With NBA trade deadline behind them, Sixers now turn to buyout market for backup center

The NBA trade deadline garnered a lot of attention over the past couple of weeks — especially among 76ers fans.

As expected, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey moved Matisse Thybulle before Thursday’s deadline, sending him to the Portland Trail Blazers in a four-team trade for a comparable player and draft picks. The team is excited about the acquisition of wing Jalen McDaniels from the Charlotte Hornets, as well as the second-round picks they received from the New York Knicks (2024) and Blazers (2029).

Morey also accomplished the Sixers’ goal of getting the team under the luxury tax threshold.

But the Sixers, who have a roster spot available, still need to add a suitable backup center in their quest to win an NBA title. And Dewayne Dedmon, Nerlens Noel, and Serge Ibaka could be three options they pursue if available in the buyout market.

“Some of that flexibility we got allows us to add multiple buyouts if they come,” Morey said. “We’re actively looking at that. You know, nothing to announce yet. But we’re actively looking at several players right now.”

» READ MORE: Sixers trade Matisse Thybulle to Portland Trail Blazers in four-team deal, acquire Charlotte Hornets’ Jalen McDaniels

The Sixers could also benefit from picking up another shooter and a backup point guard. However, adding a reserve center is a major need.

We’ll find out shortly if the Sixers are able to entice one of the three centers mentioned or land another free agent to sign with them after having his contract bought out. The team benefited from the latter approach in the 2017-18 season, signing Marco Belinelli on Feb. 12, 2018 and Ersan Ilyasova 16 days later when both were bought out by the Atlanta Hawks.

The duo helped the Sixers advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where the team lost in five games to the Boston Celtics.

Back then, Belinelli and Ilyasova fulfilled a need for sharphooting off the bench. This season, the Sixers’ quest is to fortify frontcourt depth behind All-Star center Joel Embiid.

“I think what most people think about is when Joel’s off [the floor], like how are we going to play when Joel’s off?” Morey said. “I think we’re going to improve that. That hasn’t been as good as we would want.”

Dedmon is available after the San Antonio Spurs waived him Thursday, freeing him up to join another team. There are reports that Ibaka is expected to be waived by the Indiana Pacers. And Noel, who the Detroit Pistons unsuccessfully shopped at the trade deadline, is expected to be bought out of his contract. Here’s a closer look at each player.

Ibaka, a two-time shot-blocking champion and three-time All-Defensive selection, is an elite rim protector. He can also make three-pointers, hitting 35.9% of his attempts over 14 NBA seasons.

If there are concerns about Ibaka, it’s that the 33-year-old is getting older and hasn’t played for the Milwaukee Bucks since Jan. 1. He averaged career lows in points (4.1), rebounds (2.8), and minutes (11.6) in 16 appearances with the Bucks. The Sixers need to do their due diligence and figure out how much he has left.

» READ MORE: Sixers interested in acquiring Nerlens Noel from Pistons

But Ibaka would bring championship experience to Philly, having won the 2019 title with the Toronto Raptors. He also played with James Harden during their days with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dedmon is also 33 and has the ability to make shots. He shot a career-best 40.7% from three last season with the Miami Heat. Dedmon had been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot for most of this season, causing him to lose some playing time. However, he was still expected to be one of their key role players late in the season before failing to see eye-to-eye with coach Erik Spoelstra.

The two had a heated verbal altercation on the sideline during a game against the Thunder on Jan. 10. Dedmon ended up getting ejected for throwing a massage gun on the court. The team suspended him without pay for one game for conduct detrimental to the organization. They continued to sit him for the next 10 games before he played against the Bucks on Feb. 4 and was promptly traded to San Antonio on Feb. 7.

Noel doesn’t have the offensive skills of Ibaka and Dedmon. But he is an elite shot blocker. The Sixers reportedly inquired about trading for him before the deadline.

Morey has also been a fan of Noel’s playing style for some time, according to sources. And Noel would provide the solid rim protection off the bench the Sixers are missing. Like Dedmon, this would be Noel’s second stint with the Sixers.

The Sixers may have plenty of other options before the March 1 deadline to sign someone in the buyout market. But whatever the team decides, the acquisition of a solid backup center could have a long-lasting impact on the team. They can only hope it sparks them like the additions of Belinelli and Ilyasova.

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The Sixers were three games above .500 (28-25) before Belinelli was signed. Ilyasova rejoined a Sixers squad that was 32-27 with 23 games remaining. The team went 20-3 down the stretch, setting an NBA record with 16 straight victories to conclude the regular season. The 52-30 record was the Sixers’ best mark since going 56-26 in 2000-01.