Dec 20, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward KJ Martin (1) reacts against the Charlotte Hornets in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Sixers are trading high-flying forward KJ Martin to the Detroit Pistons, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Kyle Neubeck of PHLY was first to report that Martin was being dealt, the team ruling him out for Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks due to a pending trade.
Philadelphia will include two second-round picks - Milwaukee's 2027 and Dallas' 2031- in the deal, per Derek Bodner. Detroit will take on Martin's salary.
Phrases such as "financial flexibility" will be tossed around to justify trades like this one. That's a more public-friendly way of saying you saved money against the luxury tax line.
With the two trades Philadelphia has made thus far, they have shaved off more than $11.5 million in salary. That gets them below the tax line for this season. The wallets live to see another day.
Fans obviously hate the idea of teams making moves to save money because it only benefits the billionaire owners in the short term. At the time of the signing, KJ Martin's contract was commonly thought to be salary filler in an eventual trade for a player of relative significance. But, no one saw the Sixers' season playing out the way it has. So, given where they are in the standings, is it really a surprise that they pivoted toward avoiding the luxury tax instead of executing big 'buyer' trades?
The only short-term upside to the deal is that the Sixers are able to sign players on the buyout market who previously made more than the league average salary.
Although Martin's salary for next season was non-guaranteed, the burgeoning Guerschon Yabusele may be at the center of the long-term upside of this deal. While it is no lock that Yabusele stays in Philadelphia in the long run, it's no secret that both he and the Sixers have enjoyed his stay. He has said on record that he would like to remain a Sixer. But, there will undoubtedly be other suitors this offseason.
Before the Martin trades, it was a question of whether the Sixers would even keep Yabusele past the trade deadline because of how unlikely it was that they'd be able to retain him over the long haul under the team's previous salary sheet. With the Sixers now below the tax line as a result of both Martins being sent out, perhaps it is more likely that they open their wallets to keep one of the NBA's best surprises in Philadelphia.
It stings the fans' hearts now because of the optics of cutting costs. But, if Yabusele's services are secured for a few more years starting this summer, this will be the week to look back upon.
Want more Philadelphia 76ers news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for THE Philly Sports Newsletter here. 100% free, always.
