The Sixers Trade Deadline Wishlist

Ranking Our Preferences Before the Trade Deadline

Welcome to the Wiz Witz trade deadline preview. Deadline day has been a rollercoaster with Daryl Morey running the Sixers since 2020, from the non-trades of Kyle Lowry and James Harden in 2021 to redemption in the “Deal Zone” a year later, which brought us this glorious image:

With a boatload of expiring salary and three first round picks to trade (including a juicy ‘28 Clippers first rounder, no protections), the Sixers have at least an average war chest for the first time since before the Tobias trade. Now, the question is: who should they get, and is this deadline the right time?

The Wiz Witz Trade Philosophy

I’ve heard 1,000 different scenarios, from aggressively pursuing Zach LaVine, to upgrading the Pat Bev spot with a Tyus Jones type, to in-between moves for role players like Alex Caruso or Kyle Kuzma.

To be clear - I don’t see the value in giving up meaningful draft capital for a supercharged role player. This team needs offensive help more than it needs defensive help. If I’m using meaningful draft capital (like the two first round picks it will reportedly cost for Caruso) I want a guy that will 100% be part of the closing lineup, regardless of situation. As nice as it would be to have Caruso, he’s a 15% better version of DeAnthony Melton, which I don’t think meaningfully changes the destiny of this team.

I love Tyrese Maxey…I love him. However, I feel confident in saying this - if he’s your only reliable perimeter creator in the playoffs, your ceiling is limited. He’s 6’3”, relies on tough threes and finishes around the rim, and still struggles against teams with size. If it’s the Joel & Maxey show with Tobias as the 3rd option, you won’t be able to keep up with the Celtics and the Nuggets. If it’s Joel & Maxey plus-one? You just might.

The other question is - when? If the Sixers don’t see the right deal at this deadline, they can simply stand pat and wait until the offseason, when they’ll have two more first round picks to trade (2024 and 2031), and hope the right guy shakes loose. However, every year they don’t go all in could be a year of Embiid’s prime wasted. With that in mind, here’s who I’d be happy to see the Sixers acquire (or not acquire) at next month’s deadline.

Group 1: Pie In the Sky

Lauri Markkanen: Like many, I thought he was a cute, fun story during his breakout season last year, but didn’t take it seriously. Shooting luck on a shitty team, right? Well, halfway through his second year in Utah, and he’s still getting 24 & 9 on 49%/39%/87% shooting splits. Turns out, he’s just a bucket.

The problem with Markkanen is not the player himself, but his keeper - if Daryl calls Danny Ainge tomorrow, Ainge’s starting ask would be Maxey, 12 firsts, the Ben Franklin statue atop City Hall, AJ Brown, Bryce Harper, Arthur Embiid and the Geno’s sign (the neon one, not the racist one). Ainge got four firsts and a swap for Rudy Gobert 18 months ago - he’s not parting with Lauri Markkanen for anything less than a king’s ransom. The price will likely be prohibitive for the Sixers, and if it’s not, other teams can offer more.

The other factor to consider is that I don’t think Markkanen is as perfect a fit as some make him out to be. Offensively, he’d turn the Sixers into a juggernaut. Defensively, you’d be looking at a closing lineup of Maxey, Melton, Batum, Markkanen and Embiid. Not bad, but still too small in the backcourt and too unathletic in the frontcourt. One of those is fine, but both concerns me. I wouldn’t be mad if he ends up a Sixer, but he’s not my top choice. Which brings me to…

Mikal Bridges: The perfect third wheel for Embiid & Maxey. An excellent off-ball shooter and perimeter defender who can guard the other team’s best player and score 20 a night. Bridges, Maxey & Embiid would also fit my theory of ideal NBA roster construction - a guard, a wing & a big as your three best players. It’s the reason I picked the Nuggets to win the title last year (Jokic, Murray & Porter). It’s fine if your two best players are two wings or two guards, but the roster balance will never quite be ideal. It’s why something always feels just a little off about Tatum & Brown (as great as they are), and why Garland & Mitchell are liable to bleed just as many points defensively as they score.

Whether or not Bridges will be available is another question, but if he is, I’d throw the farm at him.

Group 2: Flawed But Realistic

Dejounte Murray: Apparently NBA Twitter dorks don’t like him that much, but I’ve always been a fan. He’s butter smooth and has the Obama “Na me & Michelle don’t talk no more” haircut.

His upside may be theoretical, but even with the flaws in his game, I like his fit next to Maxey & Embiid better than most. He can create his own shot, attack closeouts, and play off ball. He’s not a lights-out shooter like Markkanen, but has improved to league average (36%) from three on six attempts per game with Atlanta. He’s also an 83% free-throw shooter (albeit on low volume), which tends to bode well for at least average three-point shooting.

Importantly, he’s also a bucket & a problem. His skill is creating, something the Sixers are lacking from the perimeter on nights when Maxey struggles. Defensively, he’s got all the tools in the world, including a 6’10” wingspan, and made All-Defense in 2017-2018. He’s slightly underqualified as a #2 in Atlanta, but this feels like a situation where if he’s willing to buy in to being a #3, Nick Nurse can work wonders with his skillset. He’s on a very fair contract ($27.2M AAV the next three years, with a player option for $31.5M after), that I think would be tradeable if things don’t work out. To boot, Atlanta seems desperate to get rid of him, so the price won’t be steep - likely two firsts + matching salaries. I like this option more than most.

Zach LaVine: Fine, although I’d prefer Murray. LaVine gets a (maybe deserved) rap as a good stats, bad team guy, but I think he’s going to look awesome for the rest of the season if he ends up as a third wheel on the Sixers or Lakers. Offensively, he’s a much better shooter than Murray (38% from three with the Bulls on eight attempts per game, before regressing this year), and is still pretty explosive around the basket.

My hesitance is that he has a certain…how do I say this…Tobias-like stench about him. It worries me that he went out and the Bulls immediately started winning. He also doesn’t seem like the type of guy who’d be happy as a third option for more than half a season. Again, if he buys in to a reduced role and commits to playing defense, he could be great, but it feels more theoretical than some of the other players on this list. If it happens, I will absolutely talk myself into it, but he’s not my top choice.

Added bonus - I think he’s the smoothest dunker of all-time:

Group 3: Role Players

Alex Caruso: As we covered before - an excellent role player, and he’d raise the Sixers floor, but feels like he’d be a luxury rather than a necessity. If the price is reasonable, go for it, upgrade the rotation, and preserve your assets to get the #3 in the offseason. I’d be thrilled to have him in Philly, I just don’t think it’ll make a huge difference this year if he’s the only move.

Extremely obvious added bonus: he’d be a day one favorite of every Delco basketball dad. Guys who stopped watching the NBA and and prefer college hoops but just “love the way he hustles”.

Kyle Kuzma: Sure, fine, whatever. Better than Tobias, but not that much better that it’ll matter.

Delon Wright, Tyus Jones, Generic Backup Point Guard X: We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here. These guys would be worth a few extra regular season wins because of their ability to run a competent 2nd unit offense in the doldrums of February, but none of them are playing real playoff minutes. Whatever, trade a few seconds, why not.

Until next time.

Doc Rivers Is a Snake,

Pete