NBA Trade Rumors: Predicting 11 low-profile trade deadline targets that would make sense for the Philadelphia 76ers.
More than halfway through the 2023-24 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers have successfully separated themselves as the third-best team in the Eastern Conference standings. There's an argument to be made that the New York Knicks have done enough to enter that second tier in the East alongside the Sixers, but that's another conversation for another day.
Nevertheless, it's safe to say that as a second-tier team in the East, the Sixers could be considered to be one trade deadline move away from entering the contention conversation. But with the likelihood of the Sixers pulling off a big move at the deadline slim to none, you can't help but wonder if there's a lower-profiled player that they should target. In this article, we'll predict 11 underrated deadline targets that would make sense for the Sixers.
For this exercise, we're going to focus on the Sixers addressing their need for depth in the backcourt. Let's get to our list of 11 low-profile guards the Sixers may want to explore heading into the NBA Trade Deadline.
11. T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers
If the Sixers are looking to add guard depth ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, T.J. McConnell has to be a player who is considered. On a loaded team, you can't help but wonder if the Indiana Pacers would explore trading McConnell ahead of the deadline. If they don't end up moving Buddy Hield, McConnell is a player that could likely be had for the right price.
10. Bones Hyland, LA Clippers
When it comes to upgrading their guard depth, I'd have to imagine that the Philadelphia 76ers will be exploring many paths toward doing so. Looking at a player that has been proven to be an offensive spark such as LA Clippers reserve guard Bones Hyland could be of interest to the team. Especially considering Hyland is still on an extremely cheap contract (due $4 million next season).
Hyland has been out of the Clippers rotation for much of the season since the acquisition of James Harden and is very much a player that could be moved ahead of the trade deadline. If the Sixers are looking for more of a player who can offer some offensive juice off the bench, Hyland could be a fit for the team.
Hyland is only averaging six points per game on 37 percent shooting from the field this season but did average 12 points per game on 38 percent shooting from 3-point range before being traded to Los Angeles by the Denver Nuggets at last year's NBA Trade Deadline. The offensive talent for Hyland is very much there. If that's what the Sixers are looking for, Hyland could make sense.
9. Davion Mitchell, Sacramento Kings
If the Philadelphia 76ers are looking for somewhat of the polar opposite of Bones Hyland in a trade at the deadline, Davion Mitchell could be a fit for what they may be searching for. Mitchell is a player that the Sacramento Kings could be looking to trade at the deadline and perhaps the Sixers could take the bait. A defensive specialist, Mitchell is a low-risk, high-reward prospect who could blossom as a member of the Sixers.
It's not just his defensive prowess that would make sense for the team, but it's also his long-term potential that should intrigue Philadelphia. For all his early-career struggles, Mitchell is still just 25 years old. In the right situation, it's not outlandish to believe that he still can't improve at this stage of his career.
In fact, I'd argue that it'd be foolish to not think that he still can't improve. Then again, I'm not sure how willing the Sixers would be to target a "project" at the NBA Trade Deadline with the hopes of him quickly emerging as a potential final piece. This possibility ultimately comes down to how patient the Sixers want to be.
8. Monte Morris, Detroit Pistons
If the Philadelphia 76ers are looking for more of an all-around plug-in guard, Detroit Pistons guard Monte Morris should be on their radar heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. He may not be a big name but is certainly a player who could shore up the team's backcourt depth heading into the stretch run.
After missing the first half of the season due to injuries, Morris finally made his season debut for the Detroit Pistons. In the three games he's played in for the Pistons, Morris is averaging six points on 40 percent shooting from 3-point range. Heading into the trade deadline, considering Morris is in the final year of his contract, it'd be shocking if he wasn't a player who was shopped.
For a contender like the Sixers, Morris would make a ton of sense. He may not be a big guard but he's shown the ability to be a contributor on both ends of the floor. Last season with the Washington Wizards, in which he started 61 games, Morris averaged 10 points, five assists, and three assists on 38 percent shooting from 3-point range.
7. Collin Sexton, Utah Jazz
With how the NBA trade market is developing, you can't help but wonder if the Philadelphia 76ers would be open to considering Collin Sexton. As a player who has not been able to find a comfort level with the Utah Jazz, could the Sixers take a gamble on long-term upside with Sexton? He's still just 25 years old and at this point, you'd have to assume that he still has that All-Star potential still in him. Finding the right situation for him could go a long way in untapping that potential.
Sexton is having an underrated season with Utah, averaging 17 points and four assists on 48 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range. The only question for the Sixers is whether they're willing to meet the asking price from Utah and whether Sexton would be a worthy fit next to Tyrese Maxey.
In theory, Sexton and Maxey would be an intriguing backcourt next to Joel Embiid in Philly. If the Sixers believe it could work, perhaps they'd be willing to pull off such a move at the trade deadline.
6. Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors
As one of the highest "low-profile" trade candidates on this list, Chris Paul has to be considered as a potential option for the Philadelphia 76ers if he's indeed being shopped by the Golden State Warriors. If the Sixers wanted, they could match up Tobias Harris' contract with Paul's to get close to a 1-for-1 deal. Maybe the Sixers would be a little more open to it if Golden State threw in a sweetener in the deal. Would the Warriors do that? Who knows, but it's an intriuging thought either way.
From a playmaking standpoint, there's reason to believe that Paul could be a good fit for the Sixers. Because of his limitations on the defensive end at this point in his career, he may not be considered to be a seamless fit next to Tyrese Maxey but, in theory, it's a pairing that could work. Even if Paul comes off the bench in more of a situational role.
Paul still has one more year remaining on his contract after this season, which could complicate things even if it isn't fully guaranteed. I'm not sure if this is a path the Sixers are willing to go down heading into the deadline, but you can't act as if Paul would add some intrigue for this team down the stretch.
5. Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
For any team looking for help in the backcourt, as the Philadelphia 76ers likely are, Spencer Dinwiddie has to be a name on their radar leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline. As a player in the final year of his contract, Dinwiddie is considered to be a natural trade candidate. For a team like the Sixers, they have to at least explore the possibility of weighing to cost to add Dinwiddie ahead of the deadline.
Dinwiddie isn't having a banner year for the Nets but has proven he's a capable playmaker over the course of his career. He's averaging six assists per game so far this season; he also averaged nine assists per game in the 26 regular-season games he played with the Nets after he was acquired at last year's trade deadline from the Dallas Mavericks. That suggests that Dinwiddie has the capability to be a really good pass-first guard if needed.
The question is, does the Sixers believe he would be a good fit for what they would be looking for in the backcourt next to Tyrese Maxey? At the very least, Dinwiddie has to be on the shortlist of players to potential targets at the deadline.
4. Dennis Schroder, Toronto Raptors
After the Toronto Raptors traded away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, it makes little sense to not continue to retool their roster. A little more than a week before the NBA Trade Deadline, a player like Dennis Schroder, who has one year remaining on his contract after this season, has to be considered a potential candidate to be moved. If the Raptors are truly embracing the youth movement, it's probably in the best interest of the team to move on from Schroder and give the entire keys of the backcourt to Immanuel Quickley.
If Schroder is on the trade block heading into the deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers are certainly a team that should be open to that possibility. Depending on the asking price, Schroder could be an intriguing candidate who could bring some scoring punch to the Sixers' bench unit.
Schroder may not be a premier starting guard in the league anymore but he certainly brings some game-changing abilities as a bench player. If the Sixers could solidify their bench with Schroder, they should feel increasingly comfortable with their guard rotation heading into the postseason.
3. Tyus Jones, Washington Wizards
Depending on what exactly the Philadelphia 76ers would be looking for in a trade target ahead of the deadline, it's hard to craft what type of guard they could be seeking. However, especially with how he has played so far this season, it would be a crime if Tyus Jones wasn't on their radar heading into the trade deadline.
In his first full year as a starter, Jones has impressed for the Washington Wizards. He's certainly a player that should be on the Sixers' radar if they're looking to bolster their backcourt. However, there are real concerns about this sort of addition. For one, can Jones and Tyrese Maxey play on the floor together? Even though Jones is having a career year in terms of playmaking, he's far from a natural point guard. And with his struggles on the defensive end, he may not be a great fit next to Maxey.
He could work as a bench option but I wouldn't feel comfortable making a move for Jones and then giving him a huge role as a starter if I'm the Sixers. That's where this possibility could all fall apart for Philadelphia.
2. Kyle Lowry, Charlotte Hornets
If the Philadelphia 76ers are looking for a pure playmaker, there may not be a better option (Chris Paul aside) than Kyle Lowry. However, there are some real concerns about the Sixers making a possible mover for Lowry. For one, he's battled through injuries each of the last few seasons. Plus, he's far from the prime of his career. Even if the Sixers are able to make a move for Lowry, it's hard to imagine how much he has left in the tank.
He's had flashes over the last couple of seasons as a member of the Miami Heat, but there's a reason why he was traded by the team. He's become too inconsistent at this point in his career to be an everyday starter. If Lowry is willing to come off the bench for the Sixers, he would make a ton of sense for Philadelphia.
The Sixers would have to get creative to send out enough money to make a deal work, but Daryl Morey is one of the best general managers in the game. I'd have to imagine that Lowry is a much more realistic buyout option for the Sixers than a trade option, but we've seen stranger things in the league before.
1. Malcolm Brogdon, Portland Trail Blazers
In a vacuum, if the Philadelphia 76ers could add one of these "low-profile" trade targets at the deadline, I'd have Malcolm Brogdon ranked No. 1. For what the Sixers could be looking for, he could be the ideal fit. Brogdon isn't a player that needs to be a high-usage player and is an underrated playmaker at this point in his career. Even though Brogdon isn't the scorer he was at his prime, he's still an efficient player on that end of the floor.
In the right system, he's also a player who isn't considered a negative defensive player. He may not be a prime difference-maker on that end of the floor, but he isn't also going to get run off the floor in a playoff series. What the Sixers would have to love most about Brogdon is the fact that he can play whatever role the team asks of him. At this point in his career, he likely wouldn't have an issue starting or coming off the bench.
Brogdon is the perfect professional who would be willing to do whatever is asked of him and wouldn't need to take reps or shot attempts away from Tyrese Maxey or Joel Embiid to be effective in the lineup.