Buyers or sellers? Finders or keepers? Fancy or dancy?
These are all questions Ed Stefanski, Rod Thorn, and Pink have to ask themselves as the February 19th trade deadline approaches. As the Melodrama with Carmelo Anthony plays out over the next few days, it remains a hope of many Sixers fans to be that coveted third team in a Melo-to-NY deal. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as if Thorn will be sidling into that arrangement.
So what are the Sixers going to do? They've won 6 of their last 8 games and sit 3 games behind the Knicks for the 6th seed but Charlotte lingers just 1.5 games back in the 9th seed. Making the playoffs is certainly no sure thing and, despite the recent surge, there's nobody seriously thinking the Sixers are going to contend with Boston and Miami. But if you believe, like the Sixers brass (and Kate Fagan) do, then you're probably going to want them to trade for a big man.
If you're eying up centers, Clippers castoff Chris Kaman or Portland's perennially injured twosome of Marcus Camby and Joel Przybilla are tops in the market, which doesn't exactly say much for the market. Tayshaun Prince could be had from Detroit, and possibly the mega-expiring contract of Andrei Kirilenko for the right price. Who on the Sixers is most available and appealing to others to get somebody back?
I'm operating under the assumption here that, mercifully, Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday will not be traded. /crosses fingers and toes. Unfortunately, under a similar assumption, Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand are off the market.
Thaddeus Young
Thad is having a ridiculously efficient season as the team 6th or 7th man. While his WS/48 has dipped to third on the team, he's far and away tops in eFG% and trails only Jodie Meeks in true shooting percentage. But he's a restricted free agent after this year and if the Thorfanski Monster doesn't think he's worth a 4/5 year deal worth 6-8 million as a bench player (/crosses other appendages), he could be on the move. Thad is generally well-received around the league despite his below average off the ball defense and poor rebounding (for a power forward) and is definitely a movable trade chip. Here's Jordan's write-up on Thad's last season in Philly from a few weeks ago.
Marreese Speights
This is an obvious choice because of how often Mo finds himself in Doug Collins' dog house. He doesn't play enough defense to merit extended time, but the fact that Tony Battie often sees the court before him displays Collins bias against Speights. Despite the potential he shows by rebounding effectively and being able to score in bunches, it does not seem like Marreese has a future in Philly and could be moved soon. Unlike Thad, Mo doesn't have as good of a reputation for his poor work ethic and sparing playing time. For Mo's sake, a trade is probably best for his career.
Jason Kapono
As an expiring contract and the best three-point shooter to pass through the NBA in a long time, Kapono is definitely coveted around the league. He is undeniably a liability on defense (and most parts of the offense) but for a contender that needs a sharpshooter to knock down shots for 10 minutes a night and then come off the books, JK is what they're looking for. Losing him won't hurt the current team at all, seeing as Jason spends most of his evening on the bench.
Louis Williams
This is more for me than any realm of possibility, but Lou isn't the backup point guard this team needs and, if they find a suitor for a ball-controlling shooter/slasher with limited upside and minimal effort on defense, he could be moved. It's unlikely because of how much Collins leans on him to score off the bench, even if it comes at the detriment of any offensive rhythm or defensive stops. Jrue's string of bad games doesn't help either.