Heard in the Cheap Seats

Now that the dust has settled from the shock of losing Elton Brand for the year, Philadelphia Sixers’ fans want to know what’s next.  Recliner GM has a great post up of about every conceivable trade that could take place before the deadline—check it out to get a sense of the possibilities.  Suffice it to say that Ed Stefanski has no shortage of options when it comes to constructing this team for the future.

The key part of that statement is the future.  The current team probably has enough firepower to hover around .500 all season long and make an early exit from the playoffs.  Philadelphia has mastered the art of toiling in mediocrity and this season will be no different.  But is that what we expected when we dropped $80 million on a supposed cornerstone of the franchise?

No.

In the next two to three seasons the expectation is that this team can contend for a championship.  The current nucleus is a start on that path but is not nearly enough to get it done.  Because of this, there is no time like the present to unload any of your tradable commodities in an effort to build toward next year.  The likely short-term result will be a narrow miss of the playoffs this year but that’s a small price to pay in building for the future. 

Undoubtedly, the Sixers most attractive and realistic tradable asset is Andre Miller.  At this time of the year, teams are often hunting for a veteran point guard that can stabilize an offense.  Andre Miller fits the mold perfectly and brings with him an expiring contract that increases his value on the trade market.  While getting rid of Miller hurts this team in the short term, it will bring back pieces that will help build for the future.  The Sixers need to face the realization that Miller will not be donning a Philly uniform next season and with Brand out for the year, the hopes of a deep run in the playoffs are nonexistent.  Now is the time to bring something back for Miller before you lose him to free agency for nothing.

With less than two weeks until the trade deadline, the Ed Stefanski faces some difficult choices.  However, there only seems to be two options: accept the status quo and languish through a mediocre season or make some aggressive moves with the knowledge that the ultimate goal will not be met this season.  As fans, we’ll need to summon enough patience to realize that the performance of this team will suffer if Andre Miller is moved.  But the simple fact remains this team, even with Elton Brand, cannot win a championship.  The time is now to improve the roster.  What do you think?  Will the Sixers make a move or stand pat content to make the squeak into the playoffs?