’d like, but he’s another talented wing scorer that could improve the bench unit.
Kemba Walker
It’s weird to think of Walker as a middling point guard, but that’s what he has become in New York for the Knicks. He’s only averaging 12.4 ppg this season, and with the Knicks in 11th place in the East, they could be enticed into moving the veteran. Tyrese Maxey has been unbelievable this year for the Sixers, but he is still just 21 years old and his elevation into the starting lineup has also left a hole in the 2nd unit at point guard. Kemba Walker has been around the block in the NBA, and he could be just the veteran point guard option the Sixers could be looking for to plug into the starting lineup to allow Maxey to energize the bench.
D.J. Augustin
Augustin is currently toiling away down in Houston for the hapless Rockets, and he’s not exactly standing out on the worst team in the Western Conference. So why should the Sixers be interested? Well, Augustin is a veteran point guard in his 14th season in the league, with experience that Tyrese Maxey unfortunately doesn’t possess. He’s also probably the best value point guard that can actually stretch the floor on the 2nd unit. He’s shooting over 40% from deep this year, and has a career mark at 38% from 3 point range. Augustin won’t make the Sixers a championship team, but he does fill a need for the Sixers’ backup lineup.
Justin Holiday
Another former process player, Holiday is another Pacers’ player that could be jettisoned prior to February 10th. Holiday is in his 9th NBA year, and would be a very very cheap option (a 2nd round pick or 2) to trade for. He would bring in some solid scoring and alright spacing for a bench unit similar to what his teammate Caris LeVert would bring. He’s the apple of our own Jamie Lynch’s eye, and he could absolutely energize a Sixers bench unit that seems a little lackluster right now even with the team’s current hot streak.
