February 22, 2017
With less than 20 hours left before Thursday's NBA Trade Deadline, the Sixers finally made their first move – although it likely wasn't the one most people expected.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Sixers will send Ersan Ilyasova to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Tiago Splitter and a pair of second-round picks.
Sixers are finalizing a trade to Ersan Ilyasova to Atlanta for Tiago Splitter and two second-round picks, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 23, 2017
Source: Atlanta's sending a 2017 second-round pick (via Miami) in the Sixers trade. Hawks/Sixers swapping other 2017 second-rounders.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 23, 2017
Ilyasova, who was acquired at the beginning of the season along with a conditional first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jerami Grant, averaged 11 points and six rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game this season for the Sixers. In addition to getting two second-rounders out of Atlanta, Colangelo also acquired Splitter, a 6-foot-11 big man who is yet to play this season due to injuries.
Far more important than his stats, however, is the fact that he, like Ilyasova, will be a free agent after the year and thus won't impact the Sixers' ability to sign free agents this summer.
More to come...
Follow Matt on Twitter: @matt_mullin
