The Philadelphia 76ers ended their last campaign on a disappointing note, but the offseason was a brilliant one for the front office as they added fantastic role players like De’Anthony Melton and PJ Tucker. James Harden was willing to take a small pay cut to accommodate guys like Melton and Tucker because the flexibility of the 76ers is limited because of their massive payroll.
The limited flexibility is still applicable at this juncture as Philly is one of the teams that are not floating around in any sort of trade rumors a month before the February 10th trade deadline. The 76ers do want to upgrade certain parts of their rotation and lineup, but it seems tough for them to move anyone that will result in a considerable boost. Even with that dilemma, these are a couple of trades 76ers fans must wish for before the NBA trade deadline.
Marcus Morris Sr. for a Sixers package centered around Matisse Thybulle
The kind of player they will need in the postseason is a hefty wing who can score off the bench because of Philly’s depleted second unit. Marcus Morris Sr. is a obtainable wing from the Los Angeles Clippers because it is likely they will utilize three or four forwards before choosing him when everyone is healthy. With the Sixers, he can play behind Tucker and Tobias Harris, but he will be in the closing lineup as another option who can create shots alongside Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey.
Morris Sr. is not a sexy or exciting player in the NBA trade market before the deadline, but he fits the style that head coach Doc Rivers would want in his system. The problem with adding him is making the salaries match between both franchises that rank high on the payroll list in the NBA.
Matisse Thybulle has been showing glimpses of his potential, but his offense is still an enormous question mark, so the Clippers could be the destination where he can develop his offensive repertoire. Los Angeles still needs outside shooting alongside their stars, so they may ask for Furkan Korkmaz and Daniel House Jr.
Reggie Bullock for a package centered around Furkan Korkmaz
There are more intriguing options like PJ Washington, Cam Johnson, or Seth Curry that could flourish in Philadelphia, but the money talks will be a problem, especially when these guys demand an extension in the offseason. Thus, they can negotiate a deal involving 3-and-D Dallas Mavericks forward Reggie Bullock.
He has been struggling mightily this season as his PPG has dropped to 5.2 on 31.4% shooting from behind the arc. Any Reggie Bullock fan knows that he is far from his ceiling, especially during his best days with the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. This is the best buy-low opportunity for the Sixers as this can be a substantial upgrade from Furkan Korkmaz and Danuel House Jr, who will play close to 20 minutes a night even in the playoffs.
There are nights in which Rivers tries to search for a hot shooter, and Bullock will be one of the top choices along with wings like Melton, Georges Niang, and Shake Milton. When the rotation is cut-down in the NBA Playoffs, Bullock will be a perfect second-unit replacement for Tobias Harris or De’Anthony Melton.
His 31.4% outside shooting is an outlier, but his career numbers from three-point distance are at 38%, which is more than enough to earn a ton of minutes with the Sixers. To cap it off, Bullock will not back down from any matchup on the defensive side, which highlights his importance on both ends of the floor.
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