Sixers Trade Deadline Preview: The Four Types of Trades (Yes, Including One for Giannis)
MOC breaks it down the most likely categories of deals the Sixers may be dealing with before Thursday — some of which don't even involve ducking the tax!
If you’ve paid close attention to the Sixers’ recent trade deadlines, they’ve all followed a similar strategy: shed salary, while still trying to win now.
In 2023, they traded Matisse Thybulle and a second round pick for Jalen McDaniels and two second round picks – a move that saved them a couple million dollars, while also getting a fringe rotational player at a position of need. In 2024, they gave up three second round picks for Buddy Hield, while also salary dumping Danuel House, Jr. and Jaden Springer. In 2025, they traded Caleb Martin for Quentin Grimes, while also salary dumping K.J. Martin.
So, if I had to guess, given their middling status in the standings and the evergreen uncertainty around their health, the Sixers’ 2026 trade deadline will look pretty similar to the previous three. It wouldn’t shock me at all to see some sort of a Kelly Oubre and/or Andre Drummond salary dump, while also making a move to acquire a young player on a cheap contract who could help them now. And as someone who has really enjoyed this Sixers season, I’m pretty OK with this team looking mostly similar after the deadline, even if I’d find a salary dump pretty aggravating.
Of course, it’s worth prepping for anything – at this time four years ago, the possibility of a Ben Simmons for James Harden trade felt like a pipe dream. Whether it’s taking a home-run swing to win now or an interesting opportunity to free up future cap space, I could be talked into anything if the price is right. So, here in this piece, I’ll propose some hypothetical trades, divided into a few distinct categories in terms of how or why the Sixers might consider them.
The “Do you like Quentin Grimes more than we like Quentin Grimes?” trades
In spite of recent struggles – Grimes is shooting just 42 percent from the floor since the first of December – I still consider myself an optimist on Grimes, and I would be happy to see him return on a long-term deal this summer. His quick trigger from 3, downhill speed off the dribble, and defensive versatility make him a net positive in almost any role. He is not the player that we saw towards the end of last year. He is also not as bad as he is playing right now.
With all that being said, it’s worth at least considering the fact that Grimes is an impending free agent — and given that negotiations last summer didn’t seem to go all that well, it’s entirely possible that the Sixers simply get outbid for Grimes by a team with cap space that views him as a starter-level player. The Sixers likely already know what they would be willing to offer Grimes this summer; if they suspect it won’t be the highest offer on the market, it makes a lot of sense to try to trade him.
Opportunities may be limited given that the acquiring team would not acquire his Bird rights and that he has a no-trade clause. But one destination that makes a lot of sense to me is Houston. The Rockets are extremely loaded at the forward positions, desperately need guard help, and have their own version of the Grimes predicament in Tari Eason, who they did not sign to a rookie extension last summer. On top of that, Grimes is from Houston and played his college ball there, as well.
The Rockets should have enough salary flexibility to offer Grimes up to the full MLE this summer ($15.1 million), while retaining the necessary salary flexibility to build out the rest of their roster. If they think that Grimes on a $15ish-million contract is better than Eason at the price he’s asking for (likely around $20 million), they very well might accept this offer:
Eason, 24, has struggled with health issues in each of the past three seasons, but is a ferocious rebounder and defender with a career 3-point percentage of 36.9%. He plays just 24 minutes per game for Houston due to their forward depth, but would undoubtedly start for the Sixers – he would round out an incredible defensive trio with Edgecombe and George, and while filling the Sixers’ rebounding need without sacrificing their offensive spacing. He is a considerably better rebounder than Dominick Barlow (12.8 rebounds per 100 possessions vs. 10.2), and unlike Barlow, is a reliable and willing 3-point shooter.
The Sixers will certainly have to pay north of $15 million per year to keep Eason after this season, but given the option between paying Grimes $13 million and Eason $18 million — and considering the layout of the Sixers’ roster — isn’t the choice there pretty obvious?
An alternative but similar-ish option to trading for Eason would be trading Grimes for the cheaper-this-season Nikola Jovic, who is having a down year in Miami, but is signed to a reasonable deal at around $15 million per year that kicks in starting next year. This deal would help the Sixers shed some precious luxury tax money for this year while helping to fill the power forward need for years to come. For the record: I think Eason is a much better player than Jovic, but trade value is roughly equal given that Jovic is already locked up on a reasonable long term deal.
A slightly less inspiring option would be sending Grimes to Indiana, who despite being deep at the guard position may look at Grimes’ speed and style of play and view him as a nice long-term fit despite the team not being competitive this season. In exchange, the Sixers would get an excellent stretch five option in Jay Huff and take a flier on Ben Sheppard, who could be interesting if the jump shot ever becomes average or better.
It might be a tougher sell to get Grimes to waive his no-trade clause to go to Indiana. And if you’re the Sixers, this move likely comes as part one in a larger series of moves. But the deal makes sense in the event that both of those things come to fruition.
Overall, I’d consider it pretty likely that Grimes is still here after the deadline, and I’d say the Sixers still have a good shot at retaining him long term – it’s not as if Grimes is playing his way out of their price range so far this season. But if the Sixers can manage to flip him for a player who fills more of a need and is easier to re-sign long term, they would be wise to do so.
The “this might be our only chance to trade Paul George” trades
All season long, I have consistently been positive on Paul George. His defensive impact is still world-class. If he qualified based on games played, I might advocate for him to make an All-Defense team. The Sixers are 4.3 points per 100 possessions better on defense when George is on the floor, he’s eighth in the league in deflections per game, and the film shows an obviously great defensive player.
With that being said, $52 million is a lot of money for a guy who does feel like a souped-up Robert Covington on most nights. George can still pop off for 30+ points every now and then like he did Tuesday night against Milwaukee,, but his overall scoring numbers are only narrowly better on a per-possession basis to last year’s, which are a far cry even from his final year in L.A. in 2024 (25.6 points per 100 vs. 33.0). In terms of volume and efficiency, George’s offense is not particularly close to what any reasonable person would consider to be star-level production.
With that in mind, I think you’d have to at least hear out whatever offers come in for George – and given that there are some desperate teams out there who could use a player like PG, it might be the Sixers’ one and only shot to get off of this contract without giving up assets.
The most obvious trade partner there is Golden State. With Jimmy Butler out for the season and likely most of next season, the Warriors’ only hope of salvaging what’s left of the Curry-Draymond-Kerr era is trading Butler for a high-level player. With Butler’s contract being a year shorter than George’s, the Sixers open up some flexibility in 2027 while recouping a pick swap in 2028 that could prove quite valuable.
Here’s a bit of a crazy one: Would the Lakers say yes to a LeBron for PG swap? George fits what they need far more than James does – he would clean up a lot of their off-ball defense issues while also being willing to just stand in the corner, watch Doncic dribble, and hoist up threes.
The Sixers would get a player whose offense is still considerably more impactful than George’s, and whose passing ability would free up tons of off-ball actions for Maxey – and of course, they would open up $30+ million in cap space for the off-season. I kind of like it!
My guess would be that the Lakers demand an asset attached to George in this hypothetical trade. It would also be highly unusual for a franchise like the Lakers to trade a player like LeBron in a deal as unsexy as this one, unless James outright requests it. But given that there’s a lot of drama around LeBron at the moment and that their defense is simply too porous as-is to make a real push in the playoffs, the ability to pair George with Doncic and Reaves for the next couple years without giving anything up does come with some appeal.
The only other type of George trade that might make sense in terms of getting off his salary is a team stuck in the middle that’s willing to take on some additional years of big money to potentially raise their ceiling. Miami makes sense there, given their ample tradeable salary, lack of draft assets, and never-ending play-in status. George certainly offers a level of steadiness and well-roundedness to his game that Wiggins simply does not.
Much like with Grimes, I do expect PG to remain on the Sixers past the deadline. But if teams come calling and it allows the Sixers to open up flexibility in the long run – while potentially getting an asset, as well – they’d have to listen.
The “it’s always a good idea to buy low on a young player” trades
The one type of trade that makes evergreen sense for a team like the Sixers is buying low on a young player that they feel is undervalued by their current team. Figure that the targets should be something slightly below the caliber of how we all perceived Quentin Grimes at this time last year. If the Sixers believe that there’s an undervalued young player out there on the market, it’s a good idea to spend whatever it takes to get them.
One such candidate would be Pelicans center Yves Missi, who had an excellent rookie season – even making Second Team All-Rookie – before seeing his minutes cut this season due to the addition of rookie Derik Queen.
Missi is your prototypical rim running center, but has a respectable handle for a big man and can finish plays off of short rolls. Think of him like a bigger, stronger, more-under-control version of Adem Bona. With Justin Edwards suffering a similar fate on this Sixers team – getting buried in the rotation behind ample depth after a solid rookie year – I wonder if an Edwards-plus-picks for Missi package makes sense.
While he’s still young and developing, I would feel quite confident handing the keys over to Missi right now as the Sixers’ primary backup center. Sneakily, one of the Sixers’ biggest issues over their last 15 games or so is that they are back to being absolutely horrendous with Joel Embiid off the floor. Per pbpstats.com, the Sixers are -5.5 points per 100 possessions without Embiid on the floor since December 30th. Earlier this year, their ability to stay afloat and win games with Embiid off the floor was a pleasant surprise, but it has since dropped off dramatically – in large part, I would argue, due to subpar play from their backup centers.
Another hypothetical buy-low opportunity on a young center would be Brooklyn’s Day’Ron Sharpe. Sharpe is a much different player from Missi – he’s a skilled, slightly more ground-bound center who has very good passing chops for a big man. He would open up the potential to operate as a passing hub for the second unit to allow the Sixers’ guards to run around and find openings off the ball.
With the number of games that Embiid misses, having a big man who can provide some legitimate structure to your offense would be extremely valuable. Sharpe is not the rim protector that Missi is, but the ability to carry some degree of an offensive load is a rare skill for a backup center.
Here’s a bit of a crazier idea: even though he is out for the year, would the Sixers consider a Jared McCain for Dereck Lively 1-for-1 challenge trade?
Lively and McCain have both seen their stock decline since their respective rookie years, and it would be a huge gamble for both teams. But the Sixers have a glut of young guards and the Mavs have a glut of big men – if the Sixers have completely soured on McCain and they don’t expect him to contribute much this year anyway, the trade would make some sense for them.
If the Sixers feel confident in Adem Bona’s ability to hold down the fort as backup center for years to come (a sentiment I do not share – the defensive IQ is just not there), perhaps buying low on a young guard or forward would make more sense. One such player that I’ve long had a soft spot for is Wizards guard AJ Johnson: a hyper-athletic guard in his third season whose primary issue is his shaky jump shot – he’s shooting just 26 percent from deep for his career. Stylistically and skill-set wise, he reminds me a bit of (gulp) Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot.
One of the additional benefits of trading with the Wizards is that they have ample cap space to be able to take on salary. I would obviously prefer that they don’t do this, but if the Sixers are hellbent on shedding the luxury tax, one way to make that slightly less painful would be netting back an interesting, 21-year-old, 6-foot-5 guard.
The “It’s Giannis” trade
In case you missed it, Giannis Antetokounmpo has sorta-kinda demanded a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis is 31 years old and has two years remaining on his contract, plus a player option for 2027-28. The Sixers have not been mentioned by any major reporter as a legitimate suitor, but last week, Bill Simmons went semi-viral for suggesting a Giannis-to-Philly trade involving V.J. Edgecombe. Here was the exact deal he proposed:
The reaction from Sixers fans was overwhelmingly negative; in all the replies and comment sections, I don’t think I’ve actually seen a single Sixers fan say that they would do this. The vast majority of fans would rather have 9+ years of V.J. Edgecombe than potentially only a few years of Giannis, especially given the uncertainty of Embiid’s (and now Giannis’) health.
I get all that. I don’t think it’s crazy to say no to this, especially factoring in the sentimental value of having Edgecombe and the emotional upheaval that would come with suddenly rooting for Giannis. All that being said, I want to at least walk through why it warrants consideration. Don’t get mad – just hear me out!
I can’t help but wonder if we are all thinking with a bit too much sentimentality and ignoring A) how good Giannis actually is, and B) just how much sense this makes for the Sixers. This trade immediately makes the Sixers legitimate title contenders and also cleans up the “two timelines” problem that figures to be a point of tension for them for years to come. The Sixers suddenly go from a middling team plagued by the question of how they can try to win with Embiid and PG while not ruining the future for Edgecombe’s prime, to a team that can immediately win-now and has an obvious logical end-point for when they should pivot to a rebuild; they can go for broke for the next few years, and then trade Maxey and tank whenever Giannis and Embiid age out of relevance.
In all of the madness around the Bucks over the past few years, I think Giannis has somehow become underrated. He is a top-20 player of all time, still in his prime – and let’s be clear, he is very much still in his prime. Despite a horrendous supporting cast, Giannis is putting up a career-best 46.8 points per 100 possessions on a career-best 68 percent true shooting. The Bucks also have the equivalent of the league’s best offense when he is on the floor!
Giannis has not finished outside the top seven in MVP voting in 10 years. He is a walking, one-man 48 win season – you could give him the worst supporting cast imaginable, and your win total would still be somewhere in the high 40s if he is healthy. Even if Embiid’s health goes south immediately, I still think the team is a top-four seed in the East with the potential to beat anyone. Also worth noting: Giannis is constantly in the mix for All-Defense teams and is also one of the best rebounders in the league. He actively clears up some of the Sixers’ biggest weaknesses.
If you add Giannis, your immediate starting lineup would become Maxey-Grimes-Oubre-Giannis-Embiid. The knowledge that they’re locked into trying to win now would also free up the Sixers to shell out 1-2 other first round picks to round out their rotation with at least one other starter-quality player – could they trade the Clippers pick-plus-salary for Herb Jones? Then throw a couple seconds the Pacers’ way for Jay Huff? Regardless, the point is that the Sixers would have a kick-ass starting point with the potential to still add to it.
Going back to the original point, I don’t think it’s even fair to say that the Sixers have a “two timelines” thing happening right now. They have one blue-chip young player in Edgecombe. Maxey is five years older than Edgecombe; he is in his prime – perhaps at his absolute peak – right now. Quentin Grimes is the same age as Maxey, and is an impending free agent. Jared McCain’s career is no longer a surefire success. Justin Edwards and Adem Bona are fringe rotation players. They have one truly promising player under the age of 25, and given that they aren’t tanking and don’t have a surplus of draft capital, they don’t have many avenues to add another.
One last vital aspect to this, which is somewhat uncomfortable to acknowledge: starting in the 2029-2030 season, Maxey (assuming he’s even still at the level he is now) will be eligible for a supermax contract. I love Tyrese, and I’ve always been one of his strongest supporters, so I say this lovingly – I’m not sure you can win anything with a player like him making $65+ million per year. A huge part of the dilemma of supposedly building around a Maxey-Edgecombe backcourt is the fact that by the time the Sixers have Embiid and George off the books, they will have that Maxey extension looming around the corner. How do you add young-ish, blue-chip talent that fits the Maxey-Edgecombe timeline without any impending cap space, surplus of draft picks, or plan to bottom out and tank?
It would be one hell of a gamble, but I think you’re kidding yourself if you can’t see how much logical sense it makes. The ease with which the entire timeline fits together is pretty appealing to me – you are immediately a contender and you don’t have to worry about splitting the baby in terms of your future.
I dunno, man. It’s Giannis! I think we would all get over the pain of losing Edgecombe if Giannis leads the Sixers to a deep playoff run(s). The two-man game with him and Maxey would be electric – Maxey, unlike Damian Lillard, has always shown a willingness and ability to play without the ball and establish synergy in pick and rolls and dribble hand-offs. Embiid, whatever you think of his future health prospects, can still fill in the scoring gaps and protect the rim at a high level – something that will only be complemented by Giannis.
I think I would do it, guys. I doubt the Sixers will – they seem to really love Edgecombe as an organization, and the overall vibes in the locker room seem to be great. And for me personally, I would not be at all sad to stick with V.J. and miss out on Giannis – like I said, I love this Sixers team! But the fact remains that by all current indicators, this team is merely pretty good, and they are likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. The very thing that got me roped into The Process was the idea of escaping the middle and contending for a title, and this trade may be their last shot at doing so for a long, long time.
Mike O’Connor is the best O’Connor in basketball writing. Previously of The Athletic, you can find Mike on Twitter @MOConnor_NBA. Mike’s writing is brought to you by Body Bio, supplements based on science, focusing on your gut and brain health.