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Will the Philadelphia 76ers be busy ahead of February’s trade deadline?
If they do, it may be to circumvent the luxury-tax threshold rather than loading up on more talent, much to the chagrin of the fanbase.
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, “based on [the Sixers] recent history of trading to get under the luxury-tax threshold, there’s an expectation that they’ll make at least one trade ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline. The Sixers are $7 million above the allowable threshold to avoid being taxed. They’re also around $1 million away from being a first-apron team and facing penalties.”
The question is who they could potentially move off of in such a deal. The two names most commonly rumored in that regard are Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond.
As Pomey noted, “some around the league are wondering if the Sixers are willing to part ways with Oubre, whose name keeps coming up as a possible trade chip. But by getting rid of Drummond, the Sixers would be in the market for another backup center.”
Oubre, 30, has been excellent when healthy this season, averaging 14.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 38 percent from three. He gives the Sixers length and athleticism on the wing and has been an important starter for the team when Paul George is sidelined. His absence would be felt.
Drummond, 32, has served as one of Joel Embiid’s two backup options this year alongside Aden Bona, averaging 7.1 points and nine rebounds per contest. Given how often Embiid sits, having multiple options at backup center makes sense.
The Sixers could roll with Bona as the primary backup and then play smaller lineups, with two-way revelation Dominick Barlow handling the role. They could also give rookie Johni Broome a longer look. But most Sixers fans would probably prefer the team simply kept the band together—the 24-20 Sixers have looked good when healthy and together and are a bigger threat in the East than their record suggests.