The Philadelphia 76ers were relatively quiet at the deadline–the opposite of what Joel Embiid wanted–but President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey explained his decisions after the deadline. It was an explanation that many did not want to hear, but Morey did reveal his line of thinking.

Overall, the Sixers performed two trades at the deadline. They moved promising second-year man Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 first-round pick via the Houston Rockets and three second-round picks. They also sent Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies for a 2032 second-round pick swap.

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Now’s the time to trade each move:

McCain to the ThunderJan 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) drives to the net past Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Jan 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) drives to the net past Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

This one was a head-scratcher when it was announced. It was even more confusing when Morey explained his reasoning. The Sixers acquired some much-needed draft capital–including a first-rounder in a draft that is expected to be deep–but Morey wanted to flip those picks at the deadline to acquire a player who can help right now. With no secondary move lined up after the McCain trade, one has to wonder why Morey didn’t just wait until the summer to make such a move.

To that thought process, Morey stated:

I appreciate that perspective. I’m quite confident we were selling high. Obviously, time will tell. We weren’t looking to sell. I’ll be frank. Teams came to us with aggressive offers for him. You could say, ‘Yeah, that’s because he’s a good player.’ I agree with that. We thought this return was above, for the future value of our franchise, what we could get. The only higher point would’ve been during his run last season. Otherwise, we feel like we did time this well.

McCain is coming off a serious knee injury as a meniscus tear in his left knee ended his rookie season after just 23 games and he then had a torn UCL in his right thumb to begin his second season. He has to battle back from those issues to find his rhythm again, and he had found it. Not counting his final game with the Sixers on Feb. 3 against the Golden State Warriors, he shot 14-for-25 from deep (62.5%) over his final five games in Philadelphia leading to that Warriors matchup. Now, he will join the defending champion Thunder as another piece to their title defense.

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Final grade: D

Gordon to the GrizzliesOct 27, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) drives against Philadelphia 76ers guard Eric Gordon (23) during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Oct 27, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) drives against Philadelphia 76ers guard Eric Gordon (23) during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

This move was expected. Gordon only played six games for the Sixers in 2025-26 as he was more of a mentor for Philadelphia’s younger pieces. In fact, Dominick Barlow gave him a lot of love and respect after the deadline, but this loss isn’t a huge one for the Sixers in the grand scheme of things. The Grizzlies waived Gordon after the deal as the 18-year veteran looks for his next opportunity in the league.

Final grade: B Overall deadline grade: C-minus

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Grading the two moves Daryl Morey, Sixers performed at the deadline