The Controversial Trades
Danuel House Jr. was traded along with a second-round pick for a second-round pick that will probably not convey. Why did they do this? It is for the financials. Finances should never trump winning a championship, but with the uncertainty around Embiid and the stricter collective bargaining agreement, this made a lot of sense. The Sixers were able to avoid the luxury tax and reset the clock on the heavily penalizing repeater tax. If the Sixers are ever going to win a championship with Joel Embiid. It is crucial that they can go all-in in the next few years and this trade allows for that. Danuel House Jr. was never going to provide meaningful contributions in the playoffs for this team and it freed up a roster spot for the buyout market.
Trading Patrick Beverley to the Milwaukee Bucks for Cameron Payne and a second-round pick shocked everyone. After signing for a minimum contract, Patrick Beverley developed into a fan-favorite and surprisingly was a vocal leader of this team that was in some ways, the heart and soul of this team as he represented the entire city of Philadelphia every day on and off the court. He was extremely entertaining to watch and gave hilarious quotes, but fans need to be honest with themselves: he is mediocre at best.
Patrick Beverley cannot score, cannot shoot, and is nowhere near the defender he used to be. The fact they got a second-round pick for him is nothing short of a miracle. Daryl Morey took emotion out of the equation and made the right call. Especially after dishing out second-rounders in the Hield deal, it is necessary to replenish for future trades and this was a hard deal to say no to.
Though Beverley was an absolute joy to watch, Cameron Payne may very well be a better player and is a better fit for a team desperate for shot creation and shooting. Payne is younger, provides high-volume shooting, and is only a few years removed from being an instrumental piece for a team that made the championship going back to his time with the Suns. He is an underrated trade piece who is a much better fit. Even if it does not work out for Payne, it appears likely that the Sixers will pursue Kyle Lowry as a buyout, who would’ve rendered Beverley obsolete anyway.