After the James Harden trade, the Philadelphia 76ers appeared primed to make a move either at the trade deadline or in the offseason to make a move for a true needle mover. One name that wasn’t consistently thrown around was the Raptors’ OG Anunoby.
With a connection to Sixers Head Coach Nick Nurse and a great potential fit in the starting lineup with excellent defense and solid shooting, Anunoby often seemed like the most likely case for Philadelphia. Add in his pending free agency, and the trade cost seemed like it could be lowering from last year. Then the Knicks walked in and scooped up the best 3&D wing in the league.
The New York Knicks have officially acquired Anunoby and Precious Achuwu from the Raptors for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and one second-round pick via the Detroit Pistons. The Knicks have seemingly changed their big three from Brunson, Randle, and Barrett to Brunson, Randle, and OG with this trade.
While it’s arguable that Philadelphia could have beaten this offer, it appears that Daryl Morey and the Sixers are waiting patiently to cash in their picks and assets.
Philadelphia still has a lot of options on the board at this time, ranging from Alex Caruso to Zach LaVine to players not on the Chicago Bulls. They may look for a trade closer to the trade deadline to make an improvement, or they will sit and wait until the offseason for this year’s free agency class.
Only time will tell, but I trust that Morey has a plan and a vision for this Sixers team that will make significant improvements to the team. The Sixers may not have cashed in on the OG sweepstakes, but they still maintain the flexibility and depth that have made them perform at such a high level this year.
