Sixers trade primer: Assets to deal, potential targets, and teams to watch

It’s fitting that Daryl Morey’s contract extension as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations was announced on Dec. 15. That is the unofficial start of the NBA’s trade season, because it is when most players who signed new contracts this past offseason are eligible to be dealt.

The Sixers are in a very intriguing position after navigating the James Harden saga. At 17-7 following Friday’s 124-92 win over Detroit, there has been virtually zero drop-off thanks to Tyrese Maxey’s ascension, Joel Embiid’s continued dominance (and playmaking), coach Nick Nurse’s new schemes, and role players creating perhaps the deepest roster of this era of the franchise.

» READ MORE: Opinion: Daryl Morey was gifted a contract extension from the Sixers despite repeated failures

And they now have trade assets, with expiring contracts galore and replenished draft capital that was temporarily lost in the trade to acquire Harden at the 2022 trade deadline. Morey could use those to make a significant win-now move in the next eight weeks, opt for a smaller deal to sharpen the rotation with a complementary player, or choose to fully preserve max salary-cap space for the offseason to continue building around an Embiid-Maxey core.

It’s worth noting that the players acquired by the Sixers in the Harden trade — Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, and KJ Martin — cannot be “aggregated” in a deal for salary-matching purposes until Jan. 1. Some players around the league also cannot be dealt until Jan. 15. And the Sixers are barely a week into having their full roster available following Kelly Oubre’s return from a fractured rib, meaning more time could be required to determine the path Morey wants to pursue and who becomes available.

Still, here is a primer on what the Sixers can trade, positional needs, and which players could be on the market ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline.

This would be a move to try to catapult the Sixers over the Milwaukee Bucks and/or Boston Celtics — aka into the ultra-elusive Eastern Conference finals. And much of the league-wide chatter has been centered on two teams — the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors — who could finally be primed to pivot into a rebuild.

Bulls

Zach LaVine: Still the sexiest name on the trade market, as a two-time All-Star who can score in bunches. Yet his 21 points on 44.3% shooting in 18 games are his lowest marks in those categories since the 2017-18 season, and his needs-the-ball playing style could hinder Maxey’s strengths as a lead guard. Also contributing to LaVine’s slipping value: the Bulls entered Friday as winners of five of their past seven games with LaVine sidelined with a foot injury. His max contract, which runs through 2026-27, is also likely a turn-off for potential suitors.

DeMar DeRozan: Another bona fide scorer — particularly in the midrange — whose field-goal percentage has dipped to 43.7%. But his veteran presence would likely mesh in the Sixers’ locker room, he played for Nurse when he was an assistant in Toronto, and he is on an expiring contract.

Alex Caruso: Not exactly a “star,” but perhaps the most coveted Bull for contenders because of his defensive prowess and high-energy style. Has one more year on his contract after this one, at $9.9 million.

Raptors

Pascal Siakam: One of the more high-profile players set to hit the 2024 free-agent market, as a multi-skilled All-Star averaging 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and five assists through 24 games entering Friday. The 29-year-old forward also has a connection with Embiid because of their Cameroonian roots, and to Nurse, though the latter might not be a positive thing. In March 2021, Siakam and his then-coach got into a postgame verbal altercation that turned “personal,” according to Sportsnet, and required teammates to intervene.

OG Anunoby: A rangy wing and elite perimeter defender who led the NBA in steals per game (1.9) last season. He is also shooting nearly 40% on 6.6 three-pointers per game entering Friday, and averages 4.4 rebounds per game. But he will be sought-after, and is he enough of an upgrade over Batum and/or Oubre to pay the high trade price?

A prototypical point guard

The Sixers don’t exactly have this type of guard on the roster, in the mold of the Washington Wizards’ Tyus Jones, Detroit’s Monte Morris or former Sixer and current Indiana Pacer T.J. McConnell. That looked like a weakness early in the season, before Patrick Beverley’s recent offensive run to combine with his defensive aggressiveness and fiery overall presence.

A straight-up gunner

Though the Sixers entered Friday ranked second in the NBA in offensive efficiency (121.3 points per 100 possessions), they were 21st in three-point attempts per game (32.4 per game). That is partially due to the Sixers’ excellent at-the-rim and free-throw rates, and having Embiid as the anchor on that end of the floor.

A player like Buddy Hield, who is averaging 7.3 long-range attempts this season, was intriguing before the Pacers became one of the early season’s pleasant surprises. Gary Trent Jr. is another interesting name in a vacuum, but he and Nurse reportedly did not have a symbiotic relationship in Toronto.

A more traditional center

This would have appeared preposterous during the summer, when the Sixers had too many centers and not enough wings. Paul Reed has largely performed well as Embiid’s backup, except when he was benched for his second-half stint against the Atlanta Hawks last week. Mo Bamba boasts a more quintessential center frame, but has played sparingly.

» READ MORE: Sixers mailbag: ‘Will they please trade Tobias Harris?’

This roster construction is quite unusual, but is why the Sixers can open max cap space as a contender next summer — even with Embiid on his super-max deal and Maxey now assumed to sign a max extension (which was delayed a year so the Sixers could leverage even more space). Expiring contracts are considered valuable trade assets, because the other team is not committing long-term salary to that incoming player.

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. Entering Friday, he was averaging 17 points on 51.6% shooting, along with 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. But a trade for a star could involve him, and would signal the Sixers believed they still needed to upgrade their third option on offense.

De’Anthony Melton: A do-everything guard who has slid into the starting lineup following Harden’s departure. He entered Friday averaging a career-high 12.7 points while shooting 38.4% on six three-point attempts per game. He also ranked in the top 20 in the league in deflections (tied for fifth, 3.2 per game) and steals (17th, 1.5 per game).

Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris : The veteran wings arrived in the Harden trade and brought defensive versatility and savvy experience. Batum has emerged as a starter, utilizing his quick shooting trigger and playmaking. Covington is among the league leaders in deflections. And the tough-minded (and Philly-proud) Morris has been producing since becoming a later addition to the rotation.

Kelly Oubre, 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, and has reiterated his recommitment to defense. Beverley entered Friday shooting 52% from the floor and 46.4% from three-point range in his previous seven games, rebounding from a rough start. He also has 56 assists against 16 turnovers through 23 games.

Furkan Korkmaz, Danuel House, 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.

These are the assets most coveted 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, 2027, 2028, 2029 (plus an additional pick acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers), and 2030.

Washington Wizards

Jones, Danilo Gallinari, and Mike Muscala are the expiring-contract, role-player options that would make sense to offload from a woeful team.

But would they already consider moving Kyle Kuzma? He is a borderline star, entering Friday averaging 23 points on 47.7% shooting (including 36.7% on 6.2 three-point attempts) along with six rebounds and 4.4 assists. He is also on a rare contract with a descending year-to-year salary, though it runs through the 2026-27 season. He is not eligible to be traded until Jan. 15.

Detroit Pistons

Bojan Bogdanović, who scored 33 points against the Sixers on Wednesday and is a career 39.4% three-point shooter, is the most enticing league-wide target.

Morris, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the NBA’s best backup point guards, but has not yet played this season due to a quadriceps injury. Former Sixer Alec Burks, a 2020 trade-deadline acquisition, entered Friday shooting 37.6% on five three-point attempts per game — and had been over 40% in each of the previous three seasons.

San Antonio Spurs

Stretch-forward Doug McDermott, who is on an expiring contract worth $13.8 million, is a career 41% three-point shooter on high volume over his 10-year career, but is limited defensively.

» READ MORE: Despite early skepticism, Marcus Morris Sr. is proving to be a solid addition the Sixers should keep

Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell’s future was already iffy, after he chose not to sign the extension for which he is currently eligible. Since then, the Cavaliers have not made the leap some expected, barely teetering above .500 at 13-12 entering Friday.

Then came Friday’s two significant injury announcements — that big man Evan Mobley will miss between six and eight weeks because of arthroscopic knee surgery, and that guard Darius Garland will miss considerable time with a fractured jaw.

Mitchell is a bucket-getting All-Star, and is used to playing alongside a standout guard and imposing frontcourt players. But a Mitchell-Maxey backcourt would be small — and below-average defensively.

Utah Jazz

Executive Danny Ainge is known to deal, though it seems unclear if they would seek trades to improve the roster or gut it after starting the season 9-16.

Lauri Markkanen, who blossomed into an All-Star last season, remains a bright spot by entering Friday averaging 23.7 points on 48.7% shooting from the floor and 39% on 8.5 three-point tries per game. He has one year remaining on his contract after this one, with an $18 million salary.

Backup center Kelly Olynyk and guard Talen Horten-Tucker are interesting expiring contracts, while guards Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton are also reportedly expected to be on the market.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors were teetering (10-14 entering Friday) even before Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension, and appear to be staring down several crucial roster decisions.

Klay Thompson is set to become a free agent, but early-season struggles resulted in a crunch-time benching earlier this week. Future Hall of Famer Chis Paul, meanwhile, has embraced a sixth-man role and is the ultimate example of a prototypical point guard (but will make $30.1 million next season). Former Sixer Dario Šarić, a versatile big man and passing connector, is on an expiring contract.