76ers trade deadline recap
The trade deadline is the official turning point of the NBA season. The tone around the league shifts as teams ready themselves for the end of season playoff push. This is the time of the year where everyone is out to prove they are a contender.
Meanwhile, the Sixers are in a bad way. They just lost their fifth straight game by double digits and haven’t been able to make any movement in the East in about a month and a half. They are in need of some help, but did Elton Brand do enough to salvage the Sixers’ sinking ship?
Here are all the moves the Sixers made at the deadline:
76ers acquire Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III in exchange three second round picks (2020 Dallas, 2021 Denver, 2022 Toronto)
The Sixers season has been saved! Kinda. Sorta. At the very least, Elton Brand didn’t dig a deeper hole for himself.
Since their demonstrative win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas day, the Sixers have been on a clear campaign to prove they need to make a move at the trade deadline. Well, that move finally came late Wednesday night as the Sixers shipped off three second round picks in exchange for guards Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III.
This is a solid move for the Sixers, who added a few things they were sorely missing with this trade. In Burks, they get a capable two-way guard who can both, dribble and shoot (I know, it’s a pretty crazy concept). He is also averaging nearly five free throw attempts per game, which gives the Sixers someone who can draw fouls off the bench.
In Robinson, the Sixers get some much needed depth on the perimeter and someone who is shooting 40% on 3.5 three per game and 43.8% on wide open three’s.
Burks and Robinson are good get’s for the Sixers, but the best part of this trade is the cost. Three second-round picks for two guys on expiring contracts with no bird-rights isn’t great, but considering they held onto Zhaire Smith and the Knicks and Hawks second round picks for this year’s draft (projected #33 and #34), this is some solid work by EB.
It’s difficult to tell how much this trade really move the Sixers’ championship odometer. Both should fill much needed bench roles, but the question is how much more they can really provide. In a perfect world, Burks steals a spot in the starting lineup, moving Al Horford to the sixth-man, but that seems like a stretch. This trade is much more likely to impact the Sixers in the regular season as they hunt for high playoff seeding.
76ers acquire Orlando’s 2020 second round pick in exchange for James Ennis
I don’t like it. I didn’t like it when news of the trade broke and I still don’t like it a day later.
After acquiring Burks and Robinson, the Sixers needed to clear some roster spots. The first casualty? Ennis the Menace.
For a team as desperate for three-and-D wings as the Sixers, this move really doesn’t make much sense. I understand Ennis had completely fallen out of the rotation in the last month, but he’s been one of the Sixers best – if not their best – role player off the bench. With players like Jonah Bolden and Kyle O’Quinn providing this team next to nothing, giving up someone of use like Ennis just seems like a head scratcher.
That Orlando second-round pick must’ve been too tempting to pass up. The Sixers now have four second-round picks in this year’s draft.
76ers waive Trey Burke
Byyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The second victim of the Burks and Robinson trade, Trey Burke was waived by the Sixers shortly after the 3pm trade deadline. Burke never seemed to be the Sixers’ first choice for backup point and it eventually led to a hefty cobweb collection on the bench. This wasn’t a difficult decision for the Sixers.
Burke got kind of a raw deal with the Sixers. He was brought in to compete for a bench role, but it seemed like it was rigged from the beginning. Even when he played well, he couldn’t make any ground towards a spot in the rotation.
With that said, I’m glad he’s gone so Sixers fans can stop complaining about his lack of playing time. He was never that good.
At least the move comes shortly after Burke’s contract became fully guaranteed, so it’s nice to know he made his money.
