The Philadelphia 76ers, brandishing perhaps their most bleak lineup this season, expectedly registered a loss in the hands of the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder at home, causing them to lose their third consecutive game, the sixth in their last eight outings.
Philly now finds itself lounging outside the couch of the postseason picture. Standing at eight games below .500, there must be an increasing sense of panic for the ball club even if the second half of the season is yet to uncurtain itself. But if there is anything clear, it’s that the front office has no more reason to dilly-dally about making a move or not. It has become pretty apparent that this team needs a change or two in order to help their playoff push.
At the moment, the 76ers have been an unpredictable bunch with regard to their strategy as they approach the trade deadline. So far, they have not been linked to any of the big shots in the market, although the league-wide consensus has them positioned to be a major operator in the player movement esplanade ending a month from now.
The 76ers should seriously consider pivoting from one of their forwards after Justin Edward’s emergence
While the 76ers should have no more latitude to take in moral victories, their loss to OKC should not be met with sole derision. After all, their slew of players competed relatively well against the best team in the West.
The biggest silver lining was Justin Edwards, who exploded for 25 markers, six boards, and four assists on 9-16 shooting from the field, draining four of his nine three-point tries. The 21-year-old kept the Thunder fully engaged, as he repeatedly took advantage of OKC sagging off of him.
Call this a reactionary take, but this could very well be a signal that Philly can, in fact, be even more aggressive in trades. They currently have three forwards who should be available for taking, although all of them also present solid cases to stay with the team.
However, despite the improvement of Kelly Oubre Jr. and Caleb Martin, as well as the emergence of KJ Martin (before he got injured), the 76ers have remained underwhelming. On the other end of the spectrum, trading one of two of those players can definitely fetch the team a higher-end role player who can elevate the team’s floor higher.
Should his solid showings continue, Justin Edwards would give the Philadelphia 76ers front office some much-needed peace of mind in putting their forwards up for grabs, allowing them to have a wider range of trade targets given their snugly fitting contracts.