With the trade deadline just around the corner, the Philadelphia 76ers can no longer rest on their laurels and keep their sheer inactivity on the loose. The clock is already ticking, and so far they have not been able to capitalize on the amount of tradeable players they have in house in hopes of dangling them for assets amid a losing season.
The front office should not have any shortage of options on who to ship elsewhere. The 76ers have seen most of their players decline this season, and adding that to the many roster issues they have, the team should have a pretty easy decision to make when it comes to the majority of those players.
Case in point? Eric Gordon. The 76ers signed the longtime veteran to a one-year, minimum deal over the summer to space the floor for the team’s three stars after a relatively productive season for Phoenix, but his age has badly shown itself this time around which should make him an easy flip for the front office.
The 76ers should trade Eric Gordon for this obvious reason
The 17-year veteran started the season off really slow, seemingly completely losing his touch from beyond the arc. But since getting reinstated into the rotation, he has shot the ball well, draining a staggering 49.2 percent of his three-pointers since the calendar flipped to 2025.
So what gives? Why should the 76ers dangle away a player who is currently on a hot streak? Well, despite Gordon’s uptick in production, the team has a marginal need for him, especially when he has this tendency to go on long, cold shooting slumps.
Gordon is at this point in his career where he is nothing more than a one-trick pony. He can no longer break defenses as a closeout exploiter, and his speed has greatly waned. He has become an utmost liability on defense, and the 76ers cano no longer afford to give him ample minutes at the expense of younger players who offer more upside.
Despite all these, Philly is still likely to get some calls the moment they actively make Gordon available for taking. Teams in playoff position would welcome the opportunity to add an efficient floor spacer, especially if they have the personnel to conceal his weaknesses on defense.
The best strategy for the Philadelphia 76ers before the trade deadline is to focus on the longer term. That way, they can still salvage this season even if they do not make the postseason.