It is now January, and that means that the league is getting closer to the trade deadline for this season. The Philadelphia 76ers, always an active bunch in the market, are once again expected to be a major player. Having said that, is a trade an absolute necessity for this team in this campaign? Well, this might be an unpopular opinion, but the short answer is no.
It is indeed a very bold proposition to think that a franchise led up top by a trade maniac like Daryl Morey will not do anything and simply stand pat at the deadline. However, it is difficult to envision the 76ers actually doing something drastic in the trade market during the season. Likewise, they are not as incentivized right now to make those proverbial deals that can improve the roster on the margins.
Of course, this is merely a personal take. But the 76ers have much more reason this time around than in the past to actually just settle with what they currently have on deck and act accordingly. Sure, this might frustrate a lot of eyes zoomed in on the team, but front offices do not just strike with other teams toward a deal just for the satisfaction derived from merely making a switch.
The 76ers might be better off just standing pat before the trade deadline
The 76ers have a couple of untouchable players on the roster in Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Joel Embiid is probably also still on that list given his resurgence. Meanwhile, Paul George is someone they cannot really ship away, albeit due to him not being a desirable asset in view of his mammoth deal.
Meanwhile, most of their rotation players are either on expiring deals or fresh contracts. Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Quentin Grimes will hit free agency this year, but all three of them are simply harmless to keep in the fold as they fill necessary roles. Ditto for their new additions in Dominick Barlow and Trendon Watford.
Jared McCain has immensely struggled, but the 76ers will be more prudent if they exercise a little more patience with the sophomore.
As can be gleaned from all of these, there really isn’t a clear and compelling reason for the 76ers to make a trade before the deadline. Philly, when healthy, has one of the deepest rosters in the league, and the problems they have are actually fixable by their in-house options.
Of course, the 76ers should not inhibit themselves from the trade market altogether if there is a Grimes-esque deal that somehow comes along. However, this team will be much better off sticking with its guns. It does not make much sense to snag players on significant deals either when their salary books are so muddled.
Unpopular opinions tend to try to just be edgy and all for the sake of merely going against the grain. But with this one, the 76ers stand to benefit given their unique circumstances.