Sixers Should Hope This Veteran Forward Hits the NBA's Buyout Market

Tyrese Maxey's disappointing showing in the 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend wasn't the only bad thing to happen to the Sixers on Saturday. Haywood Highsmith reportedly agreed to sign a multiyear contract with the Phoenix Suns, taking one of the Sixers' top options off the buyout market.

The details of Highsmith's contract will be key. If he signed for more than a minimum salary, the Sixers might not have been able to match it without going back into the luxury tax. They didn't dump Jared McCain at the deadline just for the draft picks, though. They aren't going back into the tax this season.

The Sixers still have two roster spots to fill once Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin Jr.'s 10-day contracts expire during the All-Star break. They'll be able to fit two prorated veteran minimum contracts and stay under the luxury tax, but that's about it.

Players need to be waived by March 1 to remain eligible for the postseason, so the Sixers may be waiting to see how the buyout market develops before pouncing on anyone. If that's the case, they should be keeping an eye on what happens with Khris Middleton in Dallas.

Could Middleton be a stopgap for George?

With George sidelined until late March, the Sixers have a clear void on the wing behind Kelly Oubre Jr. and Justin Edwards. They weren't able to address that position at the trade deadline, but they could be eyeing it on the buyout market.

Middleton is no longer the three-time All-Star that he was in his prime, but he isn't a total negative yet. He's averaging only 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 24.1 minutes per game across 36 appearances, but he can still make an impact in a smaller role.

The Sixers wouldn't need (or expect) Middleton to replace George. If he can be an upgrade over Edwards or another wing option to plug in occasionally amidst George's absence, that alone would justify signing him.

Middleton's three-point shooting has nosedived over the past year, but he's not far removed from shooting 40.7 percent from deep early in the 2024-25 season. His defense has also tanked, although that's in part due to the terrible Wizards team that he was on. He didn't have a Joel Embiid, a Tyrese Maxey or even a VJ Edgecombe next to him in Washington, to say the least.

Injuries have been a concern for Middleton over the past few years, although the Wizards likely weren't exactly pushing him to play late last season amidst a combative tank race. He might be on a George-esque schedule where he isn't playing back-to-backs and rests the occasional game, but he otherwise appears to be healthy at the moment.

Frankly, with Highsmith off the market and George out until late March, the Sixers can't afford to get choosy right now. If they have a shot at Middleton, they need to take it.

Will Middleton become available?

Shortly before the All-Star break, Middleton told reporters that he and the Mavericks hadn't had conversations about his near future. He added that he didn't know if they would.

The NBA recently sent a clear warning to all potential tanking teams with its recent fines for the Utah Jazz ($500,000) and Indiana Pacers ($100,000), but that might only further incentivize the Mavericks to waive Middleton before the March 1 deadline. The Mavericks appear to be firmly in the tank race, and the NBA can't punish them for not playing a player who's no longer on their roster, right?

If the Mavericks do waive Middleton, the Sixers won't be the only ones competing for his services. The Milwaukee Bucks would presumably be the favorite to land him if no team offered more than a minimum contract, but the Sixers can't offer much (if any) more than a minimum without going back into the tax.

The Sixers are less than $3.8 million below the first apron, which is the hard cutoff for the most they could offer to Middleton. He was previously earning far more than the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and teams below the first apron are the only ones allowed to sign players who were earning that much on their former team.

It's doubtful that any team will be willing to offer him that type of money at this stage of the season, but it only takes one. The Sixers can only hope the opportunities created by George's suspension would make their situation more appealing to Middleton than a team that couldn't offer him guaranteed playing time.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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