The Philadelphia 76ers were widely expected to be among the most active teams in the trade market, and after a rather long streak of no-activity from the franchise, the front office has finally delivered. Shortly after making a rather important trade involving Caleb Martin, the team followed it up by shipping KJ Martin to the Pistons.
But so far, the 76ers have not done anything but to dump salary. Caleb Martin was swapped for Quentin Grimes, who makes twice less than the money the former makes, while KJ Martin was basically salary-dumped for nothing. Clearly, the front office is doing the necessary prep work for what could be a huge trade brewing behind the scenes.
With Daryl Morey propelling them, it should not shock anyone if the 76ers somehow find a way to dip their fingers into the various sweepstakes for the big names rumored to be available for taking. Heck, they are even in position to potentially snag one of those players and fetch a big win before the trade deadline.
Daryl Morey could be poised for something big for the 76ers behind the scenes
Having said that, it could be more fruitful if the 76ers wait until the offseason to move the needle. After all, more names should become available during the summer when the playoffs are over and some semblances of dysfunction or disconnect start spawning like flies.
A prime example of that is the situation in Milwaukee. The Bucks just traded Khris Middleton, one of the pillars of their franchise for an entire decade, for Kyle Kuzma. The move is certainly a brow-raising one, but it reportedly had the blessing of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was rumored to have been an advocate for Kuzma.
Kuzma, however, is having one of the worst seasons of his career –– and that speaks volumes. His fit with the Bucks looks rough on paper, and he has never been one to play efficient basketball when it matters the most.
Milwaukee has big ambitions as a perennial contender, but if they fail to win the chip this season and go through another early playoff exit, that could prompt the 76ers to come calling for the Greek Freak. Philadelphia has the assets that could entice the Bucks to go nuclear and kickstart a rebuild led by, say, Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain.
Daryl Morey will not hesitate to jump at the chance to snag Antetokounmpo, a yearly MVP candidate who is still in the thick of his prime. Even better, that could be more than enough impetus for the Philadelphia 76ers to launch a massive reboot, one that could also see them parting ways with Joel Embiid to make way for a new alpha.
This is still obviously a pipe dream, but given their recent maneuvers, Morey has certainly put the team in position to be in these discussions should they arise in the near future.