The blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland, and Andrew Wiggins, Thaddeus Young and Anthony Bennett to Minnesota became official on Saturday. In return for Young, Philadelphia receives veteran forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (now referred to as "LRMAM" or "the Prince") , guard Alexey Shved, and a top-ten protected 1st round pick from the Timberwolves. It was originally reported that Anthony Bennett would be sent to the Sixers, but this turns out not to be the case.
The Sixers gain nothing of value on the court from the additions other than the pick. Mbah a Moute averaged 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16 minutes a game last year. The 27 year old Cameroonian is being brought over as a mentor to Joel Embiid, whom he discovered at a Cameroonian Basketball camp when Embiid was first learning to play the sport in his late teens. Shved, entering his 3rd year in the league, will come into an already existing log jam at the shooting guard position, full of players without a reliable jumpshot. Shved averaged 4 ppg and 1.1 assists per game with the Wolves last season and shot 32% from the floor.
The elimination of Young's $9+ million dollar contract off the books leaves the Sixers well under the cap floor, a minimum amount that teams must spend in player contracts. They will either need to use it for free agency signings or the amount will be split between players already under contract so that the 76ers meet the minimum. I would hope the latter would be the case. These players are wasting an entire year of their career in an obvious attempt by their front office to once again tank. With the fan-favorite Young gone, Arnett Moultrie is now the longest-tenured Sixer (definitely a strange statement) and the last of Doug Collins tenure as head coach.
By: Matt Ryan
The Sixers gain nothing of value on the court from the additions other than the pick. Mbah a Moute averaged 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16 minutes a game last year. The 27 year old Cameroonian is being brought over as a mentor to Joel Embiid, whom he discovered at a Cameroonian Basketball camp when Embiid was first learning to play the sport in his late teens. Shved, entering his 3rd year in the league, will come into an already existing log jam at the shooting guard position, full of players without a reliable jumpshot. Shved averaged 4 ppg and 1.1 assists per game with the Wolves last season and shot 32% from the floor.
The elimination of Young's $9+ million dollar contract off the books leaves the Sixers well under the cap floor, a minimum amount that teams must spend in player contracts. They will either need to use it for free agency signings or the amount will be split between players already under contract so that the 76ers meet the minimum. I would hope the latter would be the case. These players are wasting an entire year of their career in an obvious attempt by their front office to once again tank. With the fan-favorite Young gone, Arnett Moultrie is now the longest-tenured Sixer (definitely a strange statement) and the last of Doug Collins tenure as head coach.
By: Matt Ryan