The perfect trade target for the 76ers to appease Joel Embiid at the trade deadline

For years The Philadelphia 76ers looked to make smaller moves around the margin on the trade deadline with one goal in mind: saving money.

Yes, some of these moves have worked out very well for the 76ers, as few will argue that Daryl Morey should have retained Caleb Martin over Quentin Grimes last February, but the team hasn’t made much of a midseason push since Ben Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a monster deal for James Harden.

For Joel Embiidthese fringe moves were just the nature of the beast, maneuvers made because he couldn’t stay healthy himself, but after taking care of business against the Sacramento Kings with an impressive performance by, well, basically everyone, the 76ers center has stated that he wants to see Morey make a significant move go all-in to win right here and now.

“Obviously we’ve been taking a tax break the last few years, so hopefully we can keep the same team. I love all the guys that are here. I think we have a chance,” Embiid said, via Liberty Ballers. “I don’t know what they’re going to do, but hopefully we get a chance to just go out there and compete because we’ve got a good group of guys in this locker room. The vibes are great. Like I said, in the past, I guess, we’ve taken a tax cut, so hopefully we’ll think about getting better because I think we have a chance.”

On paper, Embiid’s claim is right on the money: Even though they currently sit in sixth place, the Eastern Conference is wide open. Factor in the team’s all-time highs and impressive performances from Embiid, Maxey, Paul George, VJ Edgecomb, Kelly Oubre and others, and the 76ers could really be a player or two away from being a legitimate Eastern Conference Finals team.

Unfortunately, the 76ers have one issue: the salary cap.

Since the 76ers are just under $1 million under the salary cap, they can’t add too much money without paying taxes because roughly half of the teams in the NBA already have some sort of cap on their trading ability due to the apron.

If the 76ers want to trade for a huge star and are willing to put PG’s contract into the proverbial trade machine, then of course they can make almost any move they want, but if the team wants to keep their top 8 players, Embiid, Maxey, George, Edgecomb, Oubre, Grimes, Dominic Barlow, and Adam McKee, as well as Adam McKee, as well as Adam McKee. his shot after a UCL tear, their options become limited, especially if they aren’t willing to surrender a first-round pick for a bench player. Luckily, there’s a player out there that fits the bill, and it won’t cost too much to get hold of.

The 76ers should bring back Haywood Highsmith

Before Haywood Highsmith was a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat or even the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018-19, he was a former Division III prospect and participated in a local tryout for the Delaware Blue Coats after a successful career at Wheeling University.

Highsmith made the team, then the 76ers, then the Heat — with a stint in Europe in between — because of hard work and dedication to his 3-and-D craft, and while he hasn’t yet played in 2025 or 2026 after being acquired by the Brooklyn Nets, he should be fully recovered from last year’s matchup that could have healed from meniscus surgery at his new club.

At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Highsmith is a two-way combo forward who can average a steal, 3.1 rebounds and half a dozen points per game. .449/.374/.605 shooting. He’s athletic enough to be a full-court press weapon alongside players like Maxey and Edgecomb, is a great defender and can consistently knock down open threes at an above-NBA average clip, which isn’t always the case when players like Barlow, Trendon Watford or Jabari Walker are throwing up.

Considering the 76ers’ floor-forward spot is mostly used as a rebounder who can take the pressure off Embiid in the paint when he’s not spacing the floor, Highsmith would fit into that role without having to give up too much to acquire.

Of course, maybe Daryl Morey has something huge up his sleeve. He may have a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade up his sleeve that keeps Maxey, Embiid and Edgecomb on the roster long-term, and the 76ers will never have to worry about the power forward position again. But if the 76ers instead want to build around the edges and keep a very cohesive core intact, all they’d likely need to land Highsmith would be a second-round pick and a salary to match, since he was acquired practically for free in the Miami salary dump in the offseason, and they could have the marginal upgrade needed to make some noise in the Eastern Conference. Add another center in free agency, turn Barlow into an NBA contract, and the 76ers could be in business heading into the summer.

76ers Acquire: Highwood Highsmith

Nets acquire: Andre Drummond, 2028 second-round pick