NBA Trade Rumors: 76ers Unlikely to Pursue 'Significant' Changes Until February
The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly content to wait before making any major additions to their roster.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the expectation within the NBA is that the Sixers will wait until closer to the Feb. 8 trade deadline to make "significant" roster changes.
The 76ers already made one big move this season by trading guard James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers in October, and the move has seemingly paid dividends, as Philly is tied for third place in the Eastern Conference at 16-7.
With Harden clearly unhappy and wanting to play elsewhere after sitting out essentially all of training camp and the preseason, the Sixers dealt him, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to the Clippers for Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr., a first-round pick, two second-round picks and a pick swap.
While none of the players acquired in the trade have made a sizable impact, parting ways with Harden has allowed Tyrese Maxey to flourish.
As the unquestioned leader of the backcourt, the 23-year-old guard is averaging a career-high 26.1 points, 6.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 three-pointers made per game.
The Sixers are also led by the reigning NBA MVP in center Joel Embiid, who is enjoying another MVP-caliber campaign with a league-leading 33.8 points per game, plus 11.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals.
Forward Tobias Harris has been solid in a tertiary role behind Embiid and Maxey with 17.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, but the 76ers could still look to add another star to the mix if the circumstances present themselves.
Fischer noted that the Sixers and Los Angeles Lakers have both been heavily linked to Chicago Bulls two-time All-Star wing Zach LaVine.
The 28-year-old LaVine has missed the past seven games with a foot injury, and his numbers are down this season to the tune of 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
He is also shooting a career-worst 33.6 percent from three-point range and has his worst field goal percentage since 2017-18 at 44.3 percent.
The Bulls also signed LaVine to a five-year, $215.16 million contract extension last year, so trading for him would mean taking on a significant financial burden.
Whether the Sixers intend to trade for LaVine or perhaps another star who is made available, they should have the pieces needed to make a deal happen.
Philly has extra picks acquired in the Harden trade, and it can make the salaries work by including some or all of Morris, Batum and Covington.
A major trade could set the Sixers apart in the Eastern Conference and make them the odds-on championship favorites, but until then, they still figure to be in the mix with the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks atop the East.
