After last year’s disaster, the Philadelphia 76ers felt it was time to shake things up during the offseason. Philadelphia did just that. Enter Doc Rivers as the new head coach and Daryl Morey to run the team as president of basketball operations. This shakeup has been largely successful with Joel Embiid playing at an MVP-caliber level and the team sitting at the top in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. The latest 76ers rumors indicate that Morey and the franchise aren’t finished tweaking this championship-level roster.
.@wojespn on NBA Countdown: “Daryl Morey has been active, he’s always looking for a big blockbuster deal…that may not be available for this trade deadline. Two areas the Sixers would like to improve: getting a 4/5 man who can shoot the ball, along with two-way players.”
— Harrison Grimm (@Harrison_Grimm) February 20, 2021
Philadelphia 76ers Rumors: Morey looks for Trade Deadline Splash
The NBA trade deadline still sits more than a month away (March 25), but fans should be prepared for Philadelphia to make a major move. In fact, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor further substantiated these latest 76ers rumors on Monday morning. According to O’Connor, Philadelphia “is still seeking major moves to increase its championship odds.”
It’s slightly hard to imagine this Philadelphia roster is in need of any major additions. However, if Morey and the front office are successful in making a trade deadline splash, then this puts the rest of the league on notice. Philadelphia owns a 20-11 overall record, but the Brooklyn Nets are closing in fast. The super-trio in Brooklyn has won six-straight including five wins on the road against Western Conference foes without Kevin Durant.
The Brooklyn Nets are the first Eastern Conference team to win 5 straight games on a Western Conference road trip since the Chicago Bulls in Jan. 2010. @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/Ufvx9ESNv8
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) February 22, 2021
Philadelphia has also learned, the hard way, not to rely on regular-season success. In addition to last year’s failures, the 76ers won 50-plus games in both 2018 and 2019. Both seasons ended in tragic conference semifinals losses. The talented core of Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris should be in serious championship contention every single year.
Kyle Lowry Potential Fit
It’s a little early for solidified predictions around this year’s trade market, however, one name has emerged numerous times. That would be Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors. And, this rumored fit checks so many different boxes.
Lowry is Philadelphia born and raised. He stayed local in college, playing for Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats. He’s won an NBA championship. He’s a six-time All-Star. And, he fits the biggest roster need for the 76ers: perimeter shooting and shot-creating.
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Toronto would require a decent return in order to ship off their star point guard, but the 76ers have some factors in their favor. For one, Lowry is 34-years-old and in the final year of his contract. And, the Raptors have generally underperformed this year with a 16-15 record.
Roster Needs
Assuming the 76ers are able to add Lowry without breaking up the core of this roster, this is a dream fit. Embiid is more than capable of handling duties in the paint. Not just from a scoring metric, but rebounding, pick-and-roll, and defensive presence. Simmons is a nightmare for defensive game plans, but at 6-foot-11 he still lacks the ability to shoot and create around the three-point line.
Harris and Danny Green are excellent spot-up shooters, but this team needs to be more dynamic outside of the arc. Lowry is a perfect fit for this need. The veteran point guard is shooting close to 40 percent from deep this season while averages six-plus assists per game throughout his career. Even better, throughout his 15-year career, 63.9 percent of his assists come off three-pointers. This year, that percentage sits closer to 70 percent.
According to the latest 76ers rumors, it appears that Philadelphia will make a big deadline splash. It’s possible that Lowry returns home to the City of Brotherly Love before this year is done.
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