Sixers trade deadline primer: Assets, possible targets, and how Joel Embiid’s injury could impact things

The 76ers were already considered an intriguing trade deadline team.

They possess assets from the James Harden deal, along with potential max salary-cap space this summer. And, until Tuesday night, they held the status as a contender or borderline contender.

But now an additional layer has been added in the form of Joel Embiid’s meniscus injury, with an exact diagnosis and recovery timetable still publicly unknown as of Sunday evening. Could that create more urgency for the Sixers to pursue a star-caliber player to replace some of Embiid’s production until he returns? Or to reinforce the center position? Or to wait because it’s not worth losing assets if Embiid is out for months and this becomes a lost season?

We’ll find out more about the Sixers’ approach by the 3 p.m. Thursday deadline. Two years ago, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey pulled off the Harden-Ben Simmons trade. Last year, the Sixers acquired wing Jalen McDaniels, an around-the-edges move that did not work out when he felt out of the rotation during the playoffs and then left in free agency.

Entering this week’s final push to the deadline, here is a look at the league’s landscape.

At least, off the board to any team hoping the high-volume scoring guard could provide a boost this season. The Chicago Bulls announced Saturday that LaVine would undergo surgery on the foot that had kept him sidelined all but 25 games this season, and that he will be out between four and six months.

Though LaVine and his hefty contract clearly did not garner much leaguewide interest, including from the Sixers, this news could finally ignite a full Bulls rebuild, and put other, more attractive players from that roster on the market.

Some outsiders viewed Anunoby as the ideal target for the Sixers. But he became the first major trade-season domino when the New York Knicks acquired the elite defender in a late-December deal that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors.

It has so far been a brilliant move for the Knicks, who are 15-3 since the calendar flipped to 2024 and have shot up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference entering Sunday — even with Anunoby and All-Star forward Julius Randle missing time with injuries. Anunoby’s versatility and toughness on the defensive end, along with three-point shooting and cutting, have made him the perfect role player alongside Randle and newly minted All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson.

The versatile forward was traded to the upstart Indiana Pacers last month, pairing him with All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton in a high-powered offense. Siakam is athletic and a contributor on both ends of the floor, and had familiarity with Nick Nurse from their Raptors days, but may have lacked the outside shooting to space the floor alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The 2023 NBA Sixth Man of the Year runner-up could have been a sneaky secondary guard target for the Sixers, but he was part of the Anunoby trade and is now getting a fresh start with the Raptors.

» READ MORE: The Sixers have no choice. They have to ride with Joel Embiid until his career here ends.

The scoring guard was the first player unloaded by the tanking Charlotte Hornets, who in exchange received veteran guard Kyle Lowry (whom they almost certainly will attempt to move again by the deadline or buy out).

The All-Star guard is still very much a Cleveland Cavalier. But after mid-December injuries to Evan Mobley and Darius Garland initially put that team’s future in question, Mitchell has anchored the Cavs’ surge to third place in the East entering Sunday. Even though his long-term future in Cleveland remains questionable, it would be a shock if the Cavaliers moved him now.

Pairing Murray with Trae Young in the struggling Atlanta Hawks’ backcourt has failed, making Murray the biggest name remaining on the trade market. He is averaging a career-high 21.5 points while adding 5.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game.

How could he complement Embiid and Maxey? His reputation as an excellent defender has taken a hit in Atlanta, though that could be a product of a losing environment. He is shooting 36.4% on 6.2 three-point attempts per game, his highest career mark on that type of volume. But he most thrives with the ball in his hands, which could take some of that away from Maxey in the minutes they shared the floor.

The Hawks are reportedly asking for two future first-round picks, plus a rotation player, in exchange for Murray. And there could be multiple suitors in pursuit. The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly already expressed interest.

A bucket-getter, especially from the midrange, who no longer makes much sense for the Bulls to keep on the roster. He entered Sunday averaging 22 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. Since Dec. 20, he has been shooting 49% from the floor. DeRozan also worked with Nurse when he was an assistant in Toronto, is a well-respected veteran across the league, and is on an expiring contract.

Another Bull who is the type of player every contender desires. He is one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, unleashing a high-energy style on and off the ball. He is also averaging a career-high 10 points while shooting 40.5% on 4.4 three-point attempts per game, and is a capable secondary ballhandler and facilitator.

The 34-year-old does not fit on a young, tanking Detroit Pistons team. He can shoot and create offense for himself off the dribble, yielding 20.5 points per game on 42.5% shooting from three-point range. He is another player who should have multiple suitors heading into Thursday.

Yes, the other brother! He is a great complementary scorer off the catch and off the dribble (17.2 points per game on 37% from deep entering Sunday), and a ballhandling option (2.7 assists per game). Though Bogdanovic’s affordable contract suggests the Hawks might be more likely to trade Murray and/or De’Andre Hunter to reshape their roster around Young.

The Washington Wizards also remain very bad, but would they already be open to moving on from Kuzma after re-signing him this past summer? He entered Sunday averaging career highs in scoring (21.8 points) and assists (4.3), while also averaging 6.5 rebounds. On a winning team, he is an intriguing third offensive option.

Kuzma is also on a rare contract with a descending year-to-year salary (moving from $25.6 million this season to $23.5 in 2024-25), though it runs through the 2026-27 season. The Athletic recently reported the Wizards are seeking two first-round picks in exchange for him.

This archetype is always coveted in the modern NBA — but especially when preparing for a playoff path that could include the Boston Celtics and/or Milwaukee Bucks. The Brooklyn Nets’ Royce O’Neal and Dorian Finney-Smith and the Toronto Raptors’ Bruce Brown bring the level of toughness and versatility, though The Inquirer recently reported that the Sixers are not expected to pursue Brown.

Morey said during a mid-December press conference that he was already looking at adding another big man. And now there’s perhaps more reason to do so, if the Sixers lack belief that Paul Reed and Mo Bamba can hold down the fort for any notable period of time. The Utah Jazz’s Kelly Olynyk and the Bulls’ Andre Drummond, a former Sixer, could be available options at this spot.

If the Sixers desire a quintessential playmaker and ballhandler, the Wizards’ Tyus Jones would be an ideal fit. The Pistons’ Monte Morris, who is finally back on the floor after missing the bulk of the season with a quadriceps injury, also could fill that type of role. Some more recognizable names include reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brodgon, who likely would command a high asking price from the Portland Trail Blazers, or local favorite Lowry off the buyout market.

Tobias Harris: The oft-criticized hefty $180 million deal he signed in 2019 is in its final year. Harris has been more involved in Nurse’s offense, with freedom to score on catch-and-shoot three-pointers, by running the floor in transition, and on isolation plays. He is averaging 17.9 points on 51.2% shooting, along with 6 rebounds and 3.2 assists. But a trade for a star-caliber player could involve him, and would signal the Sixers believed they still needed to upgrade their third (or second, depending on how long Embiid is out) option on offense.

Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris Sr.: The veteran wings who arrived in the Harden trade brought defensive versatility and savvy. Batum has emerged as a starter, utilizing his quick shooting trigger, sharp entry passes, and complementary ballhandling. The tough-minded and Philly-proud Morris has been a productive rotation player. Covington was among the league leaders in deflections but has been out for about a month with a knee bone bruise.

De’Anthony Melton: One of the league’s most disruptive defenders and an outside shooting weapon who was averaging career bests in scoring (11.8 points) and assists (3.2) before missing much of the past month with a spine issue. Entering Sunday, he ranked seventh in the NBA in steals (1.7).

Kelly Oubre Jr., Patrick Beverley: These are the key rotation players who now look like steals on veteran’s minimum contracts. Oubre is an athletic, instant-offense scorer who has toggled between a starting and sixth-man role. Beverley has maintained his defensive tenacity in Philly, and is capable of contributing in multiple stat categories off the bench as the backup point guard.

Furkan Korkmaz, Danuel House Jr., Mo Bamba, KJ Martin: These players have fallen out of — or have never consistently cracked — the Sixers’ rotation when the roster is at full strength. But they have all been needed in recent weeks, given the barrage of injuries and illnesses.

These are the assets most desired by teams entering, or already in, a rebuild.

In the Harden trade, the Sixers received a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap, and a 2026 first-rounder from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Sixers also have their own first-round draft picks in 2024, 2026, 2028, 2029, and 2030. They possess second-round selections in 2024, 2028, 2029 (plus an additional pick acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers), and 2030.