Less than a month away from the February 5 trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers have yet to make a move, or even get strongly rumored to be close to pulling one off. The silence has been uncanny this time around, but people who know how this franchise operates are probably not even sweating it. After all, the Daryl Morey factor is still here.
As everyone knows, among all executives in the NBA, there is no one who is more avid than Morey when it comes to making splashes in the trade market. While he has his faults and miscalculations, his trades have made the team better more often than not. As such, it is unlikely for the front office that he leads to just stand pat and wait for the deadline to pass them.
The 76ers are uniquely positioned to explore low-risk trades this season. They have the necessary salaries to make the money work, and some of their more desirable trade candidates are also on expiring deals. In addition, unlike most contenders with veteran cores, Philly actually has an ample collection of draft picks.
The 76ers will probably still make a trade before the deadline due to Daryl Morey
While certainly having a propensity to in-season trades, Morey is not just someone who develops a hankering to wheel and deal just for the sake of doing it. But if there is one thing that is certain, it is that the 76ers brass will most definitely look to be active and get on the phones as much as they tenably can.
It does not have to be major or a landscape-altering one — the 76ers are already established atop their pecking order. Realistically speaking, the front office will be on the loop for some of the role players who are available for taking. In fact, it seems like they have already linked up with a certain team to that effect.
Philly still has some glaring issues on the roster despite their overwhelming raw talent on paper. The defense is still widely inconsistent. Their outside shooting remains a cause for concern against teams with aggressive perimeter defenders. Playmaking is still lacking, Their depth is always in a danger zone due to their injury-prone players.
As such, 76ers fans can — and already do — expected Daryl Morey to lead the brain trust up top to put the team in better position to make a deep playoff run. And they can also rest assured that given his pedigree, he can guide the front office to pull off a savvy trade.