Everything you need to know about the Sixers’ approach to NBA trade deadline
That includes every move so far and six teams to watch as the day develops.
As Andre Drummond left the Sixers’ locker room late Wednesday, he dapped up the attendants responsible for gathering laundry and other duties. Ricky Council IV, meanwhile, shook hands with teammates still at their stalls on his way out.
Those gestures are common as players depart following a game. But they held a little more weight this time, given the looming trade deadline.’
Because the Sixers are coming off back-to-back home games against the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, they will not practice Thursday and will instead meet at the plane before departing for Detroit for Friday’s game against the Pistons. Coach Nick Nurse acknowledged that the fact the team will not formally gather at the facility ahead of the deadline will make the day “a little bit strange.”
”I’ll probably be checking in with Daryl [Morey] and Elton [Brand] as the day goes on to see what’s going on,” Nurse said following Wednesday’s game. “Watching that news, like you guys.”
» READ MORE: NBA trade deadline: Sixers trade Reggie Jackson; Paul George receiving interest
Tyrese Maxey said he is “definitely going to check” his phone throughout the day and will “probably get a few texts from Jo [Embiid], him checking as well.” Paul George, meanwhile, said the trade deadline made him “sad” earlier in his career, when he was “naive to the league and what the business was, and wet behind the ears thinking that these guys are my teammates forever.”
Now? “If I’m traded, I’m traded,” said George, whom the Inquirer reported earlier this week has drawn interest from multiple teams leading into the deadline. ”There’s nothing I can do about it, so I don’t put too much towards that,” George said. “But at the same time, who doesn’t like a little drama to see what’s going on around the league?”
The Inquirer provides a look at what drama has unfolded so far and what could still be to come as the 3 p.m. deadline approaches.
What the Sixers have done so far at the deadline, and still could do
The Sixers have been part of the flurry of moves ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Here is the rundown:
They traded forward Caleb Martin to the Dallas Mavericks for guard Quentin Grimes on Tuesday afternoon. Martin, a versatile forward with proven playoff success, had been viewed as a slam-dunk free-agency signing because of his complementary skill set and team-friendly contract. But Martin struggled with injuries throughout the season, preventing him from gaining rhythm with his new team. The Sixers chose to swap him for the 24-year-old Grimes, who is expected to provide outside shooting and strong defense and will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season.Grimes was not available to play Wednesday against Miami, because trade logistics such as physicals on both sides were not yet completed. Sixers coach Nick Nurse hopes Grimes will be able to make his Sixers debut Friday in Detroit.The Sixers also received a second-round draft pick, which previously belonged to them, in the deal.
They were set to send KJ Martin and two second-round draft picks to the Detroit Pistons in a cost-cutting move (as of late Wednesday, this deal still was not official). KJ Martin, who last summer signed a contract designed to be a salary-matcher in trades, was instead sent to the Pistons in a move that gets the Sixers under the luxury tax line. It comes after KJ Martin had put together his best stretch as a Sixer, before a foot stress fracture sidelined him for more than a month.
They traded Reggie Jackson and a first-round pick to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jared Butler and four second-round picks. Jackson was brought in to offer a veteran presence and backcourt depth, but he never quite found a role with the Sixers despite injuries to Tyrese Maxey and Kyle Lowry throughout the season.
It is possible that the Sixers do not make any more moves before 3 p.m. Thursday. But here are some names to watch in the final hours before the deadline:
Andre Drummond: The veteran center was expected to thrive as Joel Embiid’s backup in a return to the Sixers, but his production had dipped before battling a sprained toe for more than a month. Some playoff contenders were reportedly searching for big men entering the deadline, though Jonas Valanciunas, Daniel Theis, Jericho Sims, and Mark Williams have already been moved.
Eric Gordon: Veteran sharpshooters are often valuable to contenders. And after starting the season uncharacterisitcally cold from beyond the arc, Gordon is shooting 52.6% on 4.6 three-point attempts in 17 games since Jan. 1. It would also appear that Grimes will compete for the minutes that Gordon currently possesses.
Reggie Jackson: The veteran guard has found a rotation spot in recent games, but has not been a lineup staple during his first season with the Sixers. He has been an instant-offense scorer at previous stops, and has earned his reputation as a positive locker-room presence.
Guerschon Yabusele: One of the bright spots during an overwhelmingly disappointing Sixers season has reportedly been an attractive asset to multiple contending teams. But it would likely take an offer the Sixers could not refuse to give up the Frenchman. Yabusele has been a consistent performer while playing center and power forward, stretching the floor as a dangerous three-point shooter and throwing down thunderous dunks.
What NBA teams have done around the league
Paul George spent the last portion of Wednesday’s postgame news conference answering questions about watching the NBA’s already-frenzied trade deadline unfold, including the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis blockbuster that George described as “insanity.”
And before the 76ers’ star wing could even step down from the podium, a reporter notified him that Brandon Ingram had just been dealt from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Toronto Raptors
”For who?!” George asked the room.
Ahead of Thursday, there have already been a multitude of splashy deals involving some of the league’s biggest names. That could make for an anticlimactic Thursday -- or those could be famous last words. Here is a recap of the major deals so far:
Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks
In arguably the most shocking trade in NBA history, the Lakers landed a future franchise cornerstone in the 25-year-old Doncic, who has made five consecutive All-NBA first teams and, last season, led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. He will team up with LeBron James, who is still an All-Star player but recently turned 40 years old. The Mavericks, meanwhile, get a perennial All-Star and dominant defender in Davis to pair with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.
Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors in multi-team deal
The toxic Butler saga with the Miami Heat is finally over. The former Sixer and proven playoff killer will join Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to try for one last hurrah during this Warriors era. The Heat get former All-Star Andrew Wiggins as part of a complex five-team deal, which also includes former Sixer P.J. Tucker returning to Miami and fellow former Sixer Josh Richardson going to the the Detroit Pistons.
De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs, Zach LaVine to Sacramento Kings in three-team trade
Fox, a dynamic point guard and All-Star in 2022-23, becomes the running mate for rising generational talent Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio. LaVine, a lethal scorer and two-time All-Star who had been on the trading block for multiple seasons, reunites with former Chicago Bulls star teammate DeMar DeRozan in Sacramento.
Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma
Middleton, who was the No. 2 offensive option on the Bucks’ 2021 title team but has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, heads to the rebuilding Wizards. Kuzma, a scoring talent on a descending contract, will team up with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and perennial All-Star guard Damian Lillard on a Bucks team still aiming to compete with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors
Ingram, a former All-Star who boasts length and versatility, will join young All-Star Scottie Barnes on a Raptors team that will also be in the running for a high draft pick. Worth noting: Ingram was a potential Sixers offseason target, before they signed George to a max contract in free agency.
Six teams for Sixers fans to watch
If you are a Sixers follower, here are six teams to watch leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.
The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks are the teams the Sixers are chasing for a spot in the play-in tournament. Following Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat, the Sixers are one game back of the 10th-place Bulls and 2 1/2 games behind the ninth-place Hawks.
Chicago already traded star Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, and Nikoala Vucevic and Coby White are candidates to be moved Thursday. If the Bulls finally fully lean into a complete rebuild, that clears a path for the Sixers to sneak into the play-in, essentially by default. The Bulls did, however, also agree to a contract extension with Lonzo Ball Wednesday night.
Atlanta, meanwhile, is still in the aftermath of a devastating season-ending shoulder injury to breakout star Jalen Johnson. They have not made any trades as of Thursday morning, but are 1-9 in their past 10 games.
Should the Sixers move into the top 10 and then win their way into a first-round playoff series, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, or New York Knicks would be their most likely opponents. None of those teams have made a significant deadline move as of Thursday morning, though the Celtics traded former Sixer Jaden Springer to the Houston Rockets for a second-round draft pick, and the Knicks acquired combo guard Delon Wright (and lost big man Jericho Sims) as part of the Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma deal.
It’s worth noting that the Knicks already made their huge moves during the offseason, adding All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns and 3-and-D wing (and latest ‘Nova Knick) Mikal Bridges.
League-wide, the Phoenix Suns also remain an intriguing team to watch. There was buzz Wednesday about superstar Kevin Durant returning to the Warriors in a deal that would have sent Jimmy Butler to Phoenix, before Durant reportedly rebuffed the idea. Now that Butler is heading to Golden State, it feels less likely that Durant will be on the move. But with how wild this deadline has already been, who knows?