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The Philadelphia 76ers received unfortunate news when Joel Embiid tore his meniscus, sidelining him for a minimum of four weeks. Embiid's MVP chances are now down the drain, but the 76ers' key objective is to remain a top-six seed in the East, so they will not go through the rigors of the play-in tournament. It will be a tough nut to crack as the team struggles without Embiid, but acquiring a couple of pieces before the 2024 NBA trade deadline would be a massive help.
Daryl Morey and the rest of the front office constructed their payroll in such a way that they will have a ton of cap space in the offseason to add pieces who will complement Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Thus, Philadelphia has a bevy of expiring contracts they can package to acquire someone like Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, or Malcolm Brogdon. Even a smaller move for somebody like Andre Drummond would help with Embiid out and when he returns.
These players would be a huge boost to the title chances of Philadelphia, especially during Embiid's absence. However, it can go the opposite way as well if unfortunate scenarios occur on deadline day.
76ers must make upgrades at trade deadline with Joel Embiid out
It has been reiterated by every media channel or account that Philadelphia is one of the squads that need to complete a couple of moves before the trade deadline. The Sixers are banged up and have looked awful without Embiid, so it's clear reinforcements are needed. Even if Embiid does come back, he will need somebody else to take the pressure off him besides just Tyrese Maxey.
The $17 million expiring contract of Marcus Morris Sr. and the last year of the $11 million deal of Robert Covington are fantastic salary fillers that must be moved before 3 p.m. ET. Both players are banged-up veterans who could be used to help bring in an upgrade.
If the Sixers are unable to move any of those players, it will be an unhappy day in the City of Brotherly Love. One could argue that even 35-year-old Nicolas Batum, who will enter free agency in the offseason, can be a moving piece as well. However, Batum must be lower in the pecking order of players being shopped around because his strengths and style of play fit Embiid and Maxey.
After getting smacked by the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, Philadelphia is only two games ahead of the sixth-place Indiana Pacers in the East standings, so they are pressured to fortify their roster even more because of the lengthy absence of Embiid. Moreover, Embiid has not proven to be consistently effective in the playoffs, so pursuing guys who can score 20-30 points on any given night is a must.
In the brightest lights, if Nurse is forced to rely on individuals like Patrick Beverley, Jaden Springer, or Mo Bamba, it might be another early exit for Philadelphia in the postseason. An upgrade to the aforementioned players like Hield, Bogdanovic, or Brogdon must be Morey's goal. Bringing back Drummond would also be a boon to help with the center position in Embiid's absence. It would be a nightmare for this team if they're not able to make at least one trade upgrade and continue to slide down the standings.
Imagine sliding down to seventh or eighth and forcing Embiid to play in an extra one or two games in the play-in tournament while he is getting back to 100%. The current crop of guys is not the answer. If they remain with this core, the Sixers might as well move on to preparing for their 2024-25 campaign.
