The Sixers started free agency off with a flurry of news with the Harden opting out of his contract and the additions of PJ Tucker, Danuel House, and Trevelin Queen. Harden apparently chose to opt out to give the Sixers more cap flexibility to go out and sign more free agents, but there hasn’t been any news since the first day. Harden is said to be in talks with the Sixers front office to re-sign to a new deal, but the fact nothing has been signed makes it seem like there are still more moves the Sixers are expecting to make.
The Sixers would know how much they could afford to play Harden if the roster was set in stone, so the fact the deal remains unsigned has fans speculating there could be moves or trades in the works that would affect Harden’s extension. This roster is not finished but now the question is simply, what are the next moves the Sixers will make?
Possible Trades
The Sixers roster can definitely still be improved but with their limited available cap space, the most likely way to get impact players would be via trade. Real difference makers for teams are rarely on minimum contracts, which is what the Sixers would be able to offer to the remaining free agents, so to get an impact player it would have to be through a trade (unless someone takes a big pay cut). Some possible trades the Sixers could be making, according to rumors are:
- Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks
- This past weekend Reggie Bullock was in several pictures on social media that indicated he would be playing in Philadelphia this upcoming season, and he even reposted a couple of those photos. However Reggie Bullock is under contract with the Mavericks for two more seasons, so there would need to be a trade. There have not been reports of a deal from Woj, but obviously if the player is reposting stories about him in Philadelphia that is a pretty reliable source. While there have been some fans speculating it could be a deal for Tobias Harris, there would need to be several more players from the Mavericks to make the money work for both sides
- Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
- The Sixers interest in Eric Gordon has been documented since before the NBA draft, but a deal has yet to be reached because of the Rockets asking price. There were reports the Sixers were trying to flip their draft pick and Danny Green for Gordon on draft night, but that package was sent to Memphis for De’Anthony Melton. However, that did not put a damper on the reports that the Sixers were still looking to acquire Eric Gordon. Gordon would be yet another Rockets player that Daryl Morey would be reuniting with Harden and the others in Philly, but it sounds like the Rockets believe he is worth much more than what the Sixers have offered so far.
Both of these players would be improvements to the Sixers depth and would definitely make the Sixers even more formidable as contenders this upcoming season. Reggie Bullock is a good 3 and D player who has put together back to back seasons of being a key rotational player on playoff teams. He had big moments for both the Mavericks and the the Knicks the past two years and would be another player who could space the floor for Harden and Embiid.
Eric Gordon has been an elite bench scorer in the league for years now and the Sixers had one of the worst benches in the league after the Harden trade. Gordon would definitely provide the Sixers with a much needed spark off the bench and pairing him with De’Anthony Melton would give the Sixers great depth. Both players could shoulder the scoring load off the bench and Gordon’s previous history with Harden on the Rockets would make sense with how things have unfolded so far this offseason.
