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PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Last season, rookie General Manager Elton Brand created a unique image for himself in the city of Philadelphia. Despite it being his first season as the GM of the Philadelphia 76ers, the former player-turned-executive was quite aggressive in the trade market, finalizing a handful of deals.

By midseason, a good chunk of the Sixers roster was totally different in comparison to the one they had during training camp. Due to Brand's aggressiveness in his first year in office, many now expect the Sixers to be buyers once again in 2019-2020.

As a team, the Sixers are in good shape. They picked up their 23rd win of the season on Wednesday, and have proven they can defeat the best of them. Despite winning at a high rate though, many believe the team can, and should get better through the trade market.

After witnessing Brand's first year in office, some believe another move or two could be on its way before the trade deadline. While Elton Brand admits he's always looking to make the team better, he surely doesn't sound as adamant in making similar deals to how he did last season.

"I'm very encouraged about where we are," Brand said on Wednesday before the Sixers defeated the NBA's top team. "We're going to get much stronger with chemistry. We know it's a long grind and I acknowledge there are areas we need to improve on. We're working on it daily, and we're going to get there."

While many believe the Sixers are missing an essential piece on their roster to make a run, the team's general manager doesn't necessarily agree. When asked about what they need to make a run for the NBA Finals, Brand responded by saying three words: "Growth, continuity, and chemistry."

Just because Brand trusts and believes in the roster he has built over the course of the offseason, doesn't mean he has shut himself down from the trade market though. "As a GM, I'll always look at [potential moves]," Brand said.

"Any way I can make the team better, I will." However, just because he's listening to offers, doesn't mean he's rushing to get something done. By the sounds of it, the Sixers are more likely to work on developing and improving their current roster by teaching and growing -- not trading and changing.