Six burning questions facing the Sixers at the NBA trade deadline
Will the Sixers work to stay under the luxury tax threshold? Can they realistically replace Paul George? The Inquirer considers those questions and more.
What if the 76ers don’t make a trade before Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline?
Staying pat could signal they’re comfortable with their current roster. It may also be a sign that they don’t have any extra pressure from Paul George’s suspension, and that they believe their current roster is good enough to contend in the Eastern Conference.
Here are six questions for the sixth-place Sixers (29-21) heading into the deadline:
Will they prioritize staying under the luxury tax threshold or upgrading the roster?
On Thursday, Joel Embiid expressed his desire to avoid the Sixers’ annual salary dump at the trade deadline to avoid paying the luxury tax.
“So hopefully we keep the same team,” Embiid said. “I love all of the guys that are here. I think we’ve got a shot.
“I don’t know what [the front office is] going to do. But I hope that we get a chance to go out there and compete because we’ve got a good group of guys in this locker room, and the vibes are great.”
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The team is just $1.2 million over the luxury tax threshold, thanks to a $5.8 million tax variance credit because of George’s unpaid suspension, during which he will lose $11.7 million.
Before George’s suspension, the Sixers were $7 million over the tax threshold and were expected to trade away at least one expiring contract. While the Sixers are still expected to make some type of move, they can keep all three of the players — Quentin Grimes ($8.7 million salary), Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.3 million), and Andre Drummond ($5 million) — who had expiring contracts that could have helped them duck the tax.
Do the Sixers have reliable players on the roster who can step up during George’s absence?
Oubre, VJ Edgecombe, and Dominick Barlow have all shown they can handle larger roles until George returns on March 25 for the final 10 games of the season.
Edgecombe, a rookie shooting guard, has been the Robin to Tyrese Maxey’s Batman when Embiid and George have missed games or were limited by minutes restrictions. In addition to scoring 34 points in the season opener, the 20-year-old has two game-winning baskets this season.
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Meanwhile, Oubre played well in Saturday’s 124-114 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, the first game that George missed due to the suspension. The 6-foot-8 swingman scored 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting to go with 10 rebounds and four assists.
“That’s big time,” Maxey said of Oubre’s 10 rebounds. “We’re going to need it, especially filling in for that role. And I have trust in him, because Kelly’s a guy who is not scared of the moment.”
Barlow followed up with his own big-time moment in Monday’s 128-113 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The power forward, who is starting in place of George, finished with a career-high 26 points to go with 16 rebounds, including a career-high 10 offensive boards, to post his second double-double of the season. He also finished with two steals and a block.
The 6-9, 215-pounder became the first Sixer with at least 25 points and 10 offensive rebounds since Hall of Famer Charles Barkley did so in November 1990. So the Sixers have players more than capable of filling in for George, a nine-time All-Star.
Do the Sixers have the available trade assets required to get a significant upgrade in talent at the trade deadline?
Aside from Maxey and Edgecombe, the Sixers don’t have the assets needed to acquire the type of player who could drastically improve the team via a trade. And the Sixers aren’t going to trade either player.
Embiid is once again playing at an elite level, averaging 29.3 points over the last 15 games heading into Tuesday’s contest against the Warriors. However, he has an extensive injury history and a three-year, $193 million contract extension that kicks in next season. While he looks great at the moment, there is a lot of uncertainty concerning how he’ll hold up in the future.
Meanwhile, George has a tough contract to move after signing a four-year, $211.5 million deal in July 2024. At this stage of his career, he’s recognized as a fourth option on a championship team. Yet George is being paid as a top-two player. As a result, it’s hard to justify taking on his salary at this time.
And since the Sixers aren’t going to trade Maxey or Edgecombe, they shouldn’t forfeit their future by surrendering draft picks to facilitate a trade. They’ll need those picks to acquire young talent and continue building around Maxey and Edgecombe after Embiid and George leave Philly.
What’s the possibility of the team moving salary to convert two-way players Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to standard deals?
That could happen. Both players have been vital to the team’s success this season. Unless they sign Charles Bassey to a second 10-day contract on Thursday, the Sixers will have a standard roster spot available that day.
After the fifth game of George’s suspension, he will be moved from the active roster to the suspended list. The Sixers will be able to sign an additional player once he’s on that list.
» READ MORE: Paul George’s suspension brings back belief that he was a bad signing for the Sixers. Here’s why.
The fifth game is Saturday’s road game against the Phoenix Suns. But the Sixers could also create an additional roster spot by trading a minimum-salary player to a team with available salary-cap space in exchange for draft assets.
How will the Sixers manage the backup center position?
Sources have said the Sixers are open to trading Drummond, even though he’s their best rebounder. If that happens, they’ll have to look for a backup center to grab rebounds and block shots.
Bassey, or a similar player, could be an option. The team initially selected the 6-foot-11 center out of Western Kentucky with the 53rd pick in the 2021 draft. He appeared in 23 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 3.0 points on 63.8% shooting along with 2.7 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and 7.3 minutes.
However, Bassey was waived on Oct. 13, 2022.
He has averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds across 115 NBA games with the Sixers, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Can this team compete for a title as currently constructed?
A lot of that will depend on Embiid’s health. With him playing at a high level, the Sixers were a dangerous team. When he plays well, they could beat anyone in the league.
But how will the Sixers compete against the Boston Celtics, who are adding standout center Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Anfernee Simons and a second-rounder? Will seeing the Celtics and other East teams try to improve through trades force the Sixers to make a move? Time will tell.