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Longtime Lakers writer Mark Heisler, reporting for Forbes:

In an unnoticed development at last week’s trade deadline, the 76ers were still trying to trade up for a top pick in this draft, indicating a willingness to talk about Joel Embiid or any player on their team, an NBA source told Forbes.com.

Yes, that’s the Joel Embiid they drafted No. 3 overall last spring, after compiling the worst record and seeing the Cavaliers and Bucks jump ahead of them in the lottery.

In other words, after going 65-144 over the last two-plus seasons and parting with Jrue Holiday, Nikola Vucevic, Louis Williams, Thaddeus Young, Jodie Meeks, Spencer Hawes, Nick Young and Andre Iguodala, the 76ers don’t have an asset on the lot whom they’re committed to.

All they have to show for that wheeling and dealing is Dario Saric, a hot Euro-prospect who’s signed with a Turkish team through the summer of 2016, and, of course, more No. 1 picks.

Few things:

1) I LOVE how all Sixers news comes from financial and business publications. Joshua Harris must be so turned on right now. This would be like if all Steve Ballmer’s Clipper’s news was reported by Tech Crunch and The Verge. Here’s the thing, though: This leak – about Embiid – almost certainly didn’t come from the Sixers. Heisler has criticized their tanking in the past, and this report is something the team probably doesn’t want out there. Still, Forbes. I love it. I can’t wait for the Sixers to unveil their new uniforms with Jim Cramer on Mad Money.

2) All they have to show for that wheeling and dealing is Dario Saric, a hot Euro-prospect who’s signed with a Turkish team through the summer of 2016, and, of course, more No. 1 picks. Misleading. Thad Young, alone, turned into potentially two number one picks, a second round pick and cash. The rest of the moves have left the Sixers with a glut of second round picks or, as Hinkie might call them, assets. And Saric may be the real deal.

3) The source here is probably the Lakers. As I said, Heiser is a longtime West Coast-based writer who covered them.

4) It’s reasonable that the Sixers were willing to at least listen to offers on Embiid. But it’s disappointing if that’s the case. As I wrote yesterday, while I’m on board with all of this, I do think the Sixers soon have to find players to settle on. Fans are willing to be patient when the teams says “we have players X, Y and European guy waiting in the wings”– at least it gives us something to look forward to and keep tabs on. But there’s only so much runway, in terms of fan sentiment, for the Sixers to keep kicking the can down the road with their draft picks and young “stars.” Eventually, they need to find their guys and get going. This summer would be a real good time to do that.

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