With the calendar turning to Dec. 15, today is the unofficial start of NBA trade season. This is the date that the vast majority of players who signed contracts in free agency over the summer become eligible to be dealt. While this does not guarantee an instant rush of moves, it does open the door for significantly more viable trade frameworks than what is available to teams beforehand.
The Sixers are 7-16, and Joel Embiid's health status is now -- once again -- up in the air, in more ways than one. On top of that, the Sixers' shining star of the season, rookie guard Jared McCain, is headed for knee surgery which will sideline him indefinitely.
It is far too early to make any determinations about what the team's trade deadline strategy should or will be. But with most of the league now eligible to be moved, it is as good of a time as ever to begin scoping out the market of players who could conceivably help the Sixers should they stick to buying.
However, not quite everyone is eligible to be traded just yet. The Sixers cannot trade Embiid this season because of the contract extension he signed in September. Kyle Lowry has the right to veto any trade this season, almost certainly taking him out of any negotiations. Tyrese Maxey and KJ Martin are part of a small group of players who are not yet eligible to be traded. Only on Jan. 15 will they be able to be moved. Maxey, of course, is not going anywhere, but Martin was signed to a contract designed specifically to make him an appealing trade candidate down the line.
Something important to remember before we begin: the Sixers can only absorb as much salary in a trade as they send out. If they trade $5,000,000 worth of salary, for example, they could acquire up to $5,000,000 worth of salary back. One penny above, and the trade would not be legal. So, as a reference, here are the 2024-25 salaries of each Sixer who is currently eligible to be traded:
| Player | 2024-25 salary |
| Paul George | $49,205,800 |
| Caleb Martin | $8,149,001 |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | $7,983,000 |
| Andre Drummond | $5,000,000 |
| Jared McCain | $4,020,360 |
| Eric Gordon | $3,303,771 |
| Reggie Jackson | $2,087,519 |
| Guerschon Yabusele | $2,087,519 |
| Ricky Council IV | $1,891,857 |
| Adem Bona | $1,157,153 |
Trade targets mentioned here will not include players who cannot realistically be acquired without the use of KJ Martin's $7,975,000 salary -- only ones who could be acquired in exchange for the players in the table above.
MORE: Sixers fall to Pacers as Embiid suffers sinus fracture
Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets
Remaining contract: two years, $30.3 million (player option for 2025-26)
2024-25 salary: $14,924,167
It is far from a secret that the Nets are open for business on plenty of veterans. Included in the first draft of this very story was veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, who is reportedly on the verge of being dealt from Brooklyn to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for our old friend De'Anthony Melton -- who is sidelined for the remainder of the season after undergoing ACL surgery -- and draft compensation.
Now, their most likely trade piece is Finney-Smith, the 31-year-old wing with quality two-way skills that make him valuable on any star-laden team. At 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds with nearly a 7-foot wingspan, Finney-Smith is one of the most reliable role players in today's NBA.
Finney-Smith has shot absolutely out of his mind from three-point range so far this season -- crushing previous career-bests with his efficiency (44.8 three-point percentage) and volume (5.6 three-point attempts per game). He has not been an elite three-point shooter in the grand scheme of things, but clearly is a quality spot-up shooter.
And then, he is capable of making defensive stands like this:
Positionally, Finney-Smith can play a full-time role at either forward spot. He profiles as an ideal power forward option for the Sixers, who could maintain defensive versatility while adding some muscle.
Herb Jones, New Orleans Pelicans
Remaining contract: three years, $41.8 million
2024-25 salary: $12,976,362
New Orleans has had a season from hell, with virtually every reliable contributor on its roster missing considerable action due to injuries. Included in that is Jones, their 26-year-old defensive ace. Jones earned NBA First Team All-Defense honors last season, a terrific accomplishment for a third-year player.
Jones entered the NBA as essentially a non-shooter, but has done terrific work to reconfigure his shooting mechanics. The result: a 41.8 three-point percentage last season on modest volume. All Jones needs to do long-term is be viable in a minimal offensive role to allow his world-class defense to do the talking. But could he also have a higher ceiling on offense?
The inclusion of Jones here is purely incited by the droves of Sixers fans who are ready to empty the team's tank of assets to acquire him. Jones is very good, relatively young and on an excellent contract, so the interest makes a ton of sense. But what would not make much sense is the Pelicans actually entertaining the idea of trading Jones. So far, there is no indication that Jones is anything other than untouchable, and even as New Orleans' 2024-25 campaign is on the verge of being a lost season, Jones is perhaps their most stable building block.
MORE: T.J. McConnell talks journey with Sixers: 'I went out and earned what I've gotten'
Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls
Remaining contract: two years, $14.5 million
2024-25 salary: $7,000,000
Even before McCain went down, adding a reliable backup point guard seemed like a possible priority for the Sixers, who were understandably hesitant to ask the 20-year-old to run their offense when Maxey was off the floor. The 38-year-old Kyle Lowry can be used as a situational piece, but does not have enough mobility to serve as a nightly rotation player for much longer, particularly in a playoff setting where he could be especially exploitable. (Of course, he is now forced into that exact role for the time being due to McCain's sudden absence).
Schröder would have made for a strong addition, but the Sixers could find a younger, cheaper option with an additional year under contract in the form of Dosunmu, the soon-to-be 25-year-old point guard who has turned into a solid rotation piece for the Bulls.
Dosunmu, a Chicago native and favorite among Bulls fans, is averaging career-highs in points (12.9), assists (4.6), rebounds (3.7) and minutes (30.0).
So, why would Chicago ever consider moving him? They may not, but at some point, something has to give with the Bulls' guard-heavy roster. The team has continued to fail in its efforts to move veteran scorer Zach LaVine, while Coby White has turned into a building block after finishing as the runner-up to Maxey in Most Improved Player voting last season, and the team is preparing to invest in Josh Giddey.
Given Chicago's personnel, Dosunmu may be more valuable to other teams down the line than he would be to the Bulls, and they would be wise to capitalize on his terrific season. Dosunmu is very good and could give the Sixers quality minutes as a backup point guard while also being able to share the floor with Maxey. With a 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame and a terrific 6-foot-10 wingspan, Dosunmu can also guard well above his size in small-ball lineups if needed.
Malik Beasley, Detroit Pistons
Remaining contract: one year, $6.0 million
2024-25 salary: $6,000,000
The Sixers signed Eric Gordon over the summer with the idea of using one of the league's most accomplished three-point shooters as a pivotal reserve weapon -- particularly around Embiid, who has enabled players of that ilk to find peak form in the past -- and the team was so optimistic about Gordon that he ended up starting on opening night despite Embiid's absence.
So far, Gordon's time in Philadelphia has been disastrous, and he had no rotation prospects until the news of McCain's upcoming surgery, which at least puts Gordon, who turned 36 years old in 10 days, back in the conversation. If the Sixers want a player with an even better track record from beyond the arc in recent years, who is also attainable from a salary perspective, they should call Beasley.
A player who has consistently been underrated by the league, and for the second year in a row is giving a team considerable surplus value after being squeezed in free agency, Beasley is one of the most underrated three-point shooters in recent memory, a strong bet to combine elite three-point volume with strong three-point efficiency year in and year out.
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Beasley is shooting 41.1 percent from three-point range on 7.3 long-range attempts per game. In his first season with the Pistons, Beasley is up to a career-high 8.7 three-point attempts per game despite only starting in seven of his 26 appearances.
On top of having much more athleticism than Gordon, which allows him to be consistently viable, Beasley is a much more versatile shooter than Gordon, capable of making shots on the move after running around screens. He could develop a terrific two-man game with Embiid while allowing Sixers head coach Nick Nurse to open up some unused pages in his offensive playbook that involve movement shooting.
Haywood Highsmith, Miami Heat
Remaining contract: two years, $10.6 million
2024-25 salary: $5,200,000
Nobody seems to have a clue what is going on with the Miami Heat right now, as trade rumors surrounding former Sixer Jimmy Butler continue to escalate, with an end to Butler's time with the Heat seemingly nearing. It is unclear what Miami would be seeking in a return for Butler: would they prefer as much present talent as possible to remain competitive, or a strong collection of young talent and draft compensation to accelerate a rebuild around players like Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro?
If they decide that a rebuild -- or at least a retooling -- is the optimal path, teams will call on Highsmith. A failed Sixers developmental project who caught on years later with Miami and turned into a solid two-way role player on the wing, Highsmith returned to Miami this summer on a modest two-year deal with the promise on an increased role due to the departure of Caleb Martin.
Highsmith turned 28 years old last week and is having a career year, shooting a career-best 42.4 percent from beyond the arc on a career-high 3.1 three-point attempts per game while also averaging more minutes, points, blocks and steals per game than he ever has in a full NBA season. Highsmith is a true high-level defender, thanks to an excellent 6-foot-7, 220-pound frame and 7-foot wingspan:
Selling high on Highsmith would be a prudent choice for Miami should they pull the trigger on a Butler trade, and the Sixers could have interest in a rock-solid wing who can log consistent minutes in either forward position.
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice