The Philadelphia 76ers have made multiple moves in the hours ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. The one that has grabbed the most headlines is the deal completed with the Indiana Pacers.
Philadelphia acquired sharpshooter Buddy Hield in exchange for Marcus Morris Sr., Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round picks. One of the best high-volume 3-point shooters in the NBA, Hield is a great addition to the 76ers rotation as a 40.1 percent shooter on 7.7 attempts per game in his career.
While Hield will help the 76ers immediately as they attempt to navigate the next few weeks without reigning MVP Joel Embiid, the second trade they made will help down the line. In an under-the-radar move, Philadelphia traded Danuel House Jr. and a second-round pick via the New York Knicks to the Detroit Pistons.
The 76ers aren’t taking anyone back in the deal, as it was a straight salary dump and roster spot-clearing move. Why would they make such a decision? It is so that they can be players in the buyout market.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Buddy Hield, Danuel House Jr., Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
“The move gives the Sixers salary cap cushion to potentially sign buyout players after the deadline, including Hornets guard Kyle Lowry, if he becomes available, sources said,” as shared by ESPN in their NBA Trade Deadline live tracker.
The 76ers are walking a fine line this season. Morey wants to keep the books clean as much as possible so the team can head into the 2024 offseason with enough money to pursue a max player to put around Tyrese Maxey and Embiid.
The trade of Hield keeps that alive as he is playing out the final season on an expiring contract. But, they still want to contend this season, as those windows can sometimes be shut quickly.
Creating flexibility to make moves on the buyout market accomplishes that. Anyone the 76ers sign will likely be for a one-year deal covering the remainder of the season. Without making any long-term commitments, Morey can still improve the roster for the stretch run of the season.
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