The Philadelphia 76ers only made one deal before the 3 pm EST trade deadline on Thursday when they acquired Jalen McDaniels from the Charlotte Hornets in a 3-team deal that sent Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Sixers also acquired a 2024 second-round pick via the New York Knicks and a 2029 second-round pick via the Trail Blazers. The deal gets the Sixers below the luxury tax line so they did what they set out to do in terms of shedding salary.
McDaniels is in his fourth season after being the 52nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft by the Hornets. He has career averages of 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 34.2% from deep.
Read on to learn more of what the Sixers are getting with McDaniels:
McDaniels’ profile and career thus far
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McDaniels is averaging 10.6 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 32.2% from deep on 3.6 attempts in 56 games with 21 starts in the 2022-23 season with the Hornets before the deal. He isn’t much of a shooter, but he does bring efficiency on the 2-point shot. He’s shooting 53.4% on 2s which shows off his ability to cut off the ball and his athleticism.
McDaniels on offense
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As mentioned, McDaniels is not the best 3-point shooter so this deal could be considered something of a lateral move to Thybulle, but McDaniels has shown he can move well off the ball and he understands how to use his athleticism. With the Sixers in need of somebody who understands spacing and knows where to find the open spots on the defense, he can find an impact on the offensive end with James Harden setting him up with his playmaking.
McDaniels on defense
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McDaniels is a top 70 perimeter defender per FiveThirtyEight. He is tied for 69th in their defensive RAPTOR ranking and this is where he will make his presence felt the most. Standing at 6-foot-9 and with the lateral quickness and length to be a solid perimeter defender, one has to wonder if he can be the right player who can switch on the pick-and-roll with the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. in the playoffs.
Story originally appeared on Sixers Wire