Perhaps I have just been stuck in a negative feedback loop when it comes to this franchise for the last half-dozen years, but I am bracing myself for a rather unspectacular NBA trade deadline for the Sixers. I can’t foresee a scenario where the Sixers part with beloved rookie VJ Edgecombe for superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, nor one where an Edgecombe-less package is enough to nab the two-time NBA MVP.
It goes beyond the Antetokounmpo of it all though, even as the Bucks’ franchise player remains the biggest domino to fall before the deadline.
Will the Sixers duck the tax in the hopes of saving the ownership group some dough? Joel Embiid called out the organization over it recently, a rarity for the star big man. The Paul George anti-drug policy suspension likely makes it easier for the team to do so, but the absence of George for 25 games creates a hole in this Sixers lineup that _should_ be addressed if the team has true championship aspirations and wants to climb the Eastern Conference standings. They’re just 2.5 games back of the No. 2 seed entering Tuesday’s evening action. That should scream trade-a-palooza, right? For a fan base that’s seen those big swings like Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and James Harden mid-season in the past, I just have a gut feeling that come Thursday, this team is mostly the same.
I’m sure they’ll do _something_, minor moves that allow the team to convert key contributors Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to standard contracts, but something earth-shattering that upheaves the playoff picture looks out of the cards a bit.
The Sixers remain stuck between worlds. Embiid is the most-win now player in the league. Who knows how much healthy basketball he has left, but for the time being, he looks as good as ever. He averaged 30-8-5 in January. For all we know, this could be the last ride for Embiid. He certainly wasn’t in this form the previous few springs, if playing at all. Tyrese Maxey is in his prime now as a lighting-quick scorer, but it’s hard to calculate how anyone’s prime, let alone that of an undersized, speedy guard, will last. He’s the present and the future currently. Edgecombe, who the Sixers should be wary of parting with this early in his career, is already good, albeit not someone who can be a dominant playoff player at this point. That’s natural for a 20-year-old, but hard when the team doesn’t know what it’ll be getting from Embiid a year down the line. They’re competitive to a degree now, but also holding their chips for later.
I hope the team does something fun. Doesn’t everyone? The vibes are good and the fan base is energized. As long as they’re not dealing Edgecombe, go wild. This is what Daryl Morey was brought here to do, to be creative in the trade market, not simply to acquire former Rockets, as he’s done. Again, maybe I am just in a protective mode with this team where I don’t want to get my hopes up for anything, but I imagine this team’s going to look pretty similar come the weekend.
If that’s the case, I think it’ll be OK. The Sixers are “fun enough.” I’d like more than that, certainly, but after previous misses on stars and the desire not to move Edgecombe at this point, Sixers fans have roughly 48 hours to learn to be content with what they’re seeing.
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