Philadelphia 76ers: 3 reasons to make a trade approaching deadline

The Philadelphia 76ers are going to need to add a few pieces before the trade deadline passes, and they have to be good ones.

It’s officially that time of year, where NBA fans and pundits come together to talk about how their teams can improve before the trade deadline. It’s kind of funny, we find ourselves talking so much about what isn’t working and what to change, instead of what is working.

For Philadelphia 76ers fans, the quibbles with roster construction started long ago. As a result of waiting on star free agents LeBron James and Paul George to make their decisions, Philly missed out on signing quality role players, and instead opted to run it back with one-year deals.

This was done with the intent to get a finishing piece or two as the team developed over the course of the 2018-19 season, which is sensible because of the team’s lack of identity prior to this campaign.

However, that strategy also backfired. After trading for star swingman Jimmy Butler, an already depleted roster got a lot thinner. I will never argue against the cost analysis of that deal, but the Sixers also did nothing to supplement said cost.

Put simply: The bench is terrible, and the team’s fifth starter is a shell of his former self. While every team (even the Golden State Warriors) needs to improve to seriously contend for a title, Philly is much more desperate to do so.

These claims might beg a question of the audience, though: Why make a trade at all? Here are a few big-picture reasons.