Sixers roster may not be done, but the NBA buyout market is drying up fast | Off the Dribble

Good morning 76ers fans. The team will have a rare practice on Monday as they prepare for Tuesday’s game in Denver against a talented Nuggets team.

The Sixers saw their four-game win streak and six-game road win streak end with Saturday’s 122-112 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, teams like the Sixers will see if there is a player who was bought out who could help them down the stretch. At this point, the market looks pretty lean for what the Sixers want.

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— Marc Narducci (offthedribble@inquirer.com)

Players who have been bought out and cleared waivers are signing with teams. Is there a player who can be a difference maker for the Sixers?

Not likely at this point, but things could change.

» READ MORE: Sixers coach Doc Rivers wants Seth Curry to shoot more. It’s not as easy as it sounds

The Sixers could use a No. 3 center after sending Tony Bradley to Oklahoma City and Vincent Poirier to the New York Knicks in a three-team trade in which the Sixers acquired point guard George Hill.

Because Joel Embiid missed his eighth consecutive game with a left knee bone bruise and Dwight Howard was ejected for the second straight game, Mike Scott was the starting center, playing 29 minutes, 3 seconds in Saturday’s loss to the Clippers.

That is not a sustainable option at that position.

A player like Andre Drummond was never a realistic option for the Sixers because he wanted playing time. Drummond signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

One player who could have fit into the Sixers plan for a third center was 31-year-old Gorgui Dieng, who was waived by Memphis. The New York Times reported that he is signing with San Antonio.

The Brooklyn Nets signed Blake Griffin on March 7 and he already helped by scoring 17 points in Friday’s 113-111 win over the Detroit Pistons, his former team. The Nets announced the signing of LaMarcus Aldridge on Sunday. Aldridge, who like Griffin could be used at power forward or center. The big names are signing quickly.

Had the Sixers not acquired Hill, they might have had some interest in guard Jeff Teague, who was waived by Orlando after being traded from Boston on Thursday. Teague is shooting 46.4% from three-point range in 56 attempts.

Austin Rivers, the son of Sixers coach Doc Rivers, was waived on Sunday by Oklahoma City after being acquired from the Knicks in the Hill three-team trade.

The problem with pretty much any players who are bought out when looking at the Sixers, is that there wouldn’t be very much playing time. That is certainly the case for players such as Teague and Rivers.

Could a useful player emerge?

Anything is possible. For instance if Otto Porter Jr., who was traded from Chicago to Orlando last week, is bought out, he would draw interest from several teams. Porter is a career 40.4% three-point shooter. It’s likely the Sixers would look at a player like center Hassan Whiteside if he is bought out by the Sacramento Kings.

So the market could open up and the Sixers and other contenders will be monitoring it closely.

Keith Pompey writes that the addition of George Hill gives the Sixers another proven postseason veteran.

Despite a 10-2 month, the Sixers have gained little ground among the elite in the Eastern Conference.

Mike Sielski writes that players have enjoyed power over coaches and organizations for many years and cites Magic Johnson’s situation with Paul Westhead as a prime example.

Ed Barkowitz writes 15 things to know about George Hill, including that he was recruited by John Chaney for Temple, but chose to attend Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Pompey writes that it wasn’t the best two-game stretch in Los Angeles for Dwight Howard, who got ejected from both games.

Ever since he signed a four-year, $97 million free-agent contract with the Sixers in the summer of 2019, after the previous three seasons in Boston, things haven’t gone well for Al Horford.

He spent one frustrating season with the Sixers, never jelling with Joel Embiid, while averaging 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds. Horford was then traded to Oklahoma City in the offseason. The Sixers acquired Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson in exchange for Horford, a future first-rounder, a second-rounder and the rights to Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic.

The 34-year-old Horford has enjoyed a solid season for Oklahoma City, averaging 14.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in 28 games.

With OKC in a major rebuild, the team felt that Horford’s minutes could be better served going to younger players.

» READ MORE: After a ‘comical’ day, Danny Green leads the Sixers past the Lakers and receives his NBA championship ring

Here is what Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said in a statement.

“We’ve talked with Al from the time he became a member of the Thunder this offseason about the many ways in which he would be able to help us as we entered the early stages of the necessary transition of our team. From day one Al has been a consummate professional and has had a tremendous influence on the team on and off the floor with his work ethic and total commitment to his teammates. Our conversations have been open and ongoing about how to maximize this season for him personally as well as the development of our team. Al has been nothing short of spectacular and will remain a part of the team as we build on an approach and mentality that we have taken for some time.”

Horford also provided a statement:

“When I arrived, I understood the direction of the team, we had a great individual plan in place for me, and I feel like as a result I’ve played really good basketball for the Thunder. At the same time, I know what it’s like to be a young, aspiring player, and at this point in the season I understand how important playing meaningful minutes is for their careers and their development. I also understand how important it is for the organization to give them that opportunity. I’m looking forward to supporting the guys who supported me, watching them continue to play the right way and play together as we have throughout the season, while still being around the team and continuing my training.”

So Horford, a five-time All-Star who spent the first nine seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, will be on the move again after the season.

Tuesday: Sixers at Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m., Ball Arena, NBA Sports Philadelphia/NBA TV

Thursday: Sixers at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m., Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, NBC Sports Philadelphia

Saturday: Minnesota Timberwolves at Sixers, 8 p.m. Wells Fargo Center, NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus

Sunday: Memphis Grizzlies at Sixers, 7 p.m. Wells Fargo Center, NBC Sports Philadelphia

April 6: Sixers at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m., TD Garden, NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus/TNT

Question: Do you think Korkmaz is playable in the playoffs? Do you think George Hill should start so Curry can help the bench, which is heavily relying on Shake?

Answer: Thanks for the questions George. I think Korkmaz will be given a chance, but if he isn’t shooting well, he won’t play much. Remember last year, he shot 0-for-6 from three-point range in the playoffs against Boston and averaged just 10 minutes per game. As for Hill, I don’t think he will be starting, but I think especially with his playoff experience and the fact that he is a better defender than Curry, that he will be finishing quite a few games. I think Hill, with his three-point shooting ability, will offer some much-needed offense from the second unit. The bottom line is that there are enough minutes for both Curry and Hill to contribute. And you could see them paired together when Ben Simmons is out of the game.

Send questions by email to mnarducci@inquirer.com or @sjnard on Twitter.