For the time being, the Philadelphia 76ers aren’t expected to make any notable moves. Despite having an extra roster spot open, the Sixers don’t have financial room to sign anybody unless they cut ties with another player. In December, the situation will be different.
By then, the Sixers will have a better idea of what they need and could manage to financially bring on another player in the buyout market to fill that final roster spot. A trade or two could get done as well.
Considering the Sixers just had a blockbuster summer, acquiring Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to add to the starting lineup, you can bet that Philly probably won’t make any trade deadline splashes this year. Looking at realistic trade targets from each team well before this season’s deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a low-risk center on board who could make sense later on down the line.
[Previous target: Chicago Bulls]
The Cavaliers could help the 76ers’ frontcourt
The contending Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t going to be blowing it up this season, but they have a handful of trade candidates still after moving Dennis Schroder last week. If the Sixers get on the phone with Mike Gansey’s old team, the President of Basketball Operations won’t be looking to wheel and deal for a major deal. A low-risk, affordable big man like Thomas Bryant could do the trick.
Looking at the state of the center position for the Sixers, it has the potential to be a disaster. While that might seem a bit dramatic to say in August, it’s not exactly far-fetched.
Joel Embiid remains a dominant presence on the court, but he hasn’t given the 76ers 40 appearances in three seasons now. The Sixers need a backup to be able to start frequently—and they need a legitimately productive backup for an eventual playoff run.
Currently, the Sixers have a homegrown prospect in Adem Bona, and a New York Knicks castoff in Ariel Hukporti. Bona, 23, is heading into year three. The veteran has posted averages of 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game over the past two seasons (129 games). There is potential in Bona, but he needs to take a notable step forward in 2026-2027.
As for Hukporti, he entered the league at the same time as Bona. Over 79 games, Hukporti averaged 2.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game. He averaged just 7.6 minutes in 10 games during the Knicks’ playoff run.
In Bryant, the Sixers could get a seasoned veteran with notable starting experience. Since 2017, Bryant has played in nearly 400 games. He has 147 starts under his belt. He was also a part of four playoff runs, including being around for the Denver Nuggets’ 2023 championship run. Although he didn’t have much of a role then, Bryant was at least around to experience it.
Throughout his career, Bryant has averaged 8.5 points (57.3% from the field, 34.8% from three), 4.9 rebounds per game, and nearly 1.0 blocks per game. His latest run with the Cavs included averages of 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds, while shooting 50.6% from the field and 35.9% from three. He also had a 41-game run on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-2023 when LeBron James was there. Bryant produced 12.1 points per game, while coming down with 6.8 rebounds per game.
When it comes to tradeable contracts, the Sixers don’t have much to work with. Fortunately, with Bryant’s expiring $2.4 million deal, it wouldn’t take much. If a young prospect like Justin Edwards or Jabari Walker would interest the Cavs, those are contracts the Sixers could use to match individually.
So far, the Sixers haven’t been linked to any frontcourt trade targets, but Bryant is a player to keep an eye on as the season plays out, and the Sixers’ roster shows its weak spots.
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