After the Philadelphia 76ers made the trade for James Harden, there were multiple names they were connected to in rumors. One of the first players mentioned was Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby. Following recent developments, the defensive wing might end up becoming available before the February 8th deadline. Through their first 23 games, the Raptors sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 9-14. Following this lackluster start, there is a belief that Toronto could look to move on from some of their core players. In his latest news roundup, Shams Charania of The Athletic cited that Anunoby could end up being dealt before the deadline this season. Masai Uijir and general manager Bobby Webster have stuck with the talented core of Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby over the past three seasons. But Toronto has lost three games in a row, stands 9-13 on the season and has left teams believing that now, more than ever, either Siakam or Anunoby could be traded by the Feb. 8 deadline,” Shams wrote. From a fit perspective, Anunoby is as close to a perfect fit as the Sixers could get in the trade market. He is a bigger wing who can take top defensive matchups and provide offensive production behind Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Anunoby has played in 19 games this season and is averaging 15.6 PPG while shooting 39.4% from beyond the arc. The key thing with an Anunoby trade is his contract. After this season, he has a player option for 2024-25. He is likely going to decline this option and hit free agency a year early in hopes of securing a more lucrative contract. The Sixers will have cap flexibility this summer, which might make a move like this more reasonable. Between his fit on the court and success under head coach Nick Nurse, Anunoby makes a lot of sense for the Sixers. With just under two months to go until the deadline, he should be one of the top names on Daryl Morey’s radar.
