The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into the new year winners of nine of their last twelve matchups dating back to Nov. 30. In that time; the Sixers boast the fourth-best record in the NBA, a massive improvement from the way the team began the season.
Philadelphia is so improved that the team once again appears to be in a position to be buyers ahead of the trade deadline instead of sellers. The one complication for Philadelphia is the matching salary they can send out, as Kelly Oubre Jr., Caleb Martin, and KJ Martin all appear to be more valuable on the team than involved in trade talks.
While they could still be dealt, let’s focus on some of the names that are a bit more affordable, not just in terms of asset cost but also relating to impacting the salary cap.
Honorable mention: Dalano Banton
Many coaches have players who can be considered “their guys.” For Nick Nurse, Sixers’ current backup PG Kyle Lowry certainly qualifies for this, but he’s not the only player in the league who can be counted among “Nick’s guys.” Sixers two-way guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. is another, as is Dalano Banton, who spent his first two seasons in the NBA playing under Nurse for the Raptors in Toronto.
Boasting the size of a wing but the playstyle of a guard, Banton operates as a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. He’s capable of being a shooter, slasher, facilitator, rebounder, and defender. While he’s not remarkable in any one area, Banton adds a level of size and versatility that would help guide the Sixers through the regular season.
Sixers lead guard target: Jose Alvarado
The New Orleans Pelicans are in the midst of a true nightmare season. At 5-27 on the year, they are at the bottom of the Western Conference and are reportedly open for business, save for a few select players. Many will rightly wish to discuss Herb Jones or Trey Murphy, but unfortunately for Sixers fans, they all appear on NOLA’s no-trade list.
Outside of Jones and Murphy, there are few players the Sixers both could and would desire, but among them is pesky guard Jose Alvarado. Currently nursing a hamstring injury, Alvarado has returned to practice as a full participant and is expected to return to action any game now.
While he would be yet another undersized guard for the Sixers, both as a facilitator and a defender, Alvarado would be a marketable upgrade for Philadelphia. The Sixers may ultimately opt to attempt a more offensively focused approach at the deadline, but shoring up their perimeter defense and acquiring another ball-handler is far from a misstep.
Sixers perimeter stopper target: Keon Ellis
Politely put, the Sacramento Kings are going to hell in a handbasket. Shockingly, a team that added very little outside of funky fits this past offseason is beginning to see the wheels fall off before the calendar year ends. As Philadelphia has in the past, it may soon be time to take advantage of Sacramento’s misfortune.
The Kings’ have already designated Mike Brown, now their former head coach, as their first scapegoat this season, and yet, somehow, his absence has not magically solved the team’s woes, and the Kings are losers of six straight and sit in 12th place in the Western Conference.
While it’s entirely possible for Sacramento to buy recklessly at the deadline, if this losing trend continues, it’s not hard to envision the front office finding value in acquiring draft capital for some of their non-essential personnel. This could easily include guard Keon Ellis, who had fallen out of a high-impact role under Brown and remains in such flux so far during the post-Brown era.
Known as a perimeter stopper more than anything else, Ellis is a bot more well-rounded than his reputation would have you believe, but he still appears more than willing to play within a role, so long as it’s a legitimate role.
Ellis would likely cost the Sixers multiple second-round draft picks and the matching salary of either. Although Sacramento may push for a first, we’ve seen teams struggle to get exactly what they’re looking for.
Sixers dream target: Toumani Camara
Likely the most expensive target on this list, Toumani Camara is not a household name, but on a contending team, he would be a star role player. What is a star role player? Well, that’s exactly what Dorian Finney-Smith, who was just traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, was to Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks. What Jayden McDaniels is to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That may seem like high praise for a player that is mostly known to NBA sickos, but if you could buy stock in a player who is still coming into their own, Camara would be near the top of the list of best value buys. As a defender, he’s already among the upper echelon of NBA talent. As a rebounder, he’s truly skilled, particularly on the offensive boards. Camara can also stretch the floor and is capable with the ball in his hands as a connective passer.
The complication is that Camara will be quite the pricey acquisition if he’s available at all. Camara, 24, is relatively young and under team control through the 2026-27 NBA season. There’s little need for Portland to move on, but their lack of performance has also given little reason to retain Camara over acquiring draft capital.
There are not many players the Sixers could reasonably acquire this season who would be worthy of giving up a first-round pick plus, but undoubtedly, Toumani Camara is worth that price and more. NBA teams have been hard-pressed to convince other teams to part ways with future firsts so to be among the first teams to buck that trend ahead of the deadline could prove quite valuable for Philadelphia.
