Biggest winners and losers of the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline
Loser: Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers (shooting), Boston Celtics (bench scoring) and Oklahoma City Thunder (wing depth) all entered the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline with specific needs to fulfill their playoff aspirations. Like the Celtics and Thunder, the Sixers came up empty, failing to make a single move.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
Unlike the Thunder and Celtics, however, the Sixers stand less of a chance of competing with the legitimate playoff contenders on the buyout market. Boston already got Greg Monroe, while OKC is reportedly the frontrunner for Joe Johnson in the event of a buyout.
Philly, meanwhile, failed to swing a trade for Tyreke Evans. They couldn’t get their hands on Marco Belinelli either. For a team that severely needs help in the 3-point shooting department, this has to be disappointing.
To be fair, the Sixers are still in a good place. They’re No. 8 in the East, J.J. Redick is healthy again and Joel Embiid is even playing back-to-backs now.
However, for all the hype surrounding Embiid and Ben Simmons, this team is only one game above .500, and mere percentage points ahead of ninth-place Detroit in the standings. A move — even for a potential rental — to bolster the roster for a playoff run would’ve been welcome, especially since anything less than a postseason berth will be sorely disappointing for The Process.
Next: 2017-18 Week 17 NBA Power Rankings
Now, the Sixers will turn their attention to a robust buyout market in the hopes of snagging some depth over the heavy-hitters in both conferences.