The Philadelphia 76ers called the Los Angeles Lakers as to the availability of LeBron James via trade. Daryl Morey reportedly made this call after James cryptically posted an hourglass emoji in the days leading up to the deadline.
When the Lakers countered by asking about the availability of Joel Embiid, Morey turned his sites to the Phoenix Suns. The Sixers first asked about Kevin Durant, before inquiring about Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
Going after stars isn’t a new tactic for Morey. He’s known as one of the league’s more aggressive executives in pursuing stars via trade. Morey going star-hunting at this deadline may give some insight into his offseason plans.
The 76ers are likely to hit the offseason with somewhere between $40 and $60 million in cap space. That could go a long way towards trading for a star to team Embiid and a re-sign Tyrese Maxey.