February 04, 2019
UPDATE [2:10 p.m.] — Wizards guard John Wall has been ruled out for the next 12 months after tearing his Achilles' tendon when he slipped and fell at his home.
Kyle Neubeck has an in-depth look at what that might mean for the Sixers heading into the trade deadline (and beyond). You can read his full story, here.
The NBA Trade Deadline is rapidly approaching, with all trades needing to be finalized before February 7 at 3 p.m. And with the Sixers looking to contend for the Eastern Conference title this season, there's a chance first-year general manager Elton Brand becomes a buyer before the trade clock expires on Thursday.
Our own Kyle Neubeck has already written extensively on the trade deadline, and you can read some of his work here:
• Ranking Sixers' top needs heading into Thursday's NBA trade deadline
• Will Wilson Chandler's injury impact Sixers' approach to NBA trade deadline?
• What should the Sixers do with Markelle Fultz at the NBA trade deadline?
• The Sixers could benefit from Knicks trade of Kristaps Porzingis
• Sixers can make NBA's best trade offer for Anthony Davis, but they probably shouldn't
• How does Anthony Davis trade request impact the Sixers?
And that's just in the week or so. Kyle also answered a ton of trade-specific questions in his Sixers chat back on Friday, which is definitely worth checking out.
Yesterday, we caught you up on the latest regarding Wesley Matthews, who was recently acquired by the Knicks in the Kristaps Porzingis trade and is likely to be on the move again before the trade deadline.
But with not much news on the Sixers front this morning, today's focus is going to be on a former Sixers player. And not just any former Sixer, but a fan favorite who was shipped off via a trade earlier this season: Dario Saric.
According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, Dario Saric could already be on his way out in Minnesota, where he was sent, along with Robert Covington, as part of the trade that brought Jimmy Butler to Philly.
One of the highlights of the package brought back by the Timberwolves in the trade of Jimmy Butler to Philadelphia was forward Dario Saric, who is in his third year and was expected to be a solid stretch-4 to play alongside star center Karl-Anthony Towns.
But Saric has not displaced Taj Gibson in the starting five, and he has seen his production and playing time steadily decrease under new coach Ryan Saunders. Saric averaged 10.3 points and 23.3 minutes under former coach Tom Thibodeau. In his last 11 games, though, Saric is averaging 5.6 points and 20.6 minutes.
Saric could find himself on the trade block by Thursday. The Wolves likely would prefer to wait until the offseason to make a trade involving what was supposed to be the most valuable piece they got in return for Butler, but according to one league executive, "He could be had for a decent offer, a first-rounder and a player." [sportingnews.com]
Interestingly enough, Saric is very much the type of player the Sixers could use right now — a forward that can spread the floor but can also put in work down low when needed. Unfortunately, the Sixers aren't able to acquire him via trade this season because of CBA rules (since they already traded him once this season). They'd have to wait until after the season is over.
In the meantime, follow along to get the latest on this, and every other NBA trade rumor that arises in our live chat/open thread below:
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