The reporting of NBA trades is fairly simple: each team receives something from another team, each team gives something up to another team, and everyone hopes they end up with the more valuable asset or collection of assets.
However, for many teams, there are potential longer-term benefits to these deals: trade exceptions. This device, sometimes referred to as a "TPE," helps facilitate future trades — offering teams the ability to take back salary without trading any money away within the next 365 days.
The Sixers made three trades leading up to February's deadline, and in each one they sent out more salary than they took back. Each time, they created a TPE worth the difference in salaries within the specific trade. Each of those TPEs will be available this offseason and leading up to next year's deadline. But trade exceptions cannot be combined with player salary, so only one of these three offers any real semblance of flexibility:
• $7,975,000 — KJ Martin — expires Feb. 6, 2026
• $3,852,319 — Caleb Martin — expires Feb. 4, 2026
• $2,087,519 — Reggie Jackson — expires Feb. 6, 2026
When the Sixers traded 24-year-old KJ Martin with two second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons for cash, the primary motivation was to get under the luxury tax threshold. But there was one roster construction benefit to the deal: creating this TPE of nearly $8 million, which could be used to add a rotation-caliber contributor.
That begs the question: like who?
The most likely scenario in which the Sixers use their KJ Martin TPE this summer is probably one in which they are taking a useful-but-not-vital contributor from a team that is either desperate for financial relief or roster space. But they could also try to find a player they believe is undervalued and could be slotted into their bench mix.
Let's dive into three possible candidates:
MORE: Taking stock of Sixers' trade assets entering offseason
Kenrich Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
2025-26 salary: $7,163,000
Remaining contract: Two years, $14.3 million (team option for $7.1 million in 2026-27)
Williams, who will turn 31 years old early next season, remains a player who can contribute in any system but might be a particularly clean fit with the Sixers. He has the necessary defensive acumen and size to take on noteworthy assignments at both forward positions, has become a genuinely good three-point shooter in recent years, has passing chops and is always doing the little things and making hustle plays:
This is why Kenrich Williams is called Kenny Hustle. pic.twitter.com/CKovkw7qOD
— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) January 23, 2022
On nearly any other team, Williams might be known as one of the more underrated frontcourt role players in the NBA. And Oklahoma City's absurd depth, which has made him a luxury, is only growing. While Williams appears to be a vital component of their famously strong locker room camaraderie, Thunder brass has tough decisions to make in the summer ahead: all 15 players on their 68-win juggernaut are already under contract for 2025-26, and they will have two or three first-round picks next month — depending on whether or not they land the Sixers' pick.
Given Williams' age, general replaceability within their roster and the fact that the Thunder can keep much cheaper players under contract — plus that other teams would likely covet Williams on his team-friendly contract — once Oklahoma City gets to trimming their roster, Williams could be available. If so, the Sixers (and many other teams) should be calling.
Dean Wade, Cleveland Cavaliers
2025-26 salary: $6,623,456
Remaining contract: One year, $6.6 million
Wade should be too good of a player to be traded for salary cap purposes, but the money-strapped Cavaliers may have no choice, particularly after Evan Mobley was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award winner, launching his upcoming deal into supermax territory.
The De'Andre Hunter trade last February might have been the eventual dagger in Wade's Cavaliers tenure, as the Cavaliers are now staring down a massive luxury tax bill next season while already being well over the extremely punitive second apron despite having only 11 players under contract. Cavaliers ownership has been willing to foot hefty tax bills before and seems prepared to do it again, but that does not mean there will not be some cost-cutting measures. Wade could make sense as the casualty here — given the difficulties Cleveland might experience trying to retain him after 2025-26 with their cap situation, the 28-year-old forward could have more value to other teams in the near future.
For the Sixers, Wade would provide reliability at both forward spots and decent efficiency on terrific volume from three-point range. He has blossomed into a high-quality role player amid Cleveland's rise in recent years, but their depth on the wing with players like Hunter, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro and even rookie Jaylon Tyson could render Wade the odd man out. Like Williams, in terms of size and position, Wade is a perfect fit for what the Sixers do not have on their roster right now.
MORE: Can you name every player to appear in a game for the 2024-25 Sixers?
Haywood Highsmith, Miami Heat
2025-26 salary: $5,616,000
Remaining contract: One year, $5.6 million
Everything with Miami's roster could be in flux after a brutal season and a more embarrassing first-round sweep at the hands of the Cavaliers. Highsmith's role fluctuated significantly throughout the year, with the Jimmy Butler saga playing a part in that initially. Since his days as a failed Sixers developmental project, the 28-year-old has turned into a quality two-way wing for the Heat, relied on to handle important defensive assignments and knock down spot-up threes without getting in the way of other offense.
Highsmith is lower on the positional spectrum than Williams and Wade, more of a wing that can slide down and defend guards than one being asked to slide up and defend bigs when needed. He is strong and tough, which enabled him to earn trust in Miami to defend against high-profile players:
Look at Haywood Highsmith playing defense vs Anthony Edwards! pic.twitter.com/WK6KOjPVjj
— John Jablonka (@JohnJablonka_) November 12, 2024
Highsmith and sophomore-to-be Justin Edwards could serve as bankable bench wings for this team together, though some might argue that Edwards' strong rookie season featured enough flashes for the Sixers to avoid acquiring a player whose optimal role might be similar. And while the development of the 21-year-old Edwards is important, no team can have enough wings who are playable on both ends of the floor.
SIXERS YEAR-IN-REVIEW
Joel Embiid | Guerschon Yabusele | Paul George | Jared McCain | Tyrese Maxey | Andre Drummond | Quentin Grimes | Jared Butler | Kyle Lowry | Kelly Oubre Jr. | Justin Edwards | Ricky Council IV | Eric Gordon | Lonnie Walker IV | Adem Bona
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