Just In: 76ers trade deadline 2024: Buy or sell Alex Caruso, Dejounte Murray, other targets
The Philadelphia 76ers will be one of the main teams to watch at the 2024 NBA trade deadline. In a trade market that is rumored to feature a more concrete batch of buyers than sellers, the Sixers should see a lot of competition as they try to build further around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
The 76ers lost out on two feasible trade targets when OG Anunoby, one of the most sought-after trade targets over the past two seasons, was traded in a deal that included Immanuel Quickley, a dark-horse target who checked a lot of boxes. Yet there are still a whole bunch of players that should be on the trade block and could boost Philly’s chances at making a championship run.
Ideally, the 76ers would like to add a player who can create offense and contribute on both ends of the floor. It could be hard to find such a contributor at a cost they can afford, though. Any that they can get are likely to eat into the cap space that Daryl Morey has touted for months as a way to upgrade the team. But it would be well worth it if the new player (or players) finally help Philly win a second-round series.
Let’s examine the main 76ers trade targets and how well-equipped they are to contribute to that goal. Each player that could feasibly be acquired by the Sixers will be labeled as a candidate to buy or sell based on their fit with the team. Typical trade-value factors such as contract and health will be considered, too.
Zach LaVine: Buy, but with caution
Perhaps the biggest potential trade domino in the league has been linked to the 76ers here and there. As of now, the expectation is that Philly won’t be in major pursuit of him. The Maxey-LaVine backcourt would have some defensive concerns, sure, but the Chicago Bulls guard could be the scorer/playmaker that elevates the Sixers stars and gives the team a much-needed tertiary creator that also has utility off the ball.
Having two guards who can cook on the ball and launch threes off the catch would give the Philly offense more options against top defenses and ease Maxey’s workload. Giving Embiid another dynamic scorer while Maxey sits would be huge, especially on a team with so few reliable ball-handlers. While LaVine doesn’t have a great reputation defensively, he did play his part on an elite defensive team last season. He has the athleticism and size to be productive on that end for Philly.
LaVine is owed over $40 million in each of the next two seasons, so trading for him is a major commitment. His performance this year, admittedly, is indicting fears of long-term commitment, as is the foot issue that just sidelined him for over a month. But if Philly can get a version of LaVine that better resembles his form from the past few years, the payoff could be massive.
Kyle Kuzma: Sell
Although Kuzma has put up some nice stats with the Washington Wizards and could be an upgrade over Tobias Harris, nothing about his game indicates that he will be a big enough boost to surrender assets.
Kuzma does offer some ball-handling utility and positional versatility on defense but he isn’t a super efficient shooter. From the days when he had the benefit of LeBron James’ gravity and playmaking to now as more of a primary option, his catch-and-shoot three-point efficiency doesn’t stand out. He rarely shoots at the rim, where he is decently efficient, and takes a lot of mid-range shots, where he is brutally inefficient.
Zach LaVine: Buy, but with caution
Perhaps the biggest potential trade domino in the league has been linked to the 76ers here and there. As of now, the expectation is that Philly won’t be in major pursuit of him. The Maxey-LaVine backcourt would have some defensive concerns, sure, but the Chicago Bulls guard could be the scorer/playmaker that elevates the Sixers stars and gives the team a much-needed tertiary creator that also has utility off the ball.
Having two guards who can cook on the ball and launch threes off the catch would give the Philly offense more options against top defenses and ease Maxey’s workload. Giving Embiid another dynamic scorer while Maxey sits would be huge, especially on a team with so few reliable ball-handlers. While LaVine doesn’t have a great reputation defensively, he did play his part on an elite defensive team last season. He has the athleticism and size to be productive on that end for Philly.
LaVine is owed over $40 million in each of the next two seasons, so trading for him is a major commitment. His performance this year, admittedly, is indicting fears of long-term commitment, as is the foot issue that just sidelined him for over a month. But if Philly can get a version of LaVine that better resembles his form from the past few years, the payoff could be massive.
Kyle Kuzma: Sell
Although Kuzma has put up some nice stats with the Washington Wizards and could be an upgrade over Tobias Harris, nothing about his game indicates that he will be a big enough boost to surrender assets.
Kuzma does offer some ball-handling utility and positional versatility on defense but he isn’t a super efficient shooter. From the days when he had the benefit of LeBron James’ gravity and playmaking to now as more of a primary option, his catch-and-shoot three-point efficiency doesn’t stand out. He rarely shoots at the rim, where he is decently efficient, and takes a lot of mid-range shots, where he is brutally inefficient.
Going back to a third option may be a process that takes some time after being a lead creator in Toronto. Plus, after the season, Siakam will seek a max contract that is sure to be an overpay. The 76ers don’t seem to be a major suitor for him and it’s probably for the best.
Alex Caruso: Buy
Caruso would fit like a glove with the Sixers. The same is true for many other teams, which is why the price will be quite high for him if the Bulls decide to actually cash in.
The 76ers could use a stellar on-ball defender like Caruso to boost their starting lineup. Even if he doesn’t sustain his 40.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc, he has the makings of a dependable shooter on top of being a good connective playmaker. He would bring not only strong on-ball defense but great screen navigation and physicality at the point of attack. He racks up steals and blocks at elite rates, as he is just one of just three players with steal and block percentages each at 2.5 percent over 30 games. (The other two? Former Sixers Matisse Thybulle and Andre Drummond.)
Bogdan Bogdanovic: Buy
Averaging 3.3 long balls per game on a 36.9-percent clip, Bogdanovic would work wonders for Philly. The Atlanta Hawks guard is the type of high-volume shooter that would make life easier for the 76ers’ stars and vice versa.
Adding a player who can shoot flying off of screens and off the dribble would make it much harder for defenses to send extra bodies over to Maxey and Embiid. Floor spacing is as much about respect for a shooter as it is for how good that shooter actually is. Bogdanovic’s percentages are lesser than other guys but he makes up for it by shooting, shooting, and shooting some more. Any interior scoring, playmaking or defense Philly would get from Bogdanovic is a bonus.
Dejounte Murray: Sell
The idea of what Murray could be continues to be substantially better than the player he actually is. Even if the Sixers can unlock some value from him that the chronically mid Hawks couldn’t, he would have to drastically alter his game to be a good fit with Philly.
Murray takes a lot of mid-range shots, which makes him a stylistic clash with Embiid. He is shooting well from beyond the arc this season but does not have a long history of being a marksman. The uptick in his three-point shooting frequency suggests the improvement is at least somewhat legitimate but even still, he isn’t one to post a significantly high volume of threes. His shooting at the rim in terms of both volume and efficiency is ghastly this season, which also means he doesn’t draw many fouls, and his defense is not as elite as his All-Defensive Team selection from years ago suggests.
The 76ers have been one of the most frequently linked teams to Murray, which suggests he could be the exception to the prevailing narrative that Philly is likely to pursue only upgrades on the margins. If he can become comfortable with the ball in his hands less and focus more on defense, he could be a good fit with Philly. But such a change in mindset is very difficult to gauge.
Delon Wright: Buy
A former Raptor who spent years with Nurse during his stint as both a Toronto assistant coach and head coach, Wright would boost the Sixers’ depth nicely. Like Caruso, Wright is a guard-sized wing who provides defense, secondary playmaking, and three-point shooting.
When he’s not shooting a three, the Wizards guard looking to get right to the rim, where he has scored efficiently and earned foul-line visits. But his shooting from deep isn’t all that, as his volume and efficiency are around the league average. At least this season, which was previously broken up by a knee sprain, his finishing has been awful. There are some minor injury concerns with him since he is now in a second season that featured an injury that sidelined him for at least 20 games, though he has otherwise been healthy and available to play.
There are better options for Philly but Wright is a perfectly fine fall-back option.
Tyus Jones: Sell
For as solid of a player as Jones is, he doesn’t play the type of basketball that a guard of his size needs to in order to be a high-level playoff contributor. He’s not a three-point bomber, a stellar defender, or a strong finisher at the hoop. Philly can get a very similar level of production that Jones would provide from Patrick Beverley.
