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The Sixers' four moves before the 2014 trade deadline certainly sent the Philadelphia professional basketball team further into the tank, but it also revealed some of the trends we can continue to expect from new Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie.
The biggest takeaway is this: breaking news and talking about NBA transactions is difficult as it is, but it's especially challenging before the Sixers under Hinkie prepare to make a giant splash. Yes, flipping Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen for Danny Granger and a future second-round pick isn't the Jrue Holiday trade, but it was the biggest splash of the deadline. Similarly to the moments before Hinkie pulled the trigger on draft night, news filtering out of the Sixers front office shut down. It was like an iron shell encapsulating the Navy Yard. Whenever you see confusion from reporters on an incoming Sixers deal, prepare for an epic WojBomb.
Hinkie's front office seems like they will consistently deliver, too. We've expected the Sixers to deal Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner for quite some time now, and even though the return haul wasn't quite as what Philadelphia fans would have hoped, he still made good on the basketball world's expectations. We'll never know exactly what's up his sleeve, but we know he'll always be looking to make the obviously smart move and should be able to pull the trigger nine times out of ten.
Getting something for Spencer and Evan rather than letting them walk -- something I've always been a proponent of -- has to be considered a win. And with all those second round picks, remember this is the same guy who turned a mediocre 2nd into Chandler Parsons.
Hinkie has his ears perked at all times during trade talk, as well. Back in December, the Sixers GM tried to get his team involved in a three-team deal to facilitate the Houston Rockets' trading of disgruntled center Omer Asik. At the deadline, he traded a top-55 protected second-round pick in order to receive two second-rounders and Eric Maynor as a third party in the deal that sent Andre Miller to the Washington Wizards.
The Sixers continue to have the future in mind with every move. Hinkie and Brett Brown have continued to comment on this "process" and that it will take a meticulous waiting period. Nobody's more committed than Hinkie to his process. Believe in that, check back in a few years for the fruit of his labor.