Even before the Sixers learned they’d be without the services of Paul George for 25 games, depth on the wing was an issue.
Other than George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Justin Edwards were the only true wing options on standard deals. Nick Nurse has experimented with three-guard and bigger lineups, but having a true wing was a need with this week’s trade deadline looming. George’s absence only makes it a greater need.
Well, Saddiq Bey made a strong case Saturday to be the wing the Sixers should acquire.
The Villanova product dropped 34 points in the New Orleans Pelicans’ 124-114 loss to the Sixers. He added six rebounds and three assists while looking like the Pelicans’ best player for most of the night.
Bey had a productive freshman season for the Wildcats, but really took off for Jay Wright and company as a sophomore, receiving the Julius Erving Award given to the nation’s best small forward. Bey, now 26, was selected 19th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. He struggled with efficiency early on in his pro career, shooting below 40% from the field in his first two seasons. Playing for a then-tanking Pistons team didn’t help.
After a midseason trade to Atlanta in 2022-23, Bey finished the campaign strong, averaging 11.6 points and shooting over 40% from three in a mostly reserve role with the Hawks. He struggled with efficiency again in 2023-24 before tearing his ACL late in the season, causing him to miss all of 2024-25.
Despite the injury, Bey signed a three-year deal with the Washington Wizards. Before playing a single game with the Wizards, he was traded to the Pelicans in the Jordan Poole deal. Though the Maryland native was surely disappointed to not suit up in D.C., the Sixers can now offer him another homecoming of sorts.
So, how can he help the Sixers?
Bey is listed at 6-foot-8 (with a near 7-foot wingspan) and 215 pounds. He has a strong and sturdy frame, and has the ability to play both the three and the four. The best thing about Bey is he can do a little bit of everything. He can start or come off the bench.
His shooting has been inconsistent at the NBA level, but he also hasn’t been in many good offensive ecosystems. This season, he’s hit 34.8% from deep on 5.2 attempts per game. In his last 10 games since coming back from an injury, he’s hitting 44.4% from three. He’s averaging 16.5 points in 30.2 minutes per game, with the ability to create his own shot, as he displayed against the Sixers. He can make things happen with the ball in his hands while also having success as an off-ball cutter. He typically makes good decisions, averaging 2.4 assists to 0.7 turnovers per game.
While he isn’t a lockdown defender by any means, he can be solid within a team structure. He’s also a strong rebounder off the wing, averaging 5.9 per game. His athleticism would also be a big help, as we’ve seen with the youth movement the Sixers have gone to this season.
His current head coach James Borrego gave a glowing endorsement ahead of Saturday’s game:
“He’s just a pro on both sides of the ball. The physicality defensively — we’re bigger, stronger, we’ve got more presence defensively. But offensively, he’s so versatile for us right now. He’s a catch-and-shoot guy, he’s a drive guy downhill, we post him some, he’s on the offensive boards, he’s closed out games for us, he’s made big shots for us. So, he covers a number of things for us offensively … He’s been a real settler for us offensively. When we’ve gone dry offensively, he’s someone we throw the ball to and we know something good is going to happen — either get a good shot [for himself] or find somebody open on the perimeter.”
What would it cost?
It’s hard to say. Matching his 2025-26 salary ($6.1 million) would be the easy part.
He’s signed through next season at a very reasonable number. Combine that with his production and you’re talking about more than just a couple of second-rounders. It could cost the Sixers a first — obviously, not the LA Clippers’ unprotected 2028 first, but one of the team’s own. New Orleans could potentially ask for someone like Jared McCain, though it’s fair to wonder if McCain is a fit with rookie Jeremiah Fears moving forward.
Bey would be an intriguing addition, the kind Joel Embiid seemed to hope the team would make. We’ll see what Daryl Morey and company have in store soon enough.