The NBA trade season unofficially began yesterday, allowing teams to venture into the market for most players who recently signed new deals last offseason. The Philadelphia 76ers are no exception, and are widely expected to be churning the rumor mill before the deadline.
Most eyes have been zeroing in on whom the 76ers can make a run for, but which players on their own roster are now eligible to be traded and make a deal work?
Trade season beings: Which 76ers are now eligible to be traded this season?
Patrick Beverley and Mo Bamba, two of Philadelphia’s new acquisitions last summer, are now eligible to be traded. Both players have played reserve roles so far, but the former has been a staple on the rotation while the latter has largely been on garbage time duty.
The rumor mill is currently mum on Beverley, which is far from expected given his cheap, short-term contract and his consistent play as a backup guard and one of the team’s anchors on defense, which is starting to turn a corner lately. On the flip side, not many teams project to aggressively pursue him either.
On the other hand, the Bamba signing has been unremarkable so far. The 25-year-old big man has seen sporadic minutes with Paul Reed ahead of him in the rotation, currently registering a career-low 6.4 minutes per outing. Unfortunately for him, he’s one of the easier cuts on the roster if they need to clear a roster space.
In case you’re wondering, Kelly Oubre Jr. is still ineligible to be traded. Ditto for Paul Reed, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, and Marcus Morris Sr., whose trade restrictions extend beyond this week.
For now, the Philadelphia 76ers will likely remain on wait-and-see mode before striking at the right time when the right deal if available to them.