My bold prediction for the Philadelphia 76ers’ trade deadline.
The Philadelphia 76ers are a burden to watch, especially on the road, which is disappointing when one considers the talent available and the expectations tied to the 2019-20 season. The Sixers should be fun. They should be a contender. Right now, they’re neither.
When the dust settles, I still expect the Sixers to put up a good fight in the Eastern Conference. As currently constructed, however, it’s difficult to picture Philadelphia beating Milwaukee four out of seven times. Heck, it’s difficult to see Philadelphia beating Miami four out of seven times.
The Sixers shouldn’t panic, but at the same time, it’s no longer “too early” to reevaluate. It’s abundantly clear this roster is flawed, and almost all blame falls on Elton Brand and the front office. Now Brand must work to correct his mistakes.
More from Sixers News
- 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
- 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
- 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
- Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
- Breaking Down Bombshell Report on Sixers Star James Harden
Al Horford was the most egregious mistake. Some were optimistic when the 33-year-old signed this summer — I was one of those optimists — but it’s clear building around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons with a second center was a plan destined to fail.
Philadelphia has two superstar talents in the 25-and-under range. The aim is simple. You build around them. Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson fit, but Horford does more bad than good. One simply can’t pin the blame on Brett Brown, Ben Simmons, or Joel Embiid. It’s a complex, layered problem, which stretches well above the talent and tactics available. Horford, however, is the biggest pimple on the Sixers’ acne-covered face.
The Sixers are expected to wheel and deal as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches. While no one has reported the intention to trade Horford, I am going out on a limb — and I stress, an unsourced, gut-feeling limb.
I expect Philadelphia to trade Al Horford.
This could look foolish in a couple days, and frankly, the odds are stacked against me. But the expectation is Philadelphia will make changes, and the higher-ups remain focused on winning a championship.
When the Sixers signed Horford, the Bucks’ looming presence was no doubt a major contributor to that decision. But right now, the Sixers need to worry about beating the Bostons, Miamis, and Torontos of the world before basing roster decisions on a single series.
In a potential Sixers-Bucks matchup, Embiid is the most valuable weapon against Giannis Antetokounmpo. Horford helps, sure, but he no longer looks the part of a jailbreak defender who can single-handedly contain Giannis’ athletic splurges.
If Horford is no longer viewed as the Sixers’ epiphanic solution to Giannis, it becomes far easier for the front office and ownership to swallow a trade proposal. If Brand is comfortable viewing contention through a less specific lens, the Sixers should have no qualms about moving Horford in a couple days.
The biggest obstacle in a potential Horford trade is logistics. The Sixers need someone to take on the final three years of his contract, which is a gutsy financial commitment. Horford has an immaculate pedigree, but the steep decline in his trade value between last summer and the current date is undeniable.
And yet, in the vast landscape of NBA basketball, there are always one or two desperate teams looking to make desperate moves. The Sacramento Kings are a bumbling mess with no direction — maybe Horford, who was a target of theirs last summer, becomes a symbol of organizational growth and maturity. The Warriors might salivate over a Horford-Draymond Green frontcourt.
The Sixers should probe the market — hard. If there is a more fit distribution of wealth and talent available, Philadelphia should pull the trigger. Horford is no longer his prime self, and the roster construction leaves no path to fully maximizing his skill set.
We have seen the Sixers swing big trades before. There wasn’t much build-up to the Jimmy Butler trade or the Tobias Harris trade, but it made clear the Sixers’ intentions. This could happen in similar fashion. No build-up, with an eye toward title contention.
Someone might as well predict it. Count me in.