The 76ers are trying to put things in place ahead of the June 23 NBA draft and free agency.
Multiple league sources have said the team is gauging teams’ interest in Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, and Shake Milton, in addition to potential trade partners for Danny Green and the No. 23 pick.
The Sixers are trying to gauge the market and see what they can get for the players and draft pick, one source said. This approach is part of their effort to compile information and see what deals could work when it’s time to make a trade.
The Sixers realize their current roster is not suited to win an NBA championship. They’re determined to upgrade it with established players who can help propel them.
Harris, Thybulle, Milton, Korkmaz, Green, and the draft pick are the best available trade assets, with the team focused on keeping Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. James Harden, whose stock has declined, has said that he intends to pick up his $47.3 million option for next season.
» READ MORE: Trading Danny Green and the No. 23 pick could help the Sixers’ efforts to contend next season
Harris has two years and $76.9 million remaining on the five-year, $180-million contract he signed on July 10, 2019.
The Sixers have publicly stated that they’re going to bring their core players back, including Harris. However, privately the team is, once again, trying to see what the market is for their fourth-leading scoring behind Embiid, Harden and Maxey.
They unsuccessfully tried to trade Harris in the past, as he was included in some instances in a package with Ben Simmons, before the February trade deadline. The Sixers eventually sent Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks along with Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets for Harden and Paul Millsap.
The Sixers would love to acquire a third star to play alongside perennial All-Stars Embiid and Harden. A trade would also allow Harris to be more involved in a team’s game plan. He has been the third or fourth option throughout his Sixers tenure.
Harris’ contract is the best way to facilitate the type of move that would bring another maximum salary player to a Sixers team over the salary cap. But the Sixers will have to find a team willing to take on his salary. They might also have to include assets, perhaps through a third team, to entice a squad with available cap space to take on Harris’ deal.
Thybulle was deemed untouchable before last season’s trade deadline. The Sixers’ refusal to trade him was a small holdup in the Nets trade.
However, Thybulle, who is a three-year veteran and two-time second-team All-Defensive selection, has not progressed offensively at the pace the Sixers would like. In the playoffs, Thybulle was left wide open at times while his defender roamed around or double-teamed another player. He also missed significant time in the Sixers’ first-round series against the Raptors because he is unvaccinated.
» READ MORE: The Sixers haven’t handled their third star properly. Tobias Harris is the latest example.
But this offseason marks the first offseason Thybulle is able to focus on improving his offensive game. He was unable to do that during the pandemic lockdown following his rookie season. Then he spent last summer with the Australian men’s basketball team, winning a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
However, team president Daryl Morey is said to be a fan of Thybulle, who is heading into the final year of his rookie deal. Thybulle will be eligible for a five-year, $186 million extension this summer. While it’s unlikely that he’ll get that extension, his status with the team is something to pay close attention to.
The Sixers have a club option of $1.9 million on Milton for next season. However, there’s a belief around the league that the team won’t pick it up.
If that’s the case, it would make sense to try to package him in a trade in order to get something back in return. The problem is, teams don’t want to trade for a player they…
Read More: Sixers gauging trade market for Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and others: