With six days left until the February 8th NBA trade deadline, the Sixers are in a predicament.
On Thursday, the Sixers announced that Embiid suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee and would be sidelined at least through the weekend while treatment options are evaluated. It's currently unclear when or if he'll return this season, but the Sixers are hopeful they'll have a better idea of that in the coming days.
Embiid's return schedule could impact the Sixers' overall offense leading up to the trade deadline. If they don't expect him to be back at full strength by the playoffs, they may not feel as much pressure to be at full strength. They had already telegraphed their intention to roll over the flexibility into the offseason and create about $55 million in cap space even before Embiid went down.
Either way, Embiid's injury will give the team even more incentive to acquire another big man between now and Thursday. Whether it's a short-term stopgap or a fill-in for the rest of the season, they need someone other than Paul Reed and Mo Bamba to spend minutes at center.
The Sixers have a number of expiring contracts remaining, including Marcus Morris Sr. ($17.1 million), Robert Covington ($11.7 million), Furkan Korkmaz ($5.4 million), and up to a first-round pick. Three rights and six second-round picks remain. That should be more than enough to acquire a backup big man who can be used as a starter if needed.
The Sixers shouldn't commit to a high-end center option unless a) Embiid is out for the rest of the year and b) they have plans to trade him this summer. They already owe him $51.4 million next season, so spending even more at the position would be a poor allocation of resources.
With that in mind, the following five big men should grab the Sixers' attention heading into the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
Andre Drummond, Chicago Bulls
Who wouldn't be happy to be reunited with an old friend?
Drummond appeared in just 49 games with the Sixers in 2021-22 before being sent to the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden and Ben Simmons trade, but quickly became a fan favorite during that time. The college product averaged 6.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks in just 18.4 minutes against the Sixers, starting 12 games in Embiid's absence.
Drummond is who he is at this stage of his career. The 30-year-old doesn't offer much offensive power outside of a few feet from the basket, but he remains one of the league's most prolific rebounders on a per-minute basis. He's grabbing 8.3 boards, including 3.3 offensive rebounds (!), in just 15.9 minutes per game for the Bulls this season.
The Sixers have been much better offensively this season under coach Nick Nurse than they have been in recent years under coach Doc Rivers, but that's because their 30-10 machine was stationed in the midfield. is. Defensive rebounding rates plummeted when Embiid was off the floor this season, in part because Embiid ranked in the 91st percentile league-wide in defensive rebounding rates.
Drummond may help solve this problem better than any other realistically available option. He also has an expiring $3.4 million contract, so that won't affect his offseason flexibility at all.
Kelly Olynyk, Utah Jazz
If the Sixers want to pursue a higher-end option than Drummond, Olynyk might be their best bet.
The Sixers saw firsthand what Olynyk can bring in a 127-124 win over the Jazz on Thursday night. The 11-year veteran had 14 points, three rebounds and three assists in just 19 minutes off the bench. He's averaging a career-low 8.1 points per game this season, but he's dishing out a career-high 4.3 assists despite only playing 20.5 minutes a night.
Olynyk isn't a rebounding magnet like Drummond, but he's a much more prolific 3-point shooter. He's shooting a career-high 42.7 percent this year on fewer deep shots (1.7 attempts per game), and 37.0 percent of his career long-range shots have come down. His shooting range could make him easier to play alongside Embiid than Drummond, Reed, or Bamba.
However, the Sixers aren't the only team likely to be interested in Olynyk. HoopsHype's Michael Scott recently reported that Olynyk is “gaining interest from various teams around the league” and that “rival executives are viewing him as Utah's top trade candidate ahead of the deadline.” Ta. Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein said the same thing in mid-December.
The Sixers may not want to get involved in the Danny Ainge-led race to acquire Olynyk. But if Utah is willing to settle for Covington's expiring contract and the 2026 pick from the Clippers/Thunder/Rockets that the Sixers acquired in the Harden trade, it's at least worth considering. Like Drummond, he is on a temporary contract ($12.2 million) that does not affect offseason plans.
Mike Muscala, Detroit Pistons
The Process Sixers have already come full circle this season with Covington returning to Philadelphia. After the process, wouldn't it be appropriate for the Sixers to take a full turn?
Muscala is the legend who effectively gave Tyrese Maxey to the Sixers in 2020. It seems only fair that they rescue him from the wreckage of the NBA basement and give him a chance to earn his first ring.
The Pistons acquired Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers, and a pair of second-round picks in mid-January, Muzzara and Danilo Gallinari. Since doing so, they've resembled an actual NBA team for the first time all season. Still, Muscala and Gallinari are both on expiring contracts and likely won't factor into Detroit's long-term plans given their respective ages.
Muscala hasn't played much since arriving in Detroit, averaging just 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game. He has only started 41 games over his 11-year NBA career, so unlike Drummond and Olynyk, he will be a bench-only option in Philadelphia. Still, he's a career 37.6 percent shooter from deep and could help stretch the floor alongside Embiid (once he returns), Reid, or Bamba. The Sixers could also use him at center in a five-out lineup.
Like Drummond and Olynyk, Muscala is on a $3.5 million expiration contract, so he won't factor into the Sixers' offseason intrigue. Furkan Korkmaz and a second-round pick may be enough to accomplish this, and such a framework would also help reduce the Sixers' tax bill.
Nick Richards, Charlotte Hornets
Currently on the shiko portion of the trade list, Yahoo Sports' Jake Fisher reported Friday that Richards, along with P.J. Washington, is “receiving significant interest from rival teams.”
Washington is in the first year of a three-year, $46.5 million extension, which will cut into the Sixers' offseason flexibility. They would still be able to create about $40 million in cap space, but that would take them out of the running for dream targets like LeBron James or Paul George unless there are further moves.
Richards is also in the first year of a three-year contract, but his annual salary for this season and next season is $5 million, and his $5 million annual salary in 2025-2026 is not fully guaranteed. He also averaged a career-high 9.6 points, 68.8 percent shooting and 7.8 rebounds in just 25.1 minutes for the rudderless Hornets.
Richards is closer to a Drummond type offensively than an Olynyk/Muscala type. He has taken just one 3-point shot in his four-year NBA career, and his average shooting distance this season is 2.9 feet to the basket. Of the 199 field goal attempts he's made this season, he's only gone outside the restricted area or paint 10 times.
Richards isn't as good as Drummond, but he ranks in the 67th percentile among big leaguers overall in defensive rebounding percentage and in the 72nd percentile in offensive rebounding percentage. If the Sixers can acquire him without giving up a first-round pick — perhaps along with Cody Martin and Process legend Ish Smith — it could be a sneaky home run for them.
Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies
Richards wasn't the only big man Fisher mentioned as receiving interest from around the league. He said Tillman has “a lot of interest from playoff teams as well.”
The Grizzlies, like the Sixers, have done a great job of staying on the ropes despite an avalanche of key players, but they currently sit in 13th place in the West. With Jay Morant out for the season and Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart and Brandon Clarke likely out through the All-Star break, the Grizzlies should already be looking ahead to the 2024-25 season.
They made a move Thursday that suggests they think so, as they sent Steven Adams to the Houston Rockets for Victor Oladipo's expiring contract and three second-round picks. went. The Grizzlies gave Adams more flexibility in the offseason by releasing him the $12.6 million he would earn next year, as they expected him to hover around the second apron next year prior to that deal.
Tillman is on an expiring $1.9 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent in July. With Clark, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama on the roster, it's hard to imagine the Grizzlies spending big to keep Tillman. They might be willing to accept the best offer they can get for him at the deadline rather than lose him for nothing this summer.
Tillman is shooting a career-worst 40.8 percent from the field this season, averaging just 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game. Since he is on a minimum contract, no team will have salary matching issues for him, which could potentially increase the Grizzlies' asking price. So he's probably a bigger opportunity for the Sixers.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are NBA.com, PBP statistics, cleaning the glass or basketball reference. All salary information can be found at spot rack or Real GM.
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