The NBA Trade Deadline, for better or worse, is behind us. Out goes Jared McCain and Eric Gordon. In comes draft picks and a bunch of seemingly temporary players.<\/p>\n
Despite what your opinion might be, the Sixers freed up two roster spots and seem to be weighing all options there. But who makes sense? Is there any name out there who isn\u2019t totally washed and can spell a soon-to-be 40-year-old Kyle Lowry some rotation minutes?<\/p>\n
Before diving into names, I want to mention one answer to the Sixers\u2019 now two vacant standard spots that\u2019s already on the roster: Jabari Walker. Walker has been a serviceable rotation player for most of his Sixers tenure, though Daryl Morey seemed coy about actually converting him in his post-trade deadline presser. I\u2019d argue Walker is probably better than most of the names I\u2019m about to get into, and he\u2019s still quite young. He\u2019s limited, but he embraces the dirty work and does the little things this team needs. We\u2019ll see what happens there, but it feels likely the Sixers bring in at least one new addition to bolster the group.<\/p>\n
Now that that\u2019s out of the way, let\u2019s survey the market. Pre-existing names or guys expected to be available in the near future. Can we find someone who fills the gaps and isn\u2019t totally cooked? It won\u2019t be easy, but let\u2019s comb through it.<\/p>\n
Paul is an interesting potential name for the Sixers for several reasons. The future Hall of Famer has put together a tremendous career. Heading into the season, he was supposedly on a farewell tour, with retirement looming at year\u2019s end. That didn\u2019t really materialize.<\/p>\n
Paul and the LA Clippers had a falling out early in the season, resulting in him being essentially banished and sitting in limbo for most of the year. That was until the trade deadline, when he was moved to Toronto and then bought out. Now he\u2019s a free agent, likely looking for one final stretch of NBA basketball.<\/p>\n
Paul has history with Daryl Morey, both good and bad. The Houston Rockets traded for him and paired him with MVP James Harden, producing arguably the best Rockets team of that era. The highs didn\u2019t last long. Harden pushed for Russell Westbrook, Paul was sent out, and that trade marked the beginning of the end for that group.<\/p>\n
Understandably, the relationship between Paul and Morey cooled after that. It\u2019s been years, though, and time heals things. For argument\u2019s sake, let\u2019s say Paul would be open to Philly. Does it make sense?<\/p>\n
I\u2019d lean no. Paul is a small guard whose athletic burst has completely faded. He can\u2019t score around the rim anymore. In his later Phoenix years, even while starting, he nearly abandoned paint scoring altogether because he just couldn\u2019t finish consistently at his age and size.<\/p>\n
But the thing about CP3 is the intangibles. He can still pass, still organize, still play real point guard. He\u2019s the archetype people constantly beg for in the comments. The issue is that this team\u2019s long-term vision clearly revolves around the Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe backcourt. They want the ball in their hands. At this stage, Paul\u2019s value comes with the ball in his hands too, and that overlap creates tension.<\/p>\n
The Sixers already have a veteran point guard in Kyle Lowry. Paul might be more playable, but is that really saying much? I\u2019m not sure it meaningfully shifts anything.<\/p>\n
The former No. 2 overall pick has become something of a favorite among Sixers Twitter. A 6-foot-6 guard with real passing IQ is exactly what fans have been asking for since Maxey took the leap. But if it\u2019s that simple, why is Ball available?<\/p>\n
It comes down to injuries. Ball became the first player in NBA history to undergo a meniscus transplant, which effectively saved his career. He had limited success after the surgery with Chicago, who later traded him to Cleveland as a major offseason addition. It didn\u2019t work. Ball looked like a shell of himself athletically and, at times, disengaged. He fell out of the rotation entirely and finished his Cavs tenure shooting 30.1 percent from the field and 27.2 percent from three. That\u2019s rough.<\/p>\n
He was eventually rerouted to Utah and bought out. So should the Sixers buy low?<\/p>\n
My answer is a quick no. Credit to Ball for coming back from devastating knee injuries. But his previous athleticism is gone. Similar to Paul, he isn\u2019t a factor near the rim and rarely attempts drives. That\u2019s a pretty big issue for a table-setting guard. His defense, once a strength, has regressed hard. Add in the poor efficiency and it\u2019s difficult to justify the gamble.<\/p>\n
The idea of Ball is intriguing. The current version probably isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
OG Process fans will see D\u2019Angelo Russell\u2019s name and feel a little nostalgia. He was the guy many wanted after the 2015 lottery. Years later, he\u2019s bounced around and now finds himself in another rebuilding situation, having fallen out of favor.<\/p>\n
Russell isn\u2019t physically washed like Paul or Ball, but he\u2019s been a one-dimensional player for most of his career. He doesn\u2019t give you much defensively, so all of his value comes on the offensive end. Even with the Mavericks struggling this season, we know what Russell brings: microwave scoring, shooting and some secondary playmaking.<\/p>\n
Despite having decent size, you\u2019re plugging in a real question mark defensively. Nick Nurse has generally preferred length and defensive versatility around his guards, and Russell doesn\u2019t check that box.<\/p>\n
Still, if we\u2019re being honest, he\u2019s one of the better bets on this list to actually produce something. The Sixers need shooting badly after losing McCain and dealing with the Paul George suspension. Russell can provide that, if you\u2019re willing to live with the rough stretches and questionable decisions.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not racing to the buyout table for him. But he\u2019s not an automatic no either, which is more than can be said for some of these names.<\/p>\n
Anderson has long been floated as a potential Sixers target. He\u2019s not flashy, but he\u2019s consistently been an impactful rotation player. Even this year in Utah, he averaged 7.1 points in 20.6 minutes while shooting 54.6 percent from the field across 20 games.<\/p>\n
He fits the Nick Nurse mold well. At 6-foot-8, he has the size to switch across multiple positions. He isn\u2019t a high-volume shooter from deep, but he can knock down open shots. Inside the arc, his game is unorthodox but effective. He finishes well and can lean on a floater or midrange when needed.<\/p>\n
The issue is volume and spacing. The Sixers desperately need reliable perimeter shooting at a high rate, and that\u2019s not Anderson\u2019s calling card. They also already have similar archetypes in Trendon Watford, Kelly Oubre, Dominick Barlow and potentially Jabari Walker if he\u2019s converted.<\/p>\n
In a vacuum, he\u2019s a solid player. In this specific context, the fit feels a little redundant.<\/p>\n
Boucher is at least a name the Sixers have been linked to by a notable source. He also has familiarity with Nick Nurse from their Toronto days. And it\u2019s worth mentioning the Sixers haven\u2019t had a true backup stretch big in a while, which Boucher would theoretically address.<\/p>\n
He most recently spent time with Boston, stuck at the end of the rotation and appearing in just nine games. The sample size is small, but the numbers weren\u2019t encouraging. That said, he was productive in Toronto the year prior, playing 17.2 minutes per game across 50 appearances.<\/p>\n
Signing Boucher would be a bet that he isn\u2019t completely cooked and that Boston simply wasn\u2019t the right situation. If he can return to form, he gives you a small-ball five who can shoot and a versatile four next to one of the Sixers\u2019 centers. He\u2019s familiar with Nurse\u2019s system, which helps.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d lean toward other options, but the prior interest makes him someone to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n
Middleton is one of the biggest names here. Multiple All-Star appearances next to Giannis. A key piece on a championship team. But recent years haven\u2019t been kind. He was moved to Washington in the Kyle Kuzma trade and later sent to Dallas as part of their forward-looking approach. Injuries have piled up, and that\u2019s largely why Milwaukee moved on.<\/p>\n
This year he averaged 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 24.3 minutes, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three. The numbers aren\u2019t eye-popping, but they\u2019re respectable in a reduced role.<\/p>\n
Even with the knee and ankle issues, Middleton can still shoot. The defense isn\u2019t what it once was, but it passes the eye test more often than not. For a wing his size, he can run pick-and-roll and make smart reads.<\/p>\n
With George sidelined and Oubre taking on more than he probably should, Middleton makes a lot of sense. He soaks up wing minutes, provides ball handling Nurse can trust, and adds shooting. When George returns, he can scale down into a smaller role comfortably.<\/p>\n
Age and health are the question marks, but the Sixers could do much worse than Middleton.<\/p>\n
Highsmith should be familiar. He was one of the few Division II players to turn pro, grinding through the Delaware Blue Coats before earning a two-way with the Sixers. He never got an extended opportunity here. That came with Miami, where he worked his way into becoming a legitimate rotation piece.<\/p>\n
The Heat later sent him to Brooklyn in what amounted to a salary dump. He\u2019s been rehabbing a knee injury and is nearing a return.<\/p>\n
A reunion makes sense. Highsmith still has supporters within the organization, and there was free-agent interest a few seasons ago. He developed into a quality 3-and-D wing in Miami, and that\u2019s exactly what the Sixers need.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s not flashy and doesn\u2019t carry huge upside, but he might be the safest name on this list. I\u2019d argue he\u2019s the best defender among these options, and he provides shooting. That two-way combination is rare on the buyout market.<\/p>\n
Personally, he sits at the top of my list.<\/p>\n
From one former Sixer to another, Niang is likely to hit the buyout market. He had some of his best years in Philadelphia before signing a big deal in Cleveland. Since then, he\u2019s been traded again and landed in Utah, where there\u2019s little incentive to prioritize him.<\/p>\n
We know what Niang brings. Shooting and floor spacing. Not much else.<\/p>\n
He isn\u2019t a strong defender, and I wouldn\u2019t trust him in high-leverage playoff minutes. But shooting isn\u2019t in abundance right now, and Niang can provide it cheaply and reliably.<\/p>\n
It wouldn\u2019t be the worst move. It also wouldn\u2019t be the most ambitious one. Ideally, the Sixers find someone who helps now and offers some long-term upside. Niang feels more like a short-term patch than a real solution.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no perfect name here. That\u2019s the reality of the buyout market. But if the goal is plugging real holes without sacrificing size, defense or shooting, a few of these options make more sense than others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NBA Trade Deadline, for better or worse, is behind us. Out goes Jared McCain and Eric Gordon.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":599938,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3724],"tags":[7,5902,43390,67650],"class_list":["post-599937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-basketball","tag-sixers-analysis","tag-sixers-roster","tag-sixers-rumors"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116060779673562737","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=599937"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599937\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/599938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=599937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=599937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=599937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}