By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor
The trade deadline has now come and passed. No big move was made for the Sixers, but Elton Brand still was able to upgrade the roster.
Brand struck first late last night. The Sixers sent three second-round picks to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for wing players Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III. For only giving up second-round picks this was a nice move for the Sixers. These guys fill some holes on the bench that this team needed to fill.
Burks is having a career year with the Warriors this season. He is averaging 16.1 points a night to go along with 3.1 assists, both career-highs. Burks is also a proven three-point shooter, as he shot 37.5% from deep with the Warriors on 4.7 attempts a game.
Adding Burks to this Sixers bench gives it a much-needed boost. He is a proven scorer for this second unit, and he can create his own shots. On top of that, he can also help facilitate the offense as a primary ball-handler in small samples. This will help when the rotation shrinks for the playoffs.
Glenn Robinson will be making a return to the Sixers this season, as he played 10 games with the team during the 2014-2015 season. Robinson is a nice wing off the bench who will also bring shooting.
3P% the last 7 games:
Alec Burks: 46%
Glenn Robinson III: 47%— Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) February 6, 2020
On the year he is averaging 12.9 PPG to go along with just under five rebounds. All this while shooting 40% from three on 3.5 attempts a game. Robinson will also fit in with the defensive brand that this team has built, as he averages just under a steal a game on the year.
Both players will become unrestricted free agents at the end of this summer. Which will give the Sixers some flexibility moving forward.
The second move the Sixers made came right at the wire. It was more of a smaller move as the team sent James Ennis to the Orlando Magic in exchange for a second-round pick. Moving Ennis makes sense because with acquiring Burks and Robinson, there is now a limited role on the Sixers for a guy like Ennis.
All in all, these were solid moves for the Sixers. With the limited assets they had going in they were able to find suitable upgrades without having to pay a lot for them. Getting a second-round pick in return for Ennis softens the blow of having to send three of them to the Warriors.
The team was also able to hold on to some of its better assets. Young projects Zhaire Smith and Shake Milton will remain on the team. Brand also held onto the OKC first-round pick for this year on the chance that the pick will convey.
With more shooting and scoring off the bench, the Sixers now look like a deeper team. It will be interesting if some fresh faces will help swing the team out of the current funk that they have found themselves in.