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Philadelphia 76ers: Pass or pursue on 5 NBA trade deadline rumors

By Josh Cornelissen

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors waves to his family during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Amalie Arena on January 29, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors waves to his family during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Amalie Arena on January 29, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. /
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Nemanja Bjelica, Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers, NBA trade deadline Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images /

Pass or Pursue: Nemanja Bjelica, PF, Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings are clinging to postseason hopes, but they are no more than a faint whisper at this point. The expectation leaguewide is that they will capitulate to reality and move a few veteran pieces at the deadline for assets.

The Philadelphia 76ers need to add a stretch element to their frontcourt rotation. Mike Scott has not been an answer this season, and other than Joel Embiid himself this team’s big rotation are non-shooters, from Ben Simmons to Dwight Howard to Tony Bradley.

Enter Nemanja Bjelica, a classic stretch-4 who is a career 38.8 percent shooter. In the vein of another midseason acquisition from Philadelphia’s past in Ersan Ilyasova, Bjelica has the size to play the 4 or small-ball 5 in offense-oriented lineups. He can space the court around Simmons as a weapon deployed in specific matchups. He meets a need and the cost to acquire him shouldn’t rise above the “decent second-round pick” range. If the 76ers don’t pull the trigger on a bigger fish, he’s a perfectly reasonable acquisition.

Verdict: Pursue

Pass or Pursue: Mike Muscala, PF, Oklahoma City Thunder

Same channel, different player. Muscala is a “Bjelica-lite” option at stretch-4. A former 76er himself, Muscala is hitting 37 percent of his 5.3 3-pointers per game despite averaging just 18.4 minutes a night. He is launching 10.3 3-pointer per-36 minutes. Part of being a floor spacer is making shots, but part of it is the willingness to take them.

Muscala is largely a hole defensively, but on a team with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons that could be forgivable. At $2.3 million he has a very movable salary, and the Oklahoma City Thunder likely wouldn’t need much to part with his services, especially given the low cost it took for the Miami Heat to acquire the more valuable Trevor Ariza from the Thunder.

Mention Muscala is already a local hero among Philadelphia fans because of his game-winning shot in the final game of the season for the Thunder. That shot gave the Thunder another win, bumping them out of the top 20 records and delivering to the 76ers the Thunder’s “top 20” protected first-round pick, a pick they used to bring in Tyrese Maxey.

The best part of acquiring Muscala is that he can fill a need while not preventing them (via assets or matching salary) from bringing in backcourt/wing help. His return to Philadelphia could be an easy, no-brainer move.

Verdict: Pursue