The Sixers have shown interest in acquiring Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, but they may have to part with Markelle Fultz to get a deal done.
Philadelphia has a need for more athleticism and defense off its bench, which Dedmon would provide. The 29-year-old is averaging 10.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in his second season with Atlanta.
The Sixers have been reluctant to part with Fultz, even though he has played just 33 games since being selected first overall in the 2017 draft. He remains sidelined indefinitely with thoracic outlet syndrome and continues to do rehab work on his shoulder.
At $8.3MM, Fultz is a rare mid-level contract on a team that has nine players making less than $5MM, Bontemps notes. Dedmon has a $7.2MM expiring contract, but Philadelphia may not have anything else that the Hawks want for salary matching purposes if Fultz isn’t included.
The Sixers thinned out their bench by sending Robert Covington and Dario Saric to Minnesota in the trade for Jimmy Butler. Coach Brett Brown tried Furkan Korkmaz as a backup forward, but teams were exploiting his defensive weaknesses too frequently to leave him in the lineup, according to Bontemps. Brown has attempted to turn backup center Mike Muscala into a power forward, but it’s tough for him to guard smaller and more mobile players at that position.
Muscala is a 4/5 who has trouble with quicker 4’s, and Korkmaz is a 2, not strong enough to cover 3’s. So, the answer is to bring in Dedmon?
I have no view on what Philly should do with Fultz. But that decision shouldn’t turn on the need for a matching contract in secondary trade.
Yes, Dedmon could play backup 4, so he’d improve that position. He’d also improve the bench shooting as Joel’s backup.
Would be a nice gamble for the Hawks…better than a second round pick
Don’t do it. Wait out a buyout player. Use Fultz’s contract for something better.
It’s a gamble to wait for the buyout market. No guarantee he would sign with Philly.
I’m torn with this too because I’d rather try to trade Fultz when his value is higher…if it can get any better. But at the same time, the Lakers are looking more appealing for players who are bought out. Brewer should be on the roster. I don’t know we get as lucky as we did last year with waiver pickups.
I’d say Moore is a better fit. Good shooter. Similar contract and available
I like Moore, but he would take them out of the max FA market in the offseason.
Isn’t fultz guaranteed for next season too?
yeah, good call. I’d been thinking about non-Fultz expiring contract + draft picks trades for Moore earlier this week and imported that thinking to a Fultz trade. I don’t think Moore would have much cap effect if traded for Fultz.
Wait what… not a good use of Fultz’ contract.
Fultz is garbage but Dedmon isn’t getting him on an expiring deal. BC really screwed up the 17 draft for sixers
If it was Taurean Prince & Dedmon… Okay. Maybe using Fultz’s money would be good. However they could also use his contract NEXT year as an expiring deal b/c they will have little to no cap space to improve the roster and are like 95% going to decline his option.
Dedmon shouldn’t cost more than a one or two twos in addition to expiring deals like… Patton, Amir, Korkmaz. Basically how I’ve outlined the Prince/Dedmon trade from the get-go.
Prince & Dedmon for Patton, Amir, Korkmaz a 1st and (2) 2nds. Money works.
The 1st is not high, right? This sounds “less favorable” to Atlanta. Or at least, they would think so, since they recently considered Prince a building block.
Previous regime picked him.
It would take a head injury for Amir to accept a trade to ATL.
Wow he had veto rights? 1st person to ever bring that up. Bringing him back looks even worse. But I think they could get him to go. Hed get BO or waived anyway and end up on the Warriors.
Yes, any player who re-signs with his team for one year or for two years with an option on the second year can veto a trade.
This is the list for this season: link to hoopsrumors.com
Good point about his possibly being willing to do it with a guaranteed buyout. I’m still not totally sure he’d agree under those circumstances, but it’s more likely than I was thinking.
Yea the signing was bad, I hated it, thought it was a wasted roster spot.
Maybe have Raymond Brothers talk to one of his other clients and push for a BO….. Name is Zach Randolph. Solves Philly’s 4 problem for this year.
Dedmon and Lin or Prince would be a better start
Muscala may have trouble with quicker 4s, but other 5s have trouble with Muscala.
Sounds like a Muscala phase-out, and that they should offer Muscala (not Fultz) for Dedmon, but… Muscala was just there already so it looks stupid all around.
Philly already has athleticism and defense option at the 5: Put Embiid back in. How is this not working?– Muscala offers variety.
There are shot-blocking 4s available, heck they already have improving Jonah Bolden to replace fading Amir Johnson. This is a need from the buyout list, or a Chandler trade.
Muscala can’t be traded back to the Hawks. If he could, I doubt the Hawks would worry about looking stupid.
It’s not working because the Sixers bench has nobody who is actually reliably good at defense. Bolden is the only even so-so defender on the bench.
If ATL is trying to trade Dedmon for picks, the Sixers could send out Patton and Korkmacz and the cap situation would work.
Well if the Hawks include DeAndre’ Bembry
I would consider it.
BO market is good for one dimensional bigs and tweener guards. I wouldn’t expect a bigger wing who can play to be available. Lance Thomas types maybe.
Is Atlanta interested in Fultz? I feel like he’s been mentioned for Dedmon quite a bit but I don’t see anything regarding Atlanta’s interest in him.
I suspect Schlenk already got what he wants, Young and Lin.
I don’t know that Fultz would be a major target for them, but he’d be a decent get for an expiring contract.
I think Prince and Dedmon for Fultz, Bolden and Amir Johnson (expiring contract). Gives Atl Fultz at the 2 and slides Huerter to the 3. And gives them an emerging bug in Bolden. Gives Philly a starting wing in Prince and another backup big in Dedmon. It’s kinda a win win for both teams. Takes a lot of pressure off Fultz with Young running the show and he can blend in and progress