The Philadelphia 76ers are the talk of the NBA, but not for the right reasons. They are just 2-10 to start the season and their best player, Joel Embiid, has already missed 10 of their first 12 games thus far. His absence, along with Paul George's early absence, has ignited discussion about player management, with many stars having already missed significant time.
With Embiid's health up in the air and the Sixers losing ground to the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers and the stacked Boston Celtics, they are reportedly looking to make a major deal to try and keep pace, according to Bleacher Reports' Jake Fischer.
Unlike many playoff teams, the Sixers actually have plenty of trade assets after the James Harden deal netted them two first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, and a second-round pick.
NBA Rumors: Who can the Philadelphia 76ers target in a trade?
The Sixers also have most of their own selections, which would help them make a big in-season trade. While they don't have much in the way of expendable salary, they could package Kenyon Martin Jr. and another player to acquire a key player to help them this season. One such option could include Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, whom they have already been linked to.
Kuminga doesn't appear to have a long-term role with the Warriors and they failed to agree to a contract extension with him. That means that he will enter restricted free agency next summer and the Warriors could easily lose him if they aren't willing to pay him.
As a result, the Warriors may be willing to part with him and the Sixers have assets such as a first-round pick to convince them to do so. If not Kuminga, then there are sure to be other low-cost options that the Sixers can explore trading for.
At this point in the season, it may be too early to know what they need since Embiid has only played a couple of games and he, George, and Tyrese Maxey have yet to play a regular season game together one month into the season. When healthy, the Sixers may not need much after a terrific offseason roster makeover.
Their problem is that they may never be fully healthy. Therefore, Sixers team president Daryl Morey is smart to scour the trade market for potential deals to try and bolster their roster. However, no matter which deal he makes, it won't matter unless his stars are healthy come playoff time and that remains to be seen.