76ers Add Perfect Complement to Tyrese Maxey in Projected Trade Deadline Move
The Sixers could look to make an addition at the trade deadline as they try to get past the second round of the NBA playoffs.
By Jovan Alford
The NBA trade deadline is still a month away, but it won’t stop contending teams from calling around the league to see who may become available.
One team that will likely be looking to make a move is the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers are in third place in the NBA’s Eastern Conference after trading James Harden earlier this season to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package of role players and draft picks that they could use in another deal if they choose so.
However, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey will not be in a rush to make any deal, as the Sixers have played well under Nick Nurse and have an abundance of depth and potential cap space in the offseason to make a splash.
Sixers Rumors: Philly to Add Dejounte Murray?
Murray-76ers
That being said, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley put together an NBA trade block big board and has Philadelphia acquiring Atlanta Hawks point guard Dejounte Murray. In exchange for Murray, the Sixers would send Robert Covington, Jaden Springer, Danuel House Jr., and two first-round picks.
It would not be a bad move for the Sixers on paper, as they could move De’Anthony Melton to the bench and pair him with Patrick Beverley, giving them more perimeter defense at the guard spots.
At the same time, Murray would give Philly another 20-point scorer and facilitator who can also play off the ball like Maxey. Murray has also shot the ball better from beyond the arc this season (38.3%), which helps with floor spacing. The Sixers would also have a ton of offense on the floor between him, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and Kelly Oubre Jr.
The veteran point guard is only making $17M this season. But after that, his AAV will be $28.5M due to a four-year, $114.7 million contract extension he signed this past summer.
With the Sixers having a lot of expiring contracts coming off the books this offseason, they could make it work financially, even though they have to give Maxey a contract extension for his play this season.
Murray hasn’t been on many Sixers fans’ radar, but he could help them get past the second round of the NBA playoffs, which has been the team’s kryptonite for years. Currently, the Sixers have the third-best odds (+500 on FanDuel Sportsbook) to win the East behind the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics.
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