Sam Hinkie Showed His Power at Trade Deadline

Philadelphia 76ers’ general manager Sam Hinkie proved at the traded deadline that he still has some power in the team’s front office.

The Philadelphia 76ers, and most of the NBA, stayed quiet for most of February 18th, the day of the trade deadline. At 3:00 pm, the NBA’s trade deadline would occur, and the day is usually the most rumor-filled, season-shaking day of the year. This year, it was quite mild, but still, the Sixers were making moves right around 3:00 pm.

Philadelphia moved their practice from 3:00 pm to 3:15 pm in case any players were to be moved, but that ended up not being the case, at least at first. JaKarr Sampson was released later in the day but with the intention to pick him back up, assuming he clears waivers.

The move the Sixers made? They picked up center Joel Anthony from the Houston Rockets, after he had already been traded to Houston from the Detroit Pistons. What a day for the big fella. But that does not end his traded deadline journey, as the Sixers picked up this bad contract as a “favor” of sorts to the Pistons and Rockets. They don’t intend to play Anthony, it appears, since they already have two dominant big men in Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor and a decent backup in Richaun Holmes. Anthony is likely to be released, and Sampson will probably be brought back in (he was only released to finalize the deal for Anthony, Sixers needed to make a spot).

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Of course, we all know general managers of teams don’t actually do favors. Any favor has to have some sort of payment, and the Sixers did receive that in this deal. For taking the bad contract of Anthony, the Sixers were given a second-round draft pick for 2017.

Many fans were adamant that the team would not make any blockbuster moves at the deadline, and that would hold true at 3:00 on deadline day, but one important thing showed up on that day — Sam Hinkie’s power.

Once Jerry Colangelo was brought into the front office, it appeared that Hinkie had some competition, and didn’t have as much power running the team as he did before. That may be true, he may be splitting duties with the veteran and experienced Colangelo, but to say this man has no role in the front office is foolish, especially after what he showed on deadline day.

Sam has long been a believer in building assets, especially in the form of draft picks. The Sixers have possible four first round draft picks this season, and several first and second-rounders over the next few years. The team gave some of those coveted draft picks up to make themselves more competitive earlier this season, and thus, making their chances at the first overall pick this season a bit worse.

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Earlier this season, in a move largely orchestrated by Colangelo, the Sixers lost two of their second-round picks from this upcoming draft, which came off to many fans as the act of Colangelo flexing his new power with the team, and getting rid of coveted picks that Hinkie really wanted to hold onto, while also making the team’s tanking impact less because he was adding valuable talent to the team. If that trade counts as a win for team Colangelo, then the trade on deadline day is a win for team Hinkie. He got one of those draft picks back in a move that doesn’t seem to fit Colangelo’s agenda. Why release a player who may not pass waivers in return for a veteran big man who has no value to the team? Why take a contract that the Sixers have to cover without ever seeing return for it on the floor? Draft picks. That’s why. Colangelo didn’t win today, Hinkie did.

But really, why do we have to choose sides? Why can’t we just accept that we have two very smart people controlling the team’s future, and be happy that this could very well result in competitiveness for years to come?

Colangelo won on Christmas Eve when the Sixers traded for Ish Smith. Hinkie won on deadline day.