Sellers surround the Sixers in the standings, meaning play-in by elimination is a reality.
It’s the NBA’s trade season. Rumors. Sellers. Buyers. They’re all words that rise to the top of the hoops lexicon this time of the year. A Philadelphia 76ers word cloud, though, would promote different words: ‘Tank’ and ‘compete’. In a uniquely disappointing season, the franchise must choose between those options. Lose on purpose, or, perhaps with a newfound belief after a surprising victory over the East-best Cleveland Cavaliers and a big one over the Bulls, continue to try to win games.
As has been well covered, the team’s first-round draft pick goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it lands at No. 7 or higher. Combine that fact with the team’s currently seventh-worst record of 17-27 and you’d have an obvious incentive to man the hatches and tank away. But one factor remains. The team is just two games back from the glorious 10th seed and the hopes of the play-in.
The Chicago Bulls hold the 10th seed at the moment. And they, rumors state, are set to be sellers. Their star Zach LaVine is having a resurgent year and may be what many buyers are looking for. If he is sold, the Bulls will probably lose a lot more games. Potentially enough for the Sixers to fall into the 10th seed simply out of process by elimination.
Several other teams’ trade deadline activity may heavily influence the Sixers’ season. Alongside the Bulls, the Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trailblazers are rumored to be big sellers this deadline. The Nets and Blazers are right next to the Sixers in the overall standings. And the Pelicans are better than their record suggests, but probably not good enough to break out of the lottery. There have been reports about each of those teams and they all suggest one thing: tanking will get harder for Philadelphia after the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
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Since we’ve already mentioned them, let’s talk about Chicago. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontempts reported that rival executives have “described [the Bulls’] motivation as ‘seeking change’.” That is a vague statement but can be unblurred by linking other reports. Many of which suggest that LaVine and center Nikola Vučević are picking up interest.
LaVine’s contract is massive ($43 mil this year, $95 over the next two), but he’s been outstanding this season, with Shams Charania reporting that “rival executives have applauded” his play. There’s no outright favorite to grab him, but that seems likely to change quickly.
Vučević, on the other hand, has been specifically linked to the Golden State Warriors. Charania wrote that they are “expressing interest in” him, while Hoop Hype’s Michael Scotto confirmed they are doing their “due diligence” on a frontcourt upgrade, listing Vooch’s name among their targets.
LaVine and Vooch have far and away been Chicago’s best players this season. Getting rid of them now would make a fall in standings all but inevitable. Like the 76ers, they have a pick to worry about. Their first-rounder this year is top-10 protected, conveying to the Spurs if it falls outside. Missing the play-in would make securing their pick a lot more likely.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie also listed Chicago’s Lonzo Ball and his expiring contact as a potential trade piece, citing that Ball could walk for nothing this offseason. Vecenie points out that the Bulls have won their minutes with Ball on the court, but his skillset and expiring contract could net them some second-round picks, pointing out a deal with Detroit built around Tim Hardaway Jr.
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Already signaling the tanks are the Brooklyn Nets. After a surprisingly competitive start, Brooklyn traded away veterans Dennis Schroeder and Dorian Finney Smith. Thanks to indulging in some horrific basketball, they currently have the sixth-worst record in the league. And still have plenty of assets to trade away.
Their sharpshooting wing Cameron Johnson may be the most coveted player this deadline. He’s completely void of any drama (unlike bigger names like Jimmy Butler), has a great contract ($22.5m this year, $43m over the next two), and, with a 41.9% three-point stroke, can seamlessly fit on any team (the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked to him, that’s good company!).
Windhorst and Bontemps have said that the Nets are comfortable keeping Johnson if no team meets their high asking price for him. The big question for Brooklyn is how big their fire sale will be. Centers Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe could be moved, as could guards Cam Thomas and D’Angelo Russell. But, as The Athletic’s Jared Weiss pointed out, they only have to be a bottom-four team, not the worst, suggesting they may hold on to some of the above players.
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For the New Orleans Pelicans, two players are most likely to get traded: Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. Ingram has been on the trade block since the offseason as he and the team haven’t been able to agree on a new contract. But, if no one wanted him then, why would they want him now?
Earlier in the season, Scotto revealed Ingram killed a deal that would have sent him to the Utah Jazz as he did not want to re-sign with them. Since then, not a lot of new information has been revealed. The Pelicans might bite the bullet and accept a bag of lint for their former All-Star. But they could also wait for the offseason and explore sign-and-trade options. However, as Ingram has missed extended time due to injury, Trey Murphy III has thrived for the team, looking like their forward of the future. Adding Ingram to the mix would make for an awkward fit and take shots away from Murphy.
McCollum has also shone as Ingram has sat. The 11-year-veteran guard is one of the few players to score 45+ points in more than one game this season. Over his last 15 games, he’s averaging 24.1 points on 42.5% from three. If New Orleans wants to tank, they may have to get rid of the 33-year-old, hoping someone bites on his hot streak and mature, veteran locker room presence.
Even if they do move these two, New Orleans still has enough talent to win more than they lose. How far they fall or rise in the standings may be determined by some strategic tanking through cheeky additions to the injury report. With how well they’ve drafted in the David Griffin era, they may be fine with riding out the season and ending with a mid-lottery pick, rather than pushing for a top-four selection.
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Portland has the same number of wins as the Sixers but, with plenty of veterans rumored to be on the market, they could quickly stagnate in the standings. Robert Williams III, Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons could all help contending teams and the Blazers have a vested interest in moving them as it would clear up playing time for their younger players.
Williams, though often injured, plays far better than his two-year, $25.8 million contract and has also been linked to Golden State. Vecenie suggested that Simons could be on the move as the Blazers invest in their young backcourt of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, though no solid rumors of an interested team have emerged. Jerami Grant has been on the trading block ever since he signed a five-year, $60 million contract when Damian Lillard was still on the roster, but, again, no substantial news has come out as to where he’ll be moved to.
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On top of all this, Philadelphia has done nothing to signal they want to tank. If anything, performances like the one against Cleveland, and the Christmas Day victory over the Boston Celtics, probably inform the team that their competitive beliefs are rightly held.
Regardless of their philosophy, the rest of the league seems set on indirectly helping the Sixers get into the play-in.