Sixers, Magic and Thunder Face Roster Decisions Tied to Tax Lines and Asset Surplus
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PHILADELPHIA — Sitting roughly $1 million under the NBA’s first apron, the 76ers must decide whether trimming payroll outweighs maintaining depth. League sources told ESPN’s Bobby Marks that impending free agents Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond are at the center of the discussion.
Oubre was averaging 16.8 points on a career-high 49.7 percent shooting before a recent knee injury, while Drummond is collecting 9.4 rebounds in just over 21 minutes per game. Moving either veteran could push Philadelphia below the luxury-tax threshold, but it would also reduce options for coach Nick Nurse should stars Joel Embiid or Paul George miss additional time.
Magic Weigh Tyus Jones’ Future
ORLANDO — With Anthony Black taking on a larger role, guard Tyus Jones is logging a career-low in minutes, and the club’s metrics improve when he sits. Jones is on an expiring $7 million deal, and moving that salary would drop the hard-capped Magic under the luxury tax, Marks noted.
Thunder Consider Consolidating Picks
OKLAHOMA CITY — Nothing is broken for the Thunder, but an unprecedented draft stash looms: 13 first-round selections over the next seven years. With future payroll pressure expected, Marks suggested Oklahoma City could eventually package picks, following Utah’s recent strategy of swapping multiple lesser assets for a single premium 2031 choice. The Thunder remain beneath the tax line and are not hard-capped, making timing—rather than urgency—the key variable.
The three franchises illustrate different approaches to balancing competitive depth, tax obligations and long-term flexibility as the trade deadline approaches.
Source: Hoops Wire
