NBA Rumors: The Philadelphia 76ers would rather keep their depth over targeting a non-superstar difference-maker.
The Philadelphia 76ers have gotten off to a better-than-expected start to the season. Without James Harden, the belief was that the Sixers were going to take a step back in the Eastern Conference. However, that hasn’t been the case. In fact, the Sixers have arguably been a better team this season.
Part of that is the continued development of Tyrese Maxey and part of it has been improved depth. The question is, how badly do the Sixers want to add another star-level talent to their roster? Because it appears one is about to hit the market. Over the next few weeks, there’s a growing chance that Zach LaVine will hit the trade block.
Naturally, if LaVine were to hit the open market, the Sixers would be a plausible landing spot. They have the assets to meet the Bulls’ trade demands (especially after the Harden deal) and he would theoretically be a good fit next to Maxey and Embiid.
However, according to NBC Sports Philly reporter John Clark, that may not be the case. Per Clark, there’s a belief that the Sixers are happy with how their team is performing at the moment and would rather keep their depth than somewhat gut their team for LaVine or DeMar DeRozan.
Bulls 2 time All Star Zach LaVine could be available in a trade according to @ShamsCharania. It’s my understanding the Sixers will look into this but I’m told they are happy with the way the team is playing right now and would probably lean towards waiting until the trade… pic.twitter.com/scQ8JboAyN
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) November 14, 2023
Do the Philadelphia 76ers need to make a big splash before the NBA Trade Deadline?
The big question is whether or not that would end up being the right move for the Sixers. It’s a genuine question. The Sixers have surely gotten off to a good start but can they keep this momentum not only throughout the rest of the regular season but also into the playoffs? It’s too early to tell.
As good as the Sixers have been, they’ve still only played 10 games. I’m not sure there are any legit conclusions you can get from just 10 games. On paper, the answer is yes. They need to make another move. On paper, it’s hard to envision the Sixers being able to keep pace with the star-studded Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics.
I think it’s fair to question whether LaVine or DeRozan would even be on the Sixers’ radar. While both are good players, I wouldn’t say either easy the clear answer to being the final championship piece for Philadelphia.
And perhaps that has more to do with the Sixers’ reported hesitation at the moment. Either way, it’s something to keep an eye on heading into the NBA Trade Deadline.