The Sixer Sense
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Will Bryan Colangelo Surprise Us on Trade Day?

By Josh Wilson

Mar 11, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (center) battles Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (left) and forward Richaun Holmes (22) for positioning on a free throw during the fourth quarter at Staples Center. The Clippers won 112-110. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (center) battles Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (left) and forward Richaun Holmes (22) for positioning on a free throw during the fourth quarter at Staples Center. The Clippers won 112-110. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
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As the Philadelphia 76ers trade deadline approaches, fans are wondering whether or not team president Bryan Colangelo will make a surprise move.

Fans of the Philadelphia 76ers have now gotten used to Bryan Colangelo being the general manager of the team after he abruptly took over Sam Hinkie’s position partway through the season last year. What they’ve also gotten used to is less crazy trades.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the trade rumors have completely died down. In fact, far from it. The trade rumors have really kicked up for the Sixers this season because of the front court logjam they currently have. Sources around the league have time and time again said that the Sixers are looking to make a move on or around the trade deadline, but the actions and words from Colangelo seem to indicate otherwise.

Colangelo has said time and time again that he will not take a bad deal for either one of his big men, and that he won’t make a trade just for the sake of making a trade.

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But could he be bluffing to get a better deal for one of his bigs? The reason the Sixers probably can’t get a great deal for a big is because teams know very well that the Sixers are in a position where they have to make a trade. If Colangelo can convince other teams they aren’t desperate, the value on their bigs in a trade goes up.

But this logjam has gone on for so long that some fans aren’t even expecting a trade at the deadline anymore. Some fans are expecting the deadline to come and go with little action from Colangelo.

He might have something up his sleeve, though. There’s a few reasons to believe he might.

Not opposed to trades

Colangelo, although he hasn’t made any blockbuster moves since joining the Sixers staff, has shown that he isn’t exactly opposed to making trades. Colangelo made a really nifty move at the beginning of the year to send Jerami Grant, an underused Sixer, for Ersan Ilyasova, an underused member of the Thunder.

Both players have blossomed in their respective new roles, and the trade turned out to be a massive win-win for the Sixers.

It showed that Colangelo may not be quick to pull the trigger on many trades, but that he is willing to wait it out and find trades that really benefit the Sixers greatly. The addition of Ilyasova was one of the main factors that turned this 0-7 start team to a team that has done quite well.

Turns out a veteran presence is at least a little important.

Might just have to get creative

The issue with making trades is that Colangelo really seems to want to get deals that work well for the Sixers, and especially with the logjam being the most pressing issue, that’s not exactly a simple thing to approach. Most teams aren’t willing to pay out much for a big man right now, and most teams know the Sixers need to trade one, so that automatically leads to the Sixers getting lowballed on deals.

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So, Colangelo just might have to channel his inner Hinkie and get a little creative with his trades. The Ilyasova deal was a good example of creativity within a trade. While moving a big man will need even more creativity than that specific deal, it’s something that he’s capable of doing, and something he really has to do at some point.

A big deal might be asking too much

All in all, the issue with making a trade so far may be that Colangelo is being a bit too stubborn. He didn’t exactly come into the best situation with the Sixers — he himself has said as much — but it’s still his job to fix it. He has said he’s looking for a great deal, but with the underperformance of Okafor so far this year, the non-need for a big man around the league right now, and the fact that the Sixers are in a tough spot and everyone knows it all lead to an underselling of a former lottery pick.

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It’s not ideal for Sixers fans or for Colangelo, but if he waits too long, the team may risk giving up a player with nothing in return, which is even less ideal.

Although he’s been quiet up to this point, it’s safe to assume that there will at least be talk of Sixers rumors as the trade deadline gets closer.