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As we've already discussed, the Sporting News reported that the Sixers are actively pushing to trade Evan Turner with the flip of the calendar. While Sam Hinkie and company have certainly been proactive in trade discussions after eight teams called Philadelphia in January, sources have told Liberty Ballers that the Sixers front office will remain patient until the deadline and focus more on receiving trade offers rather than initiating them.
"He's playing chess not checkers," one league source said in a text message about the Sixers rookie general manager. "He has a vision and knows very well they have some big fish to fry."
The source went on to say that the Sixers plan over the next two weeks has the longterm in mind and not simply just this summer's impending draft.
2014 NBA Draft
2014 NBA Draft
A rival Atlantic Division executive echoed the same perspective on Hinkie as well, texting that the GM has a plan and the entire league is anxiously awaiting what he'll pull at the deadline.
With that in mind, the Sixers won't be calling up teams begging to unload one of Turner, Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young. For starters, the team doesn't have to in order to finish in the bottom three of the entire league. The Sixers' lack of defensive competency — 25th in the NBA — should keep them in the bottom four of the league regardless of their offensive production, especially now that the Orlando Magic are healthy for the first time this season. Shopping one of those three trade chips also only lowers each player's individual market value. On the surface it might not seem like it, but the difference in saying a player is available and actively pursuing trade options goes a long way in discussions amongst NBA front offices.
Further, there is value in keeping all three of Turner, Hawes and Young for the remainder of this season. By doing so, the Sixers could let Turner and Hawes' contracts roll off the salary cap and renounce their bird rights to free up plenty of wiggle room for the future and Thaddeus Young would be a fantastic veteran to lead a team with four lottery picks in two years moving forward. Remember: not trading Turner and Hawes won't necessarily mean the Sixers will re-sign them this summer — and all indications are that they won't — and it also won't mean Hinkie failed at the deadline.
With just 15 days remaining until the trade deadline, reports will continue to come out and rumors will swirl, but Hinkie and company will remain patient and let the trade offers come to them.
