Brett Brown Will Be ‘surprised’ If Sixers Don’t Make a Trade

The NBA Draft may be over, but the time for wheeling and dealing hasn't necessarily passed for the Sixers. In fact, the team's head coach is expecting a shakeup.

Speaking on Monday's Mike & Ike Show on 94WIP, Brett Brown pulled no punches when assessing the Sixers' glut of big men and in particular the logjam at center. The organization needs to create more balance among its starting five, and to accomplish that, there will likely have to be a trade.

A trade that should still go down before the regular season begins. Via Andrew Porter:

“I would be surprised, [if we started the season with our current crop of big men] ... I talk freely always with my players. This is something that in a different world maybe it’s awkward. It isn’t because it’s true, it’s real, it’s part of pro sport. Sometimes for the players too, like they have to understand that maybe it’s best for them too. And so, all over the place — instead of sort of hiding from this kind of what could be the elephant in the room or an awkward moment — I don’t like doing that. I speak freely with my guys about it.
“It’s just we understand the positional balance of our roster needs to rule the day. We have to find a balanced team.”

The Sixers were rumored to have offers for Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor leading up to and fduring the draft, but refused to pull the trigger. Brown acknowledged the front office fielded calls, although not all of the reports were accurate according to the fourth-year head coach.

While it may have been wise to pass up on those deals, the reality remains that moving one of Noel or Okafor for either a point guard or a shooter would be in the best team's interest. We know it, Browns knows it and the rest of the NBA knows it — which is why there's a good chance it will happen.

Obviously, the guards the Sixers might have coveted from the draft are accounted for, but there's veteran help out there. Who knows, such a trade could even accelerate the club's growth.