Philadelphia 76ers Coach Opens up on NBA Trade Deadline Mindset

76ers could look to make upgrades ahead of February 6th trade deadline.

Dec 30, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse stands for the National Anthem before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

As trade season rolls along in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in an interesting position. Numerous injuries resulted in them dropping in the standings early on, to which they've slowly started climbing back up. While the Sixers aren't in the playoff picture at the moment, they're only three-and-a-half games out of the sixth seed. With the standings being so tight, the front office could explore roster upgrades in the coming weeks.

At the moment, the Sixers have been cited in any trade rumors. However, given Daryl Morey's track record as an executive, some moves are bound to happen. He's never been one to sit on his hands at the deadline during his previous stops or his Sixers tenure.

Before the Sixers took the court against the Washington Wizards Wednesday, head coach Nick Nurse was asked about the message he gives the team this time of year. He wants to make sure his team doesn't get caught up in the outside noise and focuses on the task at hand.

”My message is we got jobs to do here man,” Nurse said. “That’s kind of my message for the next month…I bet you for every 1,000 trade rumors one trade actually happens. That shouldn’t effect you that much. Look at your day and do your job and do that day or job the best you can and try to help your team and organization move forward.”

Even with how things have played out thus far, the Sixers still feel they have the talent to make a run in the playoffs. Because of this, it's likely Morey will do his due diligence when it comes to seeking out roster upgrades over the next three weeks. The Sixers' core is locked in, but they still have some assets to make improvements in the margins.