The trade deadline has come and gone and while there’s always the faint possibility that news of other moves leaks out, two Atlantic Division teams seemingly receptive to making moves have opted against any shakeups.
Per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers did not make any deals today. Similarly, Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania tweets that the Celtics elected to stand pat as well.
Right up until the deadline, it appeared as though the Sixers were in the hunt for a pair of available veterans but didn’t come to terms on either.
Per Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, both Philly and Boston made a strong push for Grizzlies swingman Tyreke Evans but neither deal came through.
Kennedy wrote that Boston and Memphis were in touch in the final minutes leading up to the deadline but a proposed package of two second-rounders and Guerschon Yabusele wasn’t enough to convince Memphis to pull the trigger.
In discussions with Philly previously, the Grizzlies asked for 23-year-old Dario Saric and were shot down.
Evans, of course, is in the midst of a stellar season in Memphis and had drawn considerable trade interest but his injury-riddled history and pending free agency may have limited his value.
The fact that Evans will remain with the Grizz for the duration of the season could imply that the team thinks they’ll be able to retain him as a free agent this summer, Chris Herrington of The Memphis Commercial Appeal says.
Moving away from Evans, another move that Philly looked interested in making but that didn’t eventually pan out was a deal for Hawks two-guard Marco Belinelli.
On Tuesday we wrote that the Hawks had already told the shooting guard that a trade was coming. Nothing, however, appears to have come to fruition. Michael Scotto of The Athletic mentioned that the Sixers were dangling a second-round pick.
The decision not to act at the deadline may well have been the right one for both franchises. Boston, of course, has help coming in the form of Greg Monroe. The free agent big man agreed to join the Celtics but waited until after the deadline in order to sign so that the franchise could retain its flexibility.
Philadelphia, within reach of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, didn’t get an extra shot of veteran support heading into the final stretch of the season but cashing in future assets for short-term gain would have served in stark contrast to the process that’s gotten them to the enviable position that they’re in today.