The Philadelphia 76ers are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference after the most disappointing start in the NBA. They believed signing Paul George would make them a title contender, but injuries and ineffectiveness have the franchise hoping to make the playoffs. They are 4.5 games back of the sixth seed and 2.5 out of the Play-In Tournament. The Sixers must be better or there will be serious questions about their roster.
Despite winning just five of their first 19 games, Philadelphia has no interest in tanking to keep their top-six protected draft pick. The 76ers believe they can contend, but need more production across the board. Their stars will bounce back. Daryl Morey and the front office should be searching for role players to round things out.
The Sixers signed KJ Martin to use his contract in a trade. He is making $7.9 million this season and his salary for the 2025-26 campaign is non-guaranteed. Moving Martin is not the issue. The NBA’s new rules create a problem for the 76ers in getting a significant upgrade.
76ers have a problem as KJ Martin is key to upgrading their roster
Michael Scotto noted Martin is the most likely Sixer to be moved before the trade deadline. He mentioned Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre as other candidates but noted they are playing crucial roles. Philadelphia needs an upgrade, and trading the son of former All-Star Kenyon Martin is their best chance at finding it.
The 76ers are over the first tax apron, and the new CBA limits them from using a trade exception or taking back more money in a deal. They can aggregate contracts, but Philly would struggle to get over $16 million without further impacting their depth.
Finding a significant upgrade earning less than that salary won’t be easy. Several other teams are limited in what maneuvers they can make, which could mean the Sixers are stuck just trading Martin and draft capital for an upgrade. Finding someone making under $8 million will be even more challenging.
The 76ers are 28th in offensive rating and 26th in net rating after 19 games. Getting Embiid and George healthy will solve some of those woes, but depth is a massive question mark. The Sixers could use another playmaker, wing shooter, and big man. Morey will try to attack those weaknesses, but KJ Martin as the key salary-matcher ties the hands of the team’s architect.
The Philadelphia 76ers face significant uncertainty. Nobody knows when Joel Embiid will return from his latest injury. The Sixers plan on holding out the former MVP and Paul George on one-half of back-to-back sets. Can Philly get into the playoffs healthy? To have any shot at contention, they need an upgrade before the deadline.
KJ Martin likely heads out in the trade and making the right move could play a key part in the story of their season. Judging by their previous results, expect disaster and hope for better. It won’t be easy, but Morey has pulled off longer shots.