Joel Embiid's absence has not only taken a serious toll on the Philadelphia 76ers' record but also the performance of some of his teammates.
Rookie Jared McCain is thriving in the absence of the Sixers' Big Three while forward Kelly Oubre Jr. cannot seem to find his role without Embiid and others on the floor. Oubre signed a two-year, $16 million deal this summer, meaning he can only be traded after Dec. 15.
The 28-year-old's production is not the issue, but rather, his fit in the rotation. He lost his starting job early in the season to Caleb Martin, along with the thriving Duke Blue Devils product. The Sixers crave players that can perform outside of the scoring category, making Oubre a strong candidate for February's trade deadline.
FanSided predicted Oubre as the No. 1 Philadelphia player to be moved this season.
"McCain's ascent is great news for the Sixers at large, but gaining what appears to be a potential fourth star in record time and still falling to 2-11 is an alarming outcome," FanSided's Christopher Kline wrote. "It speaks to how poorly Embiid, Paul George, and the rest of Philadelphia's roster has performed. Oubre is a primary culprit behind the Sixers' slow start."
The other two candidates listed in the article were KJ Martin and Andre Drummond. The consensus belief is Martin was signed to his lucrative deal strictly for the purpose of matching salary in a deal while Drummond appears much worse than during his first stint in Philadelphia.
"Oubre was always going to look a little rough around the edges without Embiid, but Philadelphia needs more from its high-flying swingman...His salary, like the others listed above, is rather easy to slot into potential trade conversations. Don't be shocked if he ends up in the rumor mill," Kline concluded.
There are plenty of contending teams, like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks, that would likely express interest in Oubre if available.
