NBA Trade Rumors: 76ers deal Ersan Ilyasova to Hawks for Tiago Splittler, picks

The Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks have made a trade in advance of Thursday’s deadline.

Both the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks have been rumored to be making moves in past weeks. Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr. from the Hawks were thought to be candidates to be traded, as well as Jahlil Okafor from the 76ers. And on the eve of the NBA’s trade deadline, a minor deal was indeed made between these two clubs. However, it was a move that few could have seen coming.

Philadelphia will be sending Ersan Ilyasova to Atlanta in exchange for Tiago Splitter and two second round draft picks.

The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the trade:

Ilyasova represents an upgrade as a backup big for Atlanta. Mike Muscala has faded after a hot start to the season and Kris Humphries hasn’t been an answer there either. This move essentially only cost them two second round picks. Splitter has been injured during the duration of his Hawks contract and his return date was unknown. For a veteran team, this move makes a lot of sense.

The 76ers may choose to cut the injured Splitter, and may just let his contract expire at the end of the year. For them, this move was about bringing in those two second round picks and potentially unearthing a hidden gem as they build in the future. Moving Ilyasova allows them to open up minutes for Dario Saric, who has played well in 2017. This move also opens up minutes for Richaun Holmes and potentially even Ben Simmons, as he could be back this season yet.

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Overall, this move makes sense for both teams involved. The playoff-bound Hawks get a reliable veteran bench forward who could help them out in the postseason. The lottery-bound 76ers get future assets and open up minutes for younger players they will choose to build with. This wasn’t the most exciting of trades, but it was reasonable one that both teams should feel good about.