76ers’ New Additions Set to Make Debut vs. Atlanta Hawks
Coming off their loss to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers are back in action Friday against the Atlanta Hawks. Following recent developments, Nick Nurse is getting some much-needed reinforcements.
At Thursday's trade deadline, the Sixers made a flurry of moves. Among the most notable moves was acquiring veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers. Later in the day, Daryl Morey shipped Patrick Beverley to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Cameron Payne.
On Friday morning, Hield and Payne were both listed as out due to the trades pending. Since then, a team official has confirmed that both guards will be available to play against the Hawks. Hield has already been spotted getting shots up at the Wells Fargo Center ahead of what could be his debut.
Before being traded, Hield appeared in 52 games for the Pacers. In that time, he averaged 12.0 PPG while shooting 38.4% from beyond the arc on high volume. As for Payne, he averaged 6.2 PPG and 2.3 APG for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Having Hield and Payne is big for the Sixers, as they continue to deal with injuries. De'Anthony Melton, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, and Joel Embiid are all out against the Hawks. Tyrese Maxey is also listed as questionable due to an illness.
With multiple forwards being out, Hield could end up starting in his first game with the Sixers. Nurse has limited options due to Jaden Springer, Furkan Korkmaz, and Marcus Morris being traded on Thursday. Due to the team's current situation, two-way players Terquavion Smith and Rick Council IV could also see extended minutes against Atlanta.
