January 12, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has several paths to improving the team's roster in the next few weeks.
The NBA's Feb. 8 trade deadline is now fewer than four weeks away, and Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has work to do. This Sixers team is clearly quite good, but it is just as apparent that they are not good enough to contend for a championship without reinforcements.
Of course, a team must have a strong grasp of how players around the league look as they seek potential additions. But before that, a front office must evaluate what currently exists in front of them and identify what it needs to be accentuated and optimized.
So, what are the Sixers' four biggest needs?
The Sixers are just 24th in the NBA in three-point attempts per 100 possessions as a team so far this season. While that is in part because they play through a low-post hub in Joel Embiid who does the vast majority of his work inside the arc, it is still something that can — and should — be improved. The team is about average — 16th in the NBA — in team three-point percentage.
This is where a player like Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Atlanta Hawks or Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers could make a huge difference. Bogdanovic is accurate from beyond the arc, but perhaps more importantly, he is ready, willing and able to launch at any time. Adding someone who is a true sniper from beyond the arc — ideally one who can shoot not just on spot-up attempts, but also on the move — could add another dimension to Sixers head coach Nick Nurse's offense.
Paul Reed has had an up-and-down season, with some good moments but also many puzzling performances. Mo Bamba has failed to crack the rotation aside from receiving occasional spot minutes when Embiid is sidelined. Marcus Morris Sr. has been better than expected when playing the five, but is far from an ideal option there, particularly in a playoff setting where his defensive weaknesses could be exposed to an even greater degree.
Reed remains a viable backup center, but it would be hard to blame the Sixers if they sought out a more stable option who can be relied upon for satisfactory minutes on a more consistent basis. Bringing back a former Sixer in Andre Drummond could be an option here. The best big-man option out there for the Sixers may be Kelly Olynyk, because not only is he a useful backup center, but he could also log minutes at power forward next to Embiid or Reed. Finding someone who can play at the four or the five would allow the Sixers to bolster their rotation, introduce some stability and prevent Reed from being blocked out of the rotation.
When the Sixers dealt James Harden, PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev in exchange for four wing-sized players, it felt as if they may have had an abundance of viable wings. But Morris could be on the move because of his large expiring contract, and he still is likely a regular season rotation player at best. Meanwhile, KJ Martin has failed to crack the rotation and could also be dealt as a sweetener who entices a younger, rebuilding team. Nic Batum has entrenched himself as a starter despite multiple lengthy absences, while Robert Covington has been in and out of Nurse's rotation for various reasons.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is their only reliable bench wing right now. Covington should see some action when he returns from injury, but there are no guarantees with him. Meanwhile, Danuel House Jr. has failed to establish himself as a consistent bench wing despite receiving several opportunities, and Furkan Korkmaz simply is not good enough. There are loads of wings out there who could help the Sixers as a more reliable, consistent option. Even if said player only logs a modest amount of minutes in the playoffs, any sort of upgrade can be meaningful.
Tyrese Maxey leads the NBA in minutes per game entering Friday night's contest against the Sacramento Kings, and his incredible season has been appropriately lauded. But what happens when Maxey is on the bench or unavailable is ominous. The Sixers, even armed with the presumptive three-time reigning scoring champion in Embiid, desperately need ball-handling and perimeter shot creation to add to what Maxey provides. They are simply way too reliable on one player — let alone a fourth-year, 23 year-old guard — to outlast teams like the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks who have so many paths to scoring in bunches.
This is where the Sixers can meaningfully upgrade their rotation, at least for the remainder of the regular season. Tyus Jones is an ideal target, as is someone like Monte Morris. The Sixers do not need to reinvent the wheel here, they just need another player who can dribble, shoot and pass. As simple as that sounds, Maxey is their only guard who fits the description right now.
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