The Sixers are in position to add two players on the buyout market, with Chris Boucher, Lonzo Ball and Haywood Highsmith among the potential targets, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Pompey cites Khris Middleton as another possibility if he agrees to a buyout with the Mavericks.
Philadelphia currently has two players holding 10-day contracts, with Charles Bassey on his second and Patrick Baldwin Jr. on his first. Both will expire during All-Star weekend, giving the team two open roster spots.
In addition, Paul George has already served five games of his 25-game suspension for taking a banned substance, so he can be moved to the suspended list, allowing the Sixers to add another player until he returns in late March.
However, finances will factor into the decisions. Philadelphia is currently $1.57MM below the tax line and $3.75MM away from the first apron. The team can add two rest-of-season minimum-salary contracts without moving into tax territory, according to Pompey.
Boucher and Ball were both traded to Utah on Thursday and waived by the end of the day. Boucher, a 33-year-old big man, appeared in just nine games with Boston before being dealt. He spent five seasons playing for Sixers head coach Nick Nurse in Toronto.
Ball, a 28-year-old guard, played 35 games for Cleveland this season, mostly in a reserve role. Pompey notes that he could provide backcourt depth after Jared McCain and Eric Gordon were both traded last week.
Highsmith, a 29-year-old forward, was waived by Brooklyn to open up a roster spot for a three-team deal. He hasn’t played yet this season after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus in August, but he’s nearing a recovery and is attracting interest from several playoff teams. Pompey points out that Highsmith began his career as a two-way player with the Sixers in 2019.
Middleton, who was sent from Washington to Dallas in the Anthony Davis trade, is the biggest name on the list. There’s been speculation that the 34-year-old swingman may become available, but there have been no reported buyout talks and he plans to make his Mavericks debut Tuesday night.
The Sixers could fill one of their open spots by promoting forward Jabari Walker to a standard contract, Pompey adds. Walker reached his 50-game limit on a two-way contract last week and has been inactive for the team’s last two contests.
“He’s been a tremendous next man up type contributor,” president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said of Walker. “We hope to have his services going forward, but we do have to weigh optimal use of our sort of scarce two roster spots, and against the other opportunities as well. So that’ll be written over time, whether or not we do that conversion there.”
They need three things, a backup ball handler, someone that can defend a wing, and league average 3pt shooting from a spot up. They’ll get some of that when George returns. Lonzo can provide 1 of these. I wouldn’t be shocked to see some other retread tho on a 10 day.
I don’t see us needing another ball handler we have Maxey Embiid VJ and Grimes plus I’m sure PG would love more touches too but it’s those 4 which do most the ball handling
Even the sixers ownership/FO doesn’t know what they want to do. The entire deadline was spent trying to get under the luxury tax. As a sixers fan it’s hard to take this ownership/FO seriously. Nobody on the buyout market is moving the needle.
I’d rather have D’Lo over Ball.
D-Low…completely blows, he doesn’t play winning basketball. He has played on maybe 5 teams already which tells you he is…a JAG
The buyout market is full of 9th player off the bench at best guys.
The standard is the standard…
I’d like Boucher or Highmsith just someone that can give us back up forward minutes and plays good defence
Ben Simmons
Never again
Those figures make no sense. A team can’t be under the tax and less than 4 million from the 1st apron at the same time.
There are scenarios in which they can be. Players with a bunch of unlikely incentives is one way (Toronto is nearly $1MM below the tax and is just $2.6MM from the first apron).
In the Sixers’ case, it’s because they’re going to receive a tax credit as a result of George’s suspension, but his full salary still counts toward the apron.
Start wit Embiid ……😮😃😂😂
Anyone actually believe PG13?