Sixers’ KJ Martin discusses handling rumors as trade deadline approaches
CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers will have some decisions to make as Thursday’s trade deadline approaches quickly. The Sixers are currently dealing with the Joel Embiid injury as they wait to see the timeline for his recovery, but it shouldn’t affect their decision-making at the deadline.
The Sixers have many assets they can move at the deadline due to the big James Harden trade back in October. President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey acquired draft picks and expiring contracts that he could then flip for another piece to help the Sixers in their title quest.
One of those assets is KJ Martin who is in his fourth season in the league. His name has popped up in trade rumors recently and with it being the week of the deadline, he has to wait and see what happens with him by Thursday’s 3 p.m. EST trade buzzer.
“I mean, at this point, I got traded two times in, I don’t know, a four or five month span,” said Martin at practice on Sunday. “So at this point, it’s just like it is what it is. I mean, when I came here, I was kind of shocked and surprised and I feel like that’s the craziest it can get so my mindset is we have games between now and the deadline and that should be our main focus is the games.”
Martin is right. The Sixers have games against the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors at home before the deadline. The focus has to be figuring out how to win without Embiid and try to move forward. If he gets traded, he gets traded. Martin can’t control that.
“I mean, if you get traded you—there’s nothing you can do to control it,” he added. “So just focus on the games. We had practice today. We had a good practice, guys got extra work in in order to prepare for tomorrow for Dallas.”
Coach Nick Nurse understands the Sixers are in a unique situation. The Embiid injury complicates things for them at the moment, but he knows the team has assets and financial flexibility for the future.
“Listen, I think that we certainly have some flexibility,” Nurse said of the deadline. “We certainly have some assets. I know it’s very difficult right now with so many guys in and out of the lineup. So I think that just seeing what we can do to shore up healthy bodies and things like that, I think they’ll have to explore those things.”
