Despite how bad things have gone for the Philadelphia 76ers this season, they still find themselves with a path to reaching the postseason. They currently find themselves in 11th place in the East, but are only two games out of the final spot in the play-in tournament. Because of this, a case could be made for Daryl Morey to seek out possible upgrades ahead of the February 6th trade deadline.
Dating back to the start of the season, one spot on the roster that could be upgraded is power forward. Guerschon Yabusele has exceeded any and all expectations in his return to the NBA, but the team is still thin at the position. Seeing that Daryl Morey has a long history of making in-season moves, this could be an avenue he pursues in the coming weeks.
With a little over two weeks until the deadline, the staff at Bleacher Report put together a list of dream targets for each NBA team. For the Sixers, it was Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama. The former first-round pick is putting together his best season in the pros, averaging 13.3 PPG and 7.1 RPG while shooting 39.2% from deep on good volume.
As bad as this season has gone for Philly, the 76ers sit just two games out of the play-in tournament in the East. There should be motivation for the Sixers to buy, with Aldama as the top target.
From a fit perspective, Aldama is the ideal archetype of player the Sixers should be looking for. Standing at 6-foot-11, he brings more size to frontcourt. Most importantly, Aldama provides efficient outside shooting, making him an ideal complement to the Sixers’ big three.
Aldama is on a team-friendly deal at the moment, but that is likely to change in the offseason. He is set to hit restricted free agency, where he’s sure to land a decent offer sheet.
In the midst of a career year, Aldama is going to be tough to pry away from the Grizzlies. That said, if Memphis were to make him available in, Morey would be smart to do his due diligence on a move like this.