Should the Sixers have second thoughts about trading players to the Celtics and Bucks?

The Sixers traded players with three other potential Eastern Conference playoff teams.

Published Feb. 11, 2024, 5:00 a.m. ET

It was an obvious question, one that Daryl Morey knew was coming.

The 76ers president of basketball operations was asked Friday if he had any second thoughts about trading players to three other potential Eastern Conference playoff teams: the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Indiana Pacers.

“I don’t,” Morey said, followed by laughter. “I know maybe others do. I know maybe others do. I do think that comes into play when you’re talking about maybe your top few. I do think it matters then. But when you get a little further down the roster, I don’t think that should be a factor.

“I think you’ll miss opportunities that will hurt you more than those things. We’ll see. This is definitely a challenge trade. It’ll be a fun one going forward.”

Things are definitely going to be interesting, especially the trades with the third-place Bucks (34-19) and first-place Celtics (40-12).

The fifth-place Sixers (31-21) sent backup point guard Patrick Beverley to Milwaukee in exchange for reserve point guard Cameron Payne and a 2027 second-round pick. This trade was made because the Sixers are adding six-time All-Star and North Philly native Kyle Lowry in the buyout market. Lowry is expected to take Beverley’s minutes.

Meanwhile, Philly shipped Jaden Springer to Boston for a 2024 second-rounder. This came after Springer, the 28th pick of the 2021 draft, shut down All-Star point guards Luka Dončić and Steph Curry in consecutive games.

Morey said the Springer trade was about being focused on winning an NBA title.

“We had to look at, ‘What are the odds Jaden Springer — who I think has a great future — will help our playoff rotation in the one-, two-, three-year, maybe, horizon?’” he said. “‘And what are the odds that the second-round pick will help us?’ And we thought the second-round pick helped us more. That’s just the reality. It allows us to go get maybe a veteran at next year’s deadline and things like that.”

Obviously, the Celtics valued Springer more than that pick. And, obviously, Milwaukee valued Beverley more than Payne.

Time will tell who’s right.

But it’s easy to see why a team would prefer Springer over a second-round pick. And it’s also easy to see why the Bucks would rather have Beverley than Payne. He makes Milwaukee a better team. Beverley gives the Bucks a perimeter defensive presence they needed.

Let’s say the Sixers play the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs. Springer did a good job on Trae Young this season. Right now, they don’t have anyone that can guard the three-time All-Star point guard.

Against the Celtics in the postseason, they could have thrown Springer in to guard the three-time All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown for a couple of minutes. By trading him, the Sixers lost that option, which made the deal somewhat surprising.

“For me, the Jaden thing was successful,” Morey said. “I’m totally fine if people want to write the opposite, but if you take any look at late first into the second round, 85 percent of those players aren’t helping their team on the floor and can’t be traded for positive value that helps you get another player. Jaden did that, and I have to keep my focus on the playoff team now. And so that’s our focus, right or wrong.”

Springer may have been lucky to see spot duty in the postseason if he remained a Sixer, assuming De’Anthony Melton (lumbar spine stress response), Nico Batum (strained left hamstring), and Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise) return from injury. The team hopes Melton and Batum will return before the All-Star break later this week.

The thing is, Springer, when given the opportunity, helped the Sixers on the floor this season.

Meanwhile, Beverley blossomed into the heart and soul of the team during his short time in Philly. And it appears he’s well on his way to a similar role in Milwaukee.

The 35-year-old played just 11 minutes, 41 seconds in his Bucks debut Friday, scoring six points on 2-for-3 three-point shooting, and producing four assists in the 120-84 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

But he wasted no time making himself at home in Milwaukee.

He urged his young teammates to sit right in front of the TV during the Bucks’ pregame film session. He later grabbed a clipboard on the sideline as the team huddled during a timeout and appeared to shout directions to center Brook Lopez. Beverley was also heard repeating defensive calls from coaches from the sidelines.

“He brought energy,” Bucks guard Damian Lillard told reporters after the game. “He brought edge and just experience. There were times when he just kind of directed some actions offensively ... defensively in the huddle. He knows who he is. He knows what he brings to a team, and he’s not shy about it. You heard his voice the moment he walked in.”

Milwaukee also believes Beverley will improve their defense, which ranks 17th in the NBA in efficiency.

But his contagious mentality and defensive swagger have stood out the most in his career. His presence has improved teams’ toughness and defense. Players love Beverley when he is on their team and despise him as an opponent.

And he’s going to be motivated to face the Sixers when the teams meet on Feb. 26 at the Wells Fargo Center. Hell also be motivated if the squads meet in the postseason. So this trade could backfire, especially considering defensive shortcomings led to Payne being expendable by Milwaukee.

“But we thought this was the best way to build a team,” Morey said of acquiring Lowry in the buyout market. “We saw [Beverley’s] minutes going down and we thought it was best for him to be able to be in a place where he was going to play a bigger role on a team and, here, we saw that role diminishing.”

Payne, meanwhile, had a solid Sixers debut Friday, finishing with a season-high 20 points along with six assists, two steals, and a block while starting in a 127-121 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at the Wells Fargo Center.

However, he struggled from the three-point line in Saturday’s 119-113 victory over the Washington Wizards at the Capital One Arena. Payne had six points on 3-for-8 shooting — going 0-for-6 on three-pointers — while finishing with six assists and two turnovers in a reserve role.

Morey said Payne, a career 36.8% three-point shooter, brings shooting and “really good” playoff minutes.

He’s averaged 6.4 points, 2.4 assists, and 15.3 minutes in 53 postseason appearances.

“He’s given positive minutes to a lot of really good teams,” Morey said. “And the shooting, again, is something that’s welcome on this team. … Coach [Nick] Nurse was using the roster in the optimal way, with what he had, but he knew that shooting would open up even more. And Cam will fit into that.”

In Boston, Springer is not expected to see a lot of action. However, he’s a guy the Celtics can throw in for spot minutes against the league’s top players. The 6-foot-4, 204-pounder has a knack for getting under his opponent’s skin with his physicality and relentlessness.

“He is an athlete that can play athletically in the playoffs, right?” Celtics president of basketball operation Brad Stevens told reporters about the 21-year-old. “But he also has a lot of growing to get better and he’s committed to that. He’s got a long runway ahead. So we’ll see how this year shakes itself out for him. See how it all fits with the team. But he’s a guy that we believe in.”

The Sixers, meanwhile, believe they’ll be better off with the Celtics’ draft pick, and without Beverley.