Reports: Sixers Trade MCW, McDaniels on NBA Trade Deadline Day
Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) is defended by Miami Heat guard Norris Cole (30) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
The Sixers, 12-41 and out of contention for the foreseeable future, were not expected to be a major player before the NBA Draft deadline today. What little we knew.
In a pair of deals just before the deadline, the Sixers appear to have shipped out starting point guard Michael Carter-Williams, last season’s rookie of the year, and promising first-year small forward K.J. McDaniels. Both reports come from NBA trade guru Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. McDaniels is headed to the Rockets, while Carter-Williams will be with the Bucks.
Between injuries & roster moves, the #Sixers don't have a single 5-man unit left that has played over 5 minutes together this season
— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) February 19, 2015
Wojnarowski confirmed what the Sixers got in the McDaniels deal: Second-year point guard Isaiah Canaan and a second-round pick. ESPN’s Marc Stein originally reported the Sixers would be getting point guard Isaiah Thomas (no relation to the Hall of Famer) in the deal, but said the Sixers allowed him to be sent to Boston in order to acquire more draft picks.
It essentially works like a four-way deal with Celtics joining in to take on Isaiah Thomas and Philly stocking up future first-rounders
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 19, 2015
In the MCW deal, the Sixers got at least the Lakers’ first-round pick this year. It’s top-five protected this season; the Lakers currently sit with the fourth-worst record and are 6.5 games behind the fifth-worst team. So this pick will likely head into the 2016 NBA Draft, where it will only be top-3 protected. If the Lakers stink again, the Sixers could have another solid draft pick. No word currently on what other moving pieces came in these last-minute deals.
I can't lie I'm shocked. I love this city thank you for everything. I can honestly say I gave it my all. I wish Philly nothing but the best
— Michael Carter-Willi (@mcarterwilliams) February 19, 2015
It’s quite a shakeup for the 76ers, who drafted MCW in 2013 and took McDaniels last year. McDaniels had signed a one-year deal with the Sixers and was a free agent after this season; after his promising first year, he’d be looking for a pay bump. He might have been gone anyway.
MCW is a more curious case. He was the reigning rookie of the year, but his jump shot wasn’t great.
Denver has agreed to send JaVale McGee to Philadelphia, along with a first-round pick via OKC, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2015
Earlier in the day, the Sixers traded the rights to Cenk Akyol — a player stashed in Europe that they got in a deal early last month — to the Denver Nuggets for oft-injured big man JaVale McGee, the rights to a player named Chu Chu Maduabum from Nigeria who plays in Estonia, and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first-round pick this year. That pick is top-18 protected; the Thunder will have to make the playoffs (and maybe win at least a round) for the Sixers to get this one this year.
Welcome bro bro…… We're gonna kill it @JaValeMcGee34
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) February 19, 2015
Meanwhile…
I can’t believe the Sixers traded away this guy. He just got here! pic.twitter.com/uNm9u0mDpS
— Dan McQuade (@dhm) February 19, 2015
This is a joke, of course. We’ll be seeing Franklin’s debut at the Wells Fargo Center tomorrow. With the number of trades made today, it seems Franklin might have to suit up and play during his debut. Hopefully they let him dunk off a trampoline.
Follow @dhm on Twitter.
