Sixers Backup Center Trade Options

The most glaring weakness of this team over the last few weeks is -- stop me if you’ve heard this before -- a lack of reliable backup center minutes.

Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.

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As we turned the calendar to a new year, we inched closer to trade season in the NBA. We’re now less than a month away from the February 9 trade deadline, and it’s time to prepare for countless rumors.

The Sixers’ trade- and activity-happy front office will surely land the team firmly in the running for several players on the trade block.

There are a few obvious holes on this Sixers roster. It is a very good team, but a flawed one that is likely still a level or two below true championship contenders like the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

The most glaring weakness of this team over the last few weeks is -- stop me if you’ve heard this before -- a lack of reliable backup center minutes.

The hope going into the season was that Paul Reed would fit the bill. And he still may become that player. But so far this season, he has been far too inconsistent for the team to genuinely feel comfortable rolling with him as Joel Embiid’s best backup. Montrezl Harrell has been effective offensively of late, but his presence in the middle invites opponents to begin layup lines.

And so, as the Sixers focus on their preferred trade targets, finding a more reliable center may be the top priority. However, the backup center trade market can often be tricky, and this year is no exception.

The Sixers might have to get creative -- but there are viable candidates within a few different financial price ranges. Let’s talk about some of them:

Andre Drummond, Chicago Bulls (remaining contract: two years, $6.6 million)
Drummond is the most obvious trade target for the Sixers at the center position: first of all, he excelled in Philadelphia last season before being dealt in the James Harden trade, earning the trust of the coaching staff and fans. Getting Drummond on a veteran’s minimum was a shrewd move by Daryl Morey and co.

The Bulls certainly did not enter this season expecting to be sellers, but as they remain multiple games below .500, one would expect that one more poorly-timed cold streak could lead them to seriously reevaluate their priorities.

If they do, Drummond would be a wonderful addition for the Sixers yet again -- and he may be even more valuable this time around. Drummond, of course, never had the chance to play alongside Harden, whose brilliance as a pick-and-roll and alley-oop passer would unlock a facet of Drummond’s game that didn’t show itself often last season.

Keep an eye on how the Bulls look over the next month. It’ll determine whether or not Drummond becomes available.

Mike Mucala, Oklahoma City Thunder (remaining contract: two years, $7 million (2023-24 team option)
Don’t laugh, I’m being serious! And AU, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry I’m doing this to you yet again.

Muscala is more remembered for his game-winner as a member of the Thunder that netted the Sixers the Tyrese Maxey draft selected than he is for anything he did during his brief Sixers tenure.
But since going to Oklahoma City in 2019, Muscala has proven that he can be a more than viable backup center, even for a team focused more on winning than the Thunder are at the moment.

As a member of the Thunder, Muscala has shot 38.9 percent from beyond the arc, and he’s done so on considerable volume relative to his minutes: Muscala has launched 9.4 threes per 36 minutes during this stretch, a number just as encouraging as the ones validating his efficiency.

Kelly Olynyk, Utah Jazz (remaining contract: two years, $25 million ($3 million guaranteed in 2023-24)
Olynyk is by far the most expensive of these options in terms of dollars, and he’s at a number high enough that the Sixers would likely need to send back a package that includes not just Furkan Korkmaz as salary filler, but also Matisse Thybulle as someone who makes the money work and incentives Utah to make a deal.

I know that on its face, the idea of moving Thybulle for Olynyk is an unattractive one. But let’s say Thybulle once again loses his firm standing in the rotation and the Sixers fear he will receive exorbitant offers this summer as a restricted free agent: cashing in on his value by moving him to a rebuilding team like the Jazz could be the right play.

Are there better options they may be able to figure out how to acquire if Thybulle is in a deal? Perhaps. But just hear me out: Olynyk is likely much better than you realize.

Olynyk, who has started every game he has played for a Utah team that has been shockingly competitive so far, is averaging career-highs in assists, steals and blocks per game while also knocking down a career-best 41.3 percent of his three-point attempts.

Olynyk is simply a far better player than Reed or Harrell, he’s also certainly better than Muscala and might even be better than Drummond in a lot of contexts.

Olynyk is an elite shooter for a big-man, as most understand by now. But did you know he can serve as somewhat of a playmaker? Olynyk has flashed tremendous passing instincts in recent years, especially since his brief stint with the Houston Rockets in 2020-21.

Additionally, Olynyk is a viable option at the four next to Embiid. At least in the regular season, the Sixers have that rotation spot locked in with Georges Niang, but if Niang’s production takes a hit in the playoffs again, Olynyk would be a reasonable alternative.

Olynyk certainly is no Ben Wallace, but he also isn’t as bad defensively as many assume: in fact, there are some advanced defensive metrics that say he is just fine on that end.

And with a bulky salary with a small guarantee for next season, he provides the Sixers with much more optionality once this season ends: if he proves to be a reliable contributor, the Sixers can keep him on his reasonable salary. If not, they can waive him and experience some cap relief -- or, better yet, they can hang onto him to use his then-expiring salary as filler in a future trade.

A few more names
Drummond, Muscala and Olynyk are the three most likely candidates in my opinion. But there is always more out there. For example…

JaVale McGee signed a three-year deal to start at center for the Dallas Mavericks and quickly fell out of the rotation entirely. He’s had a rough year, but has been effective in recent history and would fit well with Harden.

Mason Plumlee is on a struggling Charlotte Hornets team that could sell -- he is unspectacular, but can rebound, defend and pass at a satisfactory level for a center in today’s NBA.

Daniel Theis has not played all year for the Indiana Pacers, and given the amount of talent they already have in the frontcourt, he’ll likely be more than available. Theis is undersized, but athletic, strong and a decent shooter.