The Philadelphia 76ers were dealt a tough blow recently when it was revealed that reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid would be sidelined because of a knee injury. Without Embiid in the lineup, it would be hard to envision the 76ers contending this season.
There is some hope that he will be able to return to the lineup before the NBA Playoffs, which is likely why Philadelphia made the trade that they did. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the 76ers are acquiring Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers. To complete the deal, Indiana is receiving Marcus Morris Sr., Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round picks.
That is quite a splash for the 76ers, who are clearly intent on trying to contend this season. Acquiring Hield is a shrewd move because it allows general manager Daryl Morey to keep the team’s salary cap clear in the 2024 NBA offseason.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Morey was walking a delicate line, wanting to free up as much money as possible for the offseason, when he could look to add a third star alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. This deal with the Pacers keeps that possibility alive while upgrading the team for the present.
Hield is one of the best high-volume shooters in the NBA. He has made 40.1 percent of his 3-point attempts in his career on 7.7 attempts per game. The open looks he is going to generate while playing off of Maxey and eventually, Embiid could lead to some eye-popping shooting numbers.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
After making a blockbuster trade for Pascal Siakam recently, this is a solid deal for the Pacers to refill their coffers a bit; they included three first-round picks in the deal with the Raptors. While second-round picks aren’t as valuable as firsts, they are solid assets for an ascending team such as Indiana to possess to further upgrade their roster with.
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