Injury Woes Could Lead to 76ers Targeting Eastern Conference All-Star

As the trade deadline gets closer, the Philadelphia 76ers will be a key team to watch in the market. With the pieces acquired from the James Harden trade, Daryl Morey will have a handful of assets at his disposal to make final upgrades to this year's roster.

Based on recent reporting, it doesn't appear the Sixers are in a hurry to make a big move right now. Patience has worked out for them in the past and is still the right decision. Following some recent injury updates, another Eastern Conference All-Star could emerge as a possible trade candidate.

Through the first quarter of the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have underperformed. They are one game over .500 and sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Things are going to get even tougher for them as they are going to be without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley for the coming weeks.

Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Darius Garland has sustained a fractured jaw and is expected to miss several weeks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Garland suffered an injury to the head area in a collision with Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday night in Boston. pic.twitter.com/gLRSYDRZXk
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 15, 2023

Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/GqNCP1aZs7
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 15, 2023

As things continue to trend in the wrong direction for Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell might be a name to watch leading up to the deadline. The All-Star guard only has one more guaranteed year on his deal, and there's been minimal talk about an extension.

From a fit perspective, Mitchell is an ideal complement for the Sixers. He is an explosive scoring guard who can light it up from deep. He and Tyrese Maxey could split playmaking duties in the backcourt along with being pick-and-roll and dribble hand-off partners with Joel Embiid.

Mitchell has played in 20 games so far this season and is averaging 27.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 5.1 APG. His three-point shooting has taken a slight dip, connecting on 34.5% of his attempts on high volume.

With Mitchell only having one year left on his deal, a trade of this sort would be a bit of a gamble. That said, the Sixers are on pace to have a more than sizable amount of cap space this summer. They'd have more than enough financial flexibility to give Maxey a big contract while also working out an extension with Mitchell.

The main thing worth noting in this potential pursuit is that Mitchell was a name on the Sixers' radar not long ago. Back in November, rumors emerged that the front office was monitoring him after the Harden trade.