PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers made four moves on the day of the 2024 NBA trade deadline, the most of any team, after making a huge trade at the start of the season. Team president of basketball operations Daryl Morey maintained views for the present and short-term future as he made moves at the 2024 NBA trade deadline, giving the impression that he committed to neither one as best as he could.
Since it's not yet known when Joel Embiid will be able to return this season, two paths seemed to emerge for the 76ers at the deadline. They could either load up for the playoff run/add a star to build with for the future or they could sell off whatever they could to gather assets for the offseason.
When the buzzer sounded at the deadline, Philly had done a bit of both. The trades accumulated some roster upgrades, more room to work under the luxury tax, a little more cap space this offseason, three available roster spots and some new draft picks to help replenish what they had spent to accomplish those other goals.
The 76ers added Buddy Hield, Cam Payne, a 2024 second-round pick (currently the 41st overall pick) and a 2027 second-round pick at the cost of Patrick Beverley, Jaden Springer, Marcus Morris Sr., Furkan Korkmaz, Danuel House Jr., two 2024 second-rounders (currently picks no. 37 and no. 53) and two 2029 second-rounders. The work Morey did was in large part to help him with the work he still has yet to do.
Hield was the primary addition for the 76ers. It took three second-rounders and the contracts of Morris and Korkmaz to pry the sharpshooting guard away from the Indiana Pacers. For Morey, it's a move that greatly improves the team as it stands today.
“We're focused on upgrading this year. We feel like we got the best player at the trade deadline that was traded,” Morey said. “We felt like he gave us exactly what we were looking for, which is, he is one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history. We really like what he adds to the team and we feel like our healthy group, our playoff rotation with Buddy Hield is right there with everyone in the entire league.”
Debates can be had over whether Hield is better than the likes of Gordon Hayward or Bojan Bogdanovic. Looking at the entire list of players who were traded during the season, he's certainly not as good as James Harden, Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby. But at the very least, Hield gives the 76ers a spectacular three-point shooter, which they sorely need.
Morey said that Hield “puts the fear of God into other teams” with his ability to shoot and that he was the only traded player who would play “a big role” in Nick Nurse's rotation. He also touted Payne as a solid shooter who “can really give us good minutes” and has pivotal playoff experience. In just their first game in Philly, they already helped raise the team's frequency in three-pointers — and they didn’t have the help of Embiid or Tyrese Maxey.
A backup center seemed like a sensible addition the 76ers would target with Embiid's prolonged absence. Morey said they were “aggressive” in their pursuit of a backup big man but that there weren’t any available. Daniel Gafford and Kelly Olynyk represent the most notable centers who were dealt but each went for a first-round pick, a price Philly was not willing to pay. The options for centers on the buyout market, Morey said, are “lighter than others” and that the team will have to “get creative” and live with the production Paul Reed and Mo Bamba provide.
“We like having open roster spots, whether it's for players who might become available — even signing young players to favorable deals I think is a smart move if we can do it,” Morey said. “A lot of our moves are for planning the new CBA environment, which I think is very impactful, and setting ourselves up for those big moves in the future.”
The calculus of the Springer trade, Morey said, was that the front office values more highly a second-round pick that will likely fall in the early 40s of the upcoming draft more than the young, stellar defender with imitations as a shooter and ball-handler. Waiting for Springer to improve was less appealing to the Sixers than having an additional pick to use in trades.
The Boston Celtics seeing things the opposite way — that the flyer on Springer was worth the draft pick — raised eyebrows. The Celtics' president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, sees Springer as someone who could contribute in the playoffs. They weren’t the only conference rival the 76ers made a deal with. Along with the Pacers, the Sixers made a move that seemingly boosted the depth of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Morey trading Beverley came as a massive shock, as the 76ers parted with a veteran on a minimum deal in a trade that gave the Bucks the veteran, defensive-minded guard they needed. He explained that Beverley's role in Philly was diminishing, so the team decided to send him somewhere he would have a more secure role. In return, Philly got a new backup point guard who, at the very least, is an upgrade as a shooter and another future draft pick.
Daryl Morey on trading Patrick Beverley and PatBev’s comment about being told he wouldn’t be traded: pic.twitter.com/JCiczIFxjD
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) February 9, 2024
Morey said that he does not conduct business differently when it comes to trading with rivals. “I do think that comes into play when you're talking about your top few guys. I do think it matters then,” he said. “But when you get to a little farther down the roster, I don't think that should be a factor. I think you'll miss opportunities that will hurt you more than how those things. Now, we'll see. I mean, this is definitely a challenge trade. It'll be a fun one going forward.”
Although Hield and Payne may be more helpful now, they didn’t bump the 76ers up a tier in the landscape of title contenders. Embiid's health is the ultimate factor and the 76ers' record with him this season is tremendous. But the degree to which the roster around him is better is marginal. For as good of a shooter as Hield is, he has no playoff experience and is not well-rounded as a player. The fact that he and Payne are on expiring contracts reinforces Morey's view that this offseason is the time to really go for it.
The uncertainty of free agency makes the 76ers' meagerly aggressive approach at the deadline unsettling. Any blockbuster move that could go down in the offseason is far from guaranteed. Whether it's the chance of Paul George leaving his hometown team that’s blossoming as a legitimate threat or a disgruntled star becoming available via trade, it has to be something great to justify what happened at the deadline. Morey has billed this upcoming summer as one where the 76ers are uniquely positioned to make a big move.
The uncertainty of what the buyout market holds adds to the uneasiness of what the 76ers did (and did not do) at the deadline. The stars are aligning for Kyle Lowry to sign after the Charlotte Hornets eventually, seemingly let him go. Outside of that addition of a short, 37-year-old guard, what else can Philly do? Bringing Danny Green back would be nice but is that swinging the balance of a playoff series?
For at least this season, Morey put his eggs in a basket built on Embiid's hopeful return to full health and fortified with Hield, Payne and additions from the buyout market. That’s not exactly the most reassuring capsule for cargo as precious as a chance for Embiid, perhaps the NBA's best player at full strength, to make a deep playoff run. But Morey has never been operating with just this season in mind. Risky as it may be, his decisions are just as much about the next few seasons.
Morey has remained steadfast in his belief that the 76ers' flexibility affords them a special chance to bolster the team around Embiid. “We're the best setup of any of those teams that are contenders by a good margin,” he said. His approach at the deadline raised as many questions as answers, if not more. But at the end of the day, the 2024 offseason never strayed from Morey's vision.
Soon, Morey will have no more road to kick the can down. He has placed a bet on himself that this summer, he can assemble an ideal supporting cast for the final years of Embiid's prime — and that it will be worth the wait. It's a bold strategy. Let's see if it pays off.
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