Another hectic, eventful NBA trade deadline is now over. The Philadelphia 76ers ended up making just one move, which was centered around a swap of Matisse Thybulle for Jalen McDaniels. It's a move that could work out for the Sixers but is far from a hugely impactful one.
The Sixers' only move on deadline day was taking part in a three-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers. They sent out Thybulle and a 2023 second-round pick while receiving McDaniels and two future second-round picks (one in 2024 and another in 2029). The move got them below the luxury tax threshold, avoiding that tax and the repeat offender tax.
Despite a lot of holes to fill on the roster — just about all of which were laid out in their most recent loss to the short-handed Boston Celtics — the Sixers made just one move ahead of the trade deadline. Let's give grades to what they did and did not do.
Jalen McDaniels-Matisse Thybulle swap: C+
The Sixers' rotation will seemingly stay the same with a simple swap involving two defensive-minded wings. McDaniels — whom the Hornets drafted with the 52nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft — has four inches on Thybulle, has shown to be a better shooter throughout their respective careers and should offer more value at the point of attack on defense.
67 seconds of Jalen McDaniels kicking ass on defense #Sixers pic.twitter.com/aTCRWb2diQ
— Jacob Moreno (@Jacobmorenonba) February 9, 2023
However, McDaniels is far from a home run. His shooting splits — 53.4 percent from inside the arc, 32.2 percent from behind it, 84.6 percent from the free-throw line on low volume — are not that impressive and his ability to create his own shot is not to be consistently trusted.
McDaniels being a questionable upgrade over Thybulle is even worse considering that he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season while Thybulle will be restricted. Although the Sixers have his bird rights, re-signing him is more complicated. Getting an additional second-round pick is nice but neither of them is likely to be as valuable as the one they traded away. Plus, one of them will not convey until well after Joel Embiid's prime.
It should also be noted that years ago, two lawsuits were filed against McDaniels over him filming women performing intimate acts without their consent and sharing it among friends, which had serious adverse effects on the women's lives. He apologized to them afterward and seemingly took responsibility for his behavior during the pre-draft process.
Just how well Jalen McDaniels can fit into a team with legitimate playoff aspirations remains to be seen, though surrounding him with more talent could help bring out the best in him. On paper, the Sixers got a potential upgrade off the bench and got more second-round picks to use in future trades. We'll see how far that actually moves the needle for them.
Not trading for a backup center: D-
The Sixers' recent history with the backup center position has been as sore of a subject as there can be. When there were rumors that the team was looking to add another backup alongside Montrezl Harrell and Paul Reed, fans were ecstatic. Those hopeful feelings faded after the 3:00 PM EST trade deadline passed as teams all over the league found backup big men for prices that Philadelphia seemingly could have matched.
Jarred Vanderbilt was reportedly a top target for the Sixers but he ended up being used in a three-team deal. Still, Mo Bamba was traded for only Patrick Beverley (who was waived) and a second-round pick. Mike Muscala was traded for second-round picks. Guys like Andre Drummond and Kelly Olynyk weren't moved but also could have likely been moved by their respective teams for the right price.
The Sixers should see plenty of names in the buyout market with the likes of Nerlens Noel, Serge Ibaka, Khem Birch potentially up for grabs. Although none of them seem like huge difference-makers, Philly could find an upgrade. This is the lone reason why they don't get an “F” here. Refusing to add a single center in the buyout market would be a team building malpractice.
The good news for the Sixers is that the Eastern Conference playoff picture didn't get that much tougher. Although the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics each found upgrades in the form of Jae Crowder and Muscala respectively, the Nets are starting over and the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't make a single move. Some other teams below them made moves but the Sixers still have the potential to make a playoff run.
That potential combined with just one seemingly lateral move makes the 2023 trade deadline disappointing for the Sixers. They didn't fix any currently existing issues and suggested to their fans that simply saving money was their overall priority. If McDaniels isn't a big upgrade and they still fail to fix the backup center issue, Philly may have wasted its best chance in years to make a deep playoff run.
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