As the holiday season approaches, the Philadelphia 76ers are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. They're enjoying a five-game winning streak and currently sit in the fifth seed of a tightly packed Eastern Conference. But anyone who isn't fooling themselves knows the truth about the Sixers: They're a team in need of a roster upgrade or two in order to be taken more seriously as a title contender.
The Sixers are built around the all-world talent that is Joel Embiid. The team goes as he does, though surrounding him with the right talent is very important. Trade rumors have already begun swirling around many players, including some on Philadelphia's roster. This year's trade deadline won't see any mega-deals for the Sixers, like last year's James Harden-Ben Simmons blockbuster, but trades of a smaller magnitude should be in play.
Here are three way-too-early predictions for the Sixers ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline on February 9th.
3. Philly moves at least one of Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz and Danuel House Jr.
The Sixers will surely make some sort of trade to improve the supporting cast around Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey. Adding a wing player to support those three stars, as well as the bench duo of De'Anthony Melton and Shake Milton, makes the most sense. Philly could do this best using one of their other bench wings, using any combination of Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz and Danuel House Jr.
Thybulle has a somewhat regular role as one of the primary injury replacements but otherwise doesn't play much. He's still a disruptive presence on defense that is held back by his untimely fouls and lack of value on the other end of the floor. But at the age of 25, on a rookie contract with restricted free agency looming, some team out there could feasibly see a player worth trying out.
Trading House would look like an admission of defeat for the Sixers after tampering to sign him last summer. But his inconsistent play has not earned him the benefit of the doubt, nor worth losing a second-round pick. He doesn't necessarily have to be traded but if any wing upgrades are attainable, House could easily be moved.
Korkmaz is not a regular member of the Sixers' rotation and has a $5 million deal that can be used as contract filler for potential trade acquisitions of more highly paid players. Using him and Thybulle along with second-round draft picks and/or Jaden Springer seems like the most likely package the Sixers can put together for another role player.
2. The Sixers prioritize bolstering their defense
So far this season, the Sixers have needed more help on offense than defense. They're third on the NBA defensive rating leaderboard and until recently were not even in the top-20 on the offensive rating leaderboard (currently sitting in 18th place). But they have the pieces to improve on offense, meaning that adding more defensive-minded personnel seems like a bigger priority.
Offense may not be the priority for one key reason: Embiid. The Sixers know he has the talent to be a one-man offense and also have two high-level creators surrounding him. Philly wouldn't be hurt by adding more creators, but the need for high-level defenders is more pressing. It's easier to add some good defenders to a strong defense than it is to rewire an offense that already has its stars in place.
Philadelphia could try and kill two birds with one stone by targeting 3-and-D players — or at least defenders who can pass, cut and/or score in other ways at respectable levels. Targeting such players is common among playoff teams. The spacing and shooting around the stars will be key, of course, but so will adding defensive reinforcement on the wing. The Sixers could still use another player to match up with the talented wings they will likely see in the postseason.
Philly's offense has been great for the past two weeks without Maxey, so getting him back should sustain the team on that end of the floor. Improving the personnel on defense, which is where the Sixers are looking to really excel, is more likely to be the focus of their trade plans.
1. The Sixers don't trade Tobias Harris
Harris is one of the many NBA players with dual residences — one with his own team and one on the trade block. Ever since he signed his max contract with the Sixers, he has been in countless trade rumors and mock trades. At the moment, there isn't any apparent reason for Philly to trade Harris.
The fact Harris is overpaid is completely the fault of the Sixers, who put themselves in an awkward position and had to overpay for him in free agency. He has his limitations as a player but is still doing what he can to improve himself. After being an on-ball creator for much of his career, he is transforming into a very solid spot-up shooter.
This season is the most optimized version of Harris the Sixers have seen. He's taking a career-high 40.1 percent of shots from behind the arc and converting 40.4 percent of them. His floor spacing has been key for Philly, and so has his willingness to revert back to being more of an on-ball creator when the three stars above him were sidelined. It's better to have someone like this on the team than not, even on a hefty salary.
The trade slop around Harris is out there but the Sixers will 1) have to get creative and/or take on another bloated contract to trade him and 2) sacrifice one of their better players. Harris isn't (and shouldn't be) untouchable, but getting someone better than him who is as good a fit with Embiid and Harden will be a challenge.