After what we’ve seen transpire this season, the Sixers starting a youth movement at the trade deadline was the right choice.
This season is very likely to be a lost one for the Sixers.
Because of injuries, veteran role players struggling and a total lack of continuity, the team sits at 20-30, still just outside the play-in picture. If Joel Embiid and Paul George suddenly get super healthy and look like All-Stars, maybe things could change, but that’s one hell of an “if” considering how things have gone so far.
It would’ve made little sense for Daryl Morey and the front office to make any type of all-in move at the deadline. The team was also not really in a place to blow things up and start over for various reasons.
So, the Sixers threaded the needle with a pair of solid trades, starting a youth movement that was bubbling under the surface.
Morey said, given how things had played out thus far, getting younger was a clear goal.
“One of the general themes we wanted to add at this deadline was to get younger, get more dynamic,” Morey said at the Sixers practice facility Friday afternoon.
“That’s something that, as we’re always assessing ourselves and last offseason, obviously things haven’t gone according to plan — mostly due to injuries but I also think we were a little bit on the older side with the acquisitions this offseason.”
In fact, the Sixers were the oldest team in the NBA entering the 2024-25 season. That’s likely to change after the trade deadline. The Sixers traded 29-year-old Caleb Martin to the Dallas Mavericks for 24-year-old Quentin Grimes and 34-year-old Reggie Jackson to the Washington Wizards for 24-year-old Jared Butler. They got 15 years younger over the course of a couple days. That sounds nice.
Counting on 34-year-old George and 30-year-old Embiid has been difficult enough. Adding guys like Martin, Jackson, Kyle Lowry (38), Eric Gordon (36) and Andre Drummond (31) hasn’t helped. All seven of those players have missed double-digit games. All seven have also had rough moments on the court, whether because of playing through an injury or showing signs of aging.
Grimes and Butler don’t have the cleanest injury histories, but both are healthy and enjoying career-best seasons. Grimes is having a career year from deep, shooting just a tick below 40% on 4.3 attempts a game. He’s also had the opportunity to show off his creation chops a bit more with Luka Doncic missing so much time.
Butler is enjoying the healthiest stretch of his young career. Remember, he’s only a couple years removed from being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four while at Baylor. It seems like he’s putting it all together in his fourth NBA season, putting up impressive numbers per 36 minutes: 21.9 points, 8.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals.
On top of young players simply being more reliable to take the court every night, it’s the best path forward for where the Sixers are. This season is more likely to end with ping pong balls than a Larry O’Brien Trophy. We’ve already seen guys like Jared McCain (who is out for the season), Justin Edwards, Ricky Council IV and Adem Bona step in and impact winning as young players.
Grimes and Butler should get the opportunity to do the same.
“It’s one thing Nick [Nurse] has done a great job of, bringing these guys along,” Morey said. “Obviously, our hand has been forced with how few players are available at times. But his ability to integrate a (20-year-old) into our rotation and have him still play at a high level … Nick’s done a great job. Quentin and Jared can add right into that group.”
Given the CBA climate we’re in, it behooves contending teams to have young players on cheap contracts. Think of it like an NFL team with an elite quarterback on a rookie contract. Bargain players make for easier team construction. There are still 32 games remaining this season, but thinking ahead to just next season, the Sixers will have serious depth thanks to their younger players.
Think about what this roster could look like next season:
Guards:
Tyrese Maxey 24
Jared McCain 20
Quentin Grimes 24
Jared Butler 24
Wings:
Paul George 34
Kelly Oubre, Jr. 29
Justin Edwards 21
Ricky Council IV 23
Bigs:
Joel Embiid 30
Guerschon Yabusele 29
Adem Bona 21
If the Sixers went into this season with that group, their average age would’ve been 25.36. That would’ve easily made them one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Maybe a 39-year-old Kyle Lowry returning in 2025-26 could skew that number a tad.
Now, the Sixers will have a little work to do with a couple names on this list in the offseason, but that’s 11 rotation-worthy players. Sprinkle in a second-round pick, an undrafted rookie, a veteran or two on a minimum, and you’ve got a team.
Having 11 rotation-worthy players return next season would feel like a massive win after going into this season with essentially a brand new team. Of course everything depends on the health of Embiid and George, but at least the rest of the team will have the familiarity and chemistry to win a few games without them.
“We feel like a younger, more dynamic group around Tyrese, Joel, Paul is the path,” Morey said. “We did that with Grimes and Jared. And then obviously, we added Yabu this offseason.
“I think another way to think about it is — and I mentioned this before — we think having three elite players like Paul, Joel and Tyrese is the way to go because we see our job as finding the Yabus, finding the Justins. Those things you can find. You can’t find Paul Georges, you can’t find Joel Embiids and you can’t find Tyrese Maxeys. What you can do is have a front office and a coaching staff that works tirelessly to find these guys that can then fit around them.”
It’s been a disappointing season to say the least, but at least the Sixers are fully embracing a youth movement.