With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, teams are starting to mobilize as they swiftly test the waters in the market. The same, however, cannot be said for the Philadelphia 76ers, a team which has not really been a frequent customer in the rumor mill this time around aside from conjectural pretensions and whatnot.
While this kind of disposition will most likely frustrate those who are assiduous toward trades and the the player movement drama, the 76ers actually have more reasons to not be a major player in the trade market instead of being an active gunslinger therein as they have in the past. Circumstances are different than in years past, and this team is actually incenticized to hold onto what they currently have on deck.
The 76ers are still kind of perplexing when it comes to gauging how good they are, but if there is something that is not up for debate, it is that this team has more than enough talent to not only make noise in the playoffs, but also potentially come out of the East and make it to the Finals since 2021, which is more than two decades ago.
The 76ers have every reason to be idle on the trade market
First off, the 76ers are technically incapable of making a major splash before the deadline. Given that they have two players on undesirable deals in Joel Embiid and Paul George, a trade involving either of them is already out of the picture. Really, the only viable way to get themselves into the race for some of the higher-end trade candidates is to consolidate salaries.
However, most of their players on mid-sized deals are on expiring contracts. Players like Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond, and Quentin Grimes are also playing key roles for the 76ers, which makes it counterintuitive to ship them away. The front office definitely wants to put a premium on maintaining financial flexibility, and allowing their deals to expire will give the much more leeway when the offseason comes.
The other reason is a mere reiteration of what has already been said — that this team is already talented enough to reach their basketball apogee this season. From Tyrese Maxey all the way to their two-way players (aside from maybe Eric Gordon and quasi-assistant coach Kyle Lowry), the 76ers have more than the necessary ammo on the talent department that relying on in-house development should be sufficient.
Of course, things could still change for the 76ers when the trade deadline looms even bigger, but even if they stand pat, no one should hold it against the front office. After all, they are being more prudent that way, which is something they need to better prepare for the immediate future.