The Philadelphia 76ers have performed well this season. In fact, they currently sit as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference with a 30-16 win-loss record. Does that mean there’s nothing to fix or address here? Of course not. The Sixers can, in fact, try unloading a non-performing asset and getting under the luxury tax. That said, here we will look at the nightmare scenario that the Sixers don’t want to happen as we close in on the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
The Sixers are having a successful season so far. They are consistently among the top five teams in the Eastern Conference despite key players missing extended periods of time. However, the front office may still make trades leading up to the deadline, despite the team’s success. That said, this season may present more of a challenge for finding deals. Keep in mind that the team’s highly-paid players and salary-matching limitations may make it difficult to make truly meaningful acquisitions.
Still, let’s hypothesize. Tobias Harris is a popular trade candidate. However, his importance to the Sixers’ lineup and lack of value in a trade make him a difficult player to move. The team may also be hesitant to trade Tyrese Maxey, a highly regarded prospect, without getting a star player in return. The team’s main focus may instead be avoiding the luxury tax. Additionally, they can also find ways to put Matisse Thybulle on the trading block. Doing so could open the door to getting a quality role player back. It would also enable the Sixers to offload worries about overpaying for Thybulle as he enters free agency this year.
With that said, let’s look at the Sixers’ nightmare scenario for the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
Sixers fail to move Matisse Thybulle
There was a time when Matisse Thybulle was considered a valuable young player and trade asset for the Sixers. That time has long gone. In fact, Thybulle has seen his role on the team diminish this season. To compound matters, the arrival of De’Anthony Melton has just made Thybulle expendable to the team. Take note that Melton provides similar defensive value but with the added ability to shoot.
Matisse Thybulle went down hard after this fast break dunk.
He was able to stay in the game. pic.twitter.com/IPtVZVwnrW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 15, 2022
Despite this, other teams in need of perimeter defense may still be willing to take a chance on Thybulle. Remember that he is still young and can defend multiple positions. However, in order to be successful on another team, he will need to be surrounded by strong shooters and playmakers.
The 76ers have limited options in terms of draft assets. Also, Thybulle’s expiring contract, valued at $4.4 million, is one of the team’s few trade chips. Additionally, Philadelphia is above the luxury tax threshold by $1.2 million. Trading a player like Thybulle or guys like Jaden Springer or Furkan Korkmaz would put them below the tax threshold. That would allow them to receive a $16.2 million tax distribution. This makes sense for the team as it would delay their entry into the repeater tax until the 2024-25 season. Remember that the Sixers are also projected to be taxpayers next season due to Joel Embiid’s supermax contract.
If the Sixers fail to find a trading partner for Thybulle, that’s not exactly the end of the world. However, it wouldn’t exactly be good either. If this happens, Thybulle would continue to be on their payroll even if he hardly contributes anything valuable on the court.
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