The Sixer Sense
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NBA Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers Could Have Deal in Place for Point Guard

By Josh Wilson

Jan 27, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) dribbles in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Target Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-123. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 27, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) dribbles in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Target Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-123. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Following a slow start to NBA free agency, NBA rumors are pointing towards the Philadelphia 76ers having a trade in place for a point guard.

The NBA free agency bartering period opened up on Friday at 12:01 a.m., and for some teams, it opened in a frenzy. Right away, several NBA rumors were flying about who teams were meeting with, and where players were expected to go.

The Philadelphia 76ers, although they were involved in many rumors leading up to Friday morning, were not involved in any of those talks. Even by lunch time, when most fans would expect to at least hear that the team had submitted offer sheets for Allen Crabbe of Evan Fournier, we had heard nothing.

This was a similar feel to how the early-to-mid lottery picks during the NBA Draft felt. We thought the Sixers were going to do something. We thought, really, that they had to. Maybe they would make a move for a point guard. But alas, they stayed quiet, watching deals go by that they didn’t like.

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As for why they’re sitting back during free agency, letting players like Harrison Barnes walk, I can’t really say. I could speculate a lot of reasons, but there isn’t much that I could confidently guess.

What I, and many others, could guess, is that the team has a deal in place for a point guard. Keith Pompey, writer and reporter for Philly.com, thinks the same.

One of the moves the Sixers didn’t make early on Friday was re-signing Ish Smith, who had been the team’s point guard savior over the last two seasons. Pompey himself reported that the team was looking to bring Smith back as a backup point guard. But a backup to who? T.J. McConnell certainly wouldn’t get the nod to start over Smith.

The Sixers let 3:30 a.m. roll right by without contacting Smith. Smith got tired of waiting and signed a deal with the Pistons.

Now, there’s not very many point guards on the market in free agency, and they let quite possibly their best familiar option leave for another team without blinking an eye. What’s the deal?

Well, Pompey — and I would argue the same — thinks that the team may have a deal “in hand” after not drafting a point guard or even bothering to contact Ish Smith.

I think this is a fair assumption. We must keep in mind, however, that the team has been pushing first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft Ben Simmons as the “point-forward” of the team, a player who sits in the 3 and 4 slots but runs the 1 from time to time, a player who ball-handles and facilities the offense. He is incredibly versatile, and may run the point someday.

But point guard is a hard position, quite possibly the hardest one to play in the NBA. I think the Sixers should bring in another point guard this season, and it looks like they might be hinting at an upcoming trade.

I’ve been looking a lot at Ricky Rubio for the team, a guard who has many of the tools to succeed in the NBA. After the Wolves took Kris Dunn, it was reported that they were shopping him, and the Sixers have inquired about him in a potential trade before the draft even occurred.

Be on the lookout for those trades. They’re bound to happen.