What the Sixers Actually Need at the Trade Deadline

With the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline fast approaching, the Sixers may still be in recovery mode. The league announced Saturday that Paul George received a 25-game suspension for violating its anti-drug policy, which he blamed on taking an improper medication for mental health.

Whatever the case, George now isn't eligible to suit up against until March 25. Although the Sixers survived Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans and Monday against the James Harden-less Los Angeles Clippers without him, tougher tests await in the near future.

The good news is that the Sixers are now much closer to ducking the luxury tax than they were prior to George's suspension. The bad news is that they're now without their third star and top perimeter defender as they look to make a postseason push over the next two months.

George's suspension should therefore change how the Sixers approach this year's trade deadline. Let's first focus on what they need to address before finishing up with moves they shouldn't make.

What the Sixers need at the trade deadline

More wing depth

Wing help was already fairly high on the Sixers' priority list even before George's suspension, as they're light on wing depth behind George and Kelly Oubre Jr. If Justin Edwards can't capitalize on George's absence, the Sixers may need to go wing shopping.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey might be the Sixers' realistic best-case scenario. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo would be the dream scenario. (For some, anyway.)

Either way, the Sixers can't proceed for the next two months with Oubre and Edwards as their only two wings. They need to acquire one via trade or free agency and/or give MarJon Beauchamp a chance to show what he can do with the big-league club.

More draft picks

The Sixers currently project to have six first-round picks over the next seven years. They owe their 2026 first-rounder to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top four, and they owe their 2028 first-rounder to the Brooklyn Nets if it's outside the top eight.

Otherwise, the Sixers still have all of their own first-round picks through 2032. They also own a fully unprotected 2028 first-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers, and they have the right to swap picks with the Clippers in 2029 as long as the Clippers' pick is outside the top three.

As of now, they also have eight tradable second-round picks. That does not include their 2027 second-round pick, which will go to OKC if the 2026 first-rounder doesn't convey, or their 2028 second-rounder, which will go to Brooklyn if the 2028 first doesn't convey.

The days of fringe All-Stars fetching multiple first-round picks may be a thing of the past, but second-rounders are valuable currency. The Portland Trail Blazers just landed Vít Krejčí for two second-round picks, and Dennis Schröder, Jonas Valančiūnas and Dorian Finney-Smith all went for either two or three second-rounders in the past year or so.

The Sixers wasted two second-round picks at last year's trade deadline to salary-dump KJ Martin and get under the luxury-tax threshold for the third straight season. One of those was the Milwaukee Bucks' 2027 second-round pick, which is looking increasingly desirable in the wake of Giannis Antetokounmpo trade speculation.

They should look to acquire additional draft capital at this year's deadline, whether it's to grease the wheels on future deals for rotation players or to facilitate more salary dumps.

Another big man… if they dump Drummond

If the Sixers do prioritize getting under the luxury-tax threshold for the fourth straight season, Andre Drummond figures to be the most likely casualty. If the Sixers trade away his $5 million expiring contract while taking back a minimum deal or no salary at all, they'd be far enough below the tax line to convert both Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow from two-way contracts to standard deals.

Dumping Drummond, who largely plays only on nights where Embiid isn't available, would be defensible as long as the Sixers acquire another big man at some point. Relying on a second-year big man in Adem Bona as Embiid's only legitimate backup would be a major risk given his injury history.

Perhaps Charles Bassey, whom the Sixers recently signed to a 10-day contract, could be an internal option as a third-string big man? If so, the Sixers would have to clear another roster spot for him at the trade deadline. Otherwise, they could target a cheaper big man such as Indiana's Jay Huff or Memphis' Jock Landale.

Regardless of what they do, the Sixers can't leave the month of February with Embiid and Bona as their only two true centers under contract.

What the Sixers don't need at the trade deadline

Duck the luxury tax

In the wake of George's suspension, the Sixers are now less than $1.3 million above the $187.9 million luxury-tax line. Although Embiid recently pleaded with the Sixers' owners not to duck the tax for the fourth straight season, their newfound proximity to the tax line makes a fourth straight duck that much more likely.

To be clear, though: They don't have to get below the tax line. Particularly if their refusal to exceed the tax comes with an opportunity cost.

For instance, we recently estimated that it will cost the Sixers a minimum of $1.425 million to convert Walker and Barlow from two-way deals to standard contracts. That assumed both took a rest-of-season minimum salary and that the Sixers waited until early March to convert Barlow (when his 50-game clock runs out). What if either or both want more, though?

As long as the Sixers don't exceed the $207.8 million second apron, they still have the prorated portion of their $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception to spend. They could divide it between Barlow and Walker, although their proximity to the first apron—they're less than $1 million below it—makes that unlikely barring other salary shedding.

Remember, though: Unless you're a member of the Harris or Blitzer family, it's not your money. The Sixers would have to exceed the tax in two of the next three seasons as well before they became eligible for the repeater tax. It's not a concern this year.

It would be shocking if the Sixers didn't duck the tax at this year's deadline. There is nothing forcing them to do so, though.

Trade for Giannis

As the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes heats up, he's reportedly made it known that he'd be open to heading to the Sixers. The thought of teaming with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to form a Big Three seemingly appeals to him, although it's unclear how seriously the Sixers have entertained that possibility.

The Bucks are reportedly looking for a "blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks," according to ESPN's Shams Charania. VJ Edgecombe would meet the former requirement, but the Sixers reportedly aren't open to moving him at all, even for a superstar like Giannis.

Acquiring the Greek Freak would be an instant dopamine hit for the Sixers. Granted, they would be sacrificing their long-term future for a 31-year-old with an increasingly concerning history of calf injuries.

Edgecombe and Maxey give the Sixers legitimate hope for the post-Embiid era. Flipping him for Antetokounmpo would be doubling down on the Embiid era without a care in the world about what comes next.

Trade away VJ Edgecombe or Jared McCain

Unless the Sixers get presented with a trade offer as lopsided as the Luka Dončić deal last year, they should not be eager to move either Edgecombe or Jared McCain at the trade deadline. That's true for different reasons, though.

In Edgecombe's case, he's far more advanced offensively than expected coming out of the draft, and he seems to be wired correctly. Giving up on him this early in his career is almost destined to backfire.

McCain got off to a similar start last year, but a pair of injuries derailed his momentum. He's coming alive in the last week or so, but that isn't a large enough sample size to convince suitors to overlook the rest of this season. If the Sixers traded McCain now, they'd be selling low.

That isn't to say McCain should be untouchable forever, though. With Maxey and Edgecombe entrenched as the long-term starting backcourt moving forward, McCain doesn't have a clear path to a 35-minute-per-game role in Philly. If he rehabs his value throughout the rest of the calendar year, he could be a prime target at next year's deadline.

For now, though, the Sixers would be better off keeping both Edgecombe and McCain.

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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