NBA Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers Trade Kendall Marshall, Waived Immediately By Utah Jazz
Lesser hyped trades happen frequently in the NBA, and there are usually business reasons behind the decision. According to CBS Sports, the Philadelphia 76ers are trading Kendall Marshall to the Utah Jazz. The veteran point guard is reportedly going to be waived immediately by the Jazz so he can pursue opportunities elsewhere.
In exchange for Kendall Marshall, the Philadelphia 76ers are receiving Tibor Pleiss, two second-round draft picks, and an unspecified amount of cash. That is a pretty good haul for a player who was not expected to be a part of their rotation this upcoming season. Marshall was definitely expendable.
Kendall Marshall saw the writing on the wall during the free agency period. The Philadelphia 76ers signed Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless, both of whom play the point guard position. Management usually would not spend money on them if they were not planning on having Rodriguez and Bayless on the court.
Jazz Waive Kendall Marshall
Details: https://t.co/4DLGyO8AR4 ? pic.twitter.com/Sgo0wjufG3
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) August 26, 2016
Another sign for Kendall Marshall was during the NBA Draft. The Philadelphia 76ers selected Ben Simmons with the first overall pick, as reported by Sports Illustrated. Although the former LSU Tigers star is six-foot-10 and 240 pounds, Simmons has the ball handling and court vision of a point guard. The Sixers will surely experiment with him at the position.
As far as Tibor Pleiss is concerned, the odds of him remaining with the Philadelphia 76ers is pretty slim. He is a seven-foot-three, 260-pound center. As many already know, the Sixers already have Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Joel Embiid at the position.
The one thing that might work in favor of Tibor Pleiss is the fact that he has been working hard to extend his shooting range. During summer league games, he showed that he was able to hit some shots from beyond the three-point line. Being able to stretch the floor might come in handy for Philadelphia.
While there has not been much noise as of late, the Philadelphia 76ers are still trying to find a trade for one of their centers. It is not feasible for them to have Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Joel Embiid in the same rotation.
Joel Embiid is said to be ready to play in some upcoming preseason games, as reported by Yahoo Sports. The Philadelphia 76ers will use that opportunity to see if he is a long-term fit. If they feel that Embiid is their guy, then Jahlil Okafor will be shopped around the NBA heavily.
If Tibor Pleiss is not released by that point in time, then he will have an opportunity to show the Philadelphia 76ers that they can have quite the devastating twin towers tandem. Joel Embiid can dominate the interior of the paint while Pleiss clears the lane for him.
As far as Kendall Marshall is concerned, there simply is not a place for him on the Utah Jazz roster. The team recently traded with the Indiana Pacers to acquire George Hill. The Jazz also have 21-year-old Dante Exum waiting in the wings. Between Hill and Exum, there will not be a lot of minutes available at point guard.
Essentially, the Utah Jazz made the trade for Kendall Marshall, who has a non-guaranteed contract, because they wanted to clear up some salary cap space. Management is trying to lock down Derrick Favors to a long-term deal.
Kendall Marshall still has a chance to continue his career in the NBA. He just needs to prove to teams that he has recovered completely from a torn ACL injury. Marshall is more of a cerebral player than an ultra athlete, so he still has a chance to remain in the National Basketball Association.
[Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images]
