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The 2023 NBA trade deadline is now just over a week away on Thursday, February 9th, and with that the rumor mill is heating up. So far there hasn’t been much news about potential blockbusters, but there are plenty of roleplayers who could help competitors strengthen their rosters for the stretch run.
Here’s a look at the latest from the league:
Matisse Thybulle’s defensive skills were never questioned; The 76ers wing finished as an all-defensive second team in 2021 and 2022 and finished fourth in the league at 1.7 per game last season. However, whether he can do enough on offense to stay grounded and make sense of his defense has always been debatable.
While the Sixers have tried to make it work in the past, they’ve been less keen on it this season. Thybulle is down to 12.1 minutes per game and has only made point starts here and there. With uncertain limited free agency approaching this summer, the team could look to reschedule him in time.
If so, he’ll have admirers including the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings Philadelphia investigators. The Warriors have been lacking defensively aligned wings since losing Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. in the summer, while the Kings could really use a defensive stopper on their playoff push.
Knicks looks at Bey
The New York Knicks’ rollercoaster season is down again as they lost six of their last eight games and fell 27-25 to seventh place in the Eastern Conference. However, they are still just two games away from the Miami Heat for a place in the top six and appear to be one of the more active teams as of deadline. It’s no secret that they want to return to the playoffs after missing last season.
To this point, they’re interested in Detroit Pistons’ Saddiq Bey, according to SNY. The Pistons have had a disastrous season and are currently bottom of the Eastern Conference, 13-39. Everyone assumes they will be sellers by deadline and teams have been calling about a number of their players – Bojan Bogdanovic in particular.
Whether Bey will make the switch remains to be seen, but with only one year left on his contract after this season, there may be a deal. However, it seems likely that the Knicks or any other team will have to make it really worth it to the Pistons. Though Bey may not have improved as much as the team would have hoped since his rookie season, he’s still a big, physical wing, having made 37 percent this season on catch-and-shoot threes and recovery teams are not eager to let such players go.
