76ers show confidence in Joel Embiid return by acquiring electric sharpshooter

Philadelphia won't be able to contend for a championship, let alone make a deep run in the playoffs, unless Embiid can come back this spring. The pickup of Hield, however, makes them better on paper, while seemingly making one of their primary Eastern Conference opponents less of a threat.

The Sixers (30-20) enter deadline day with the fifth-best record in the conference, while the Pacers (29-23) are just two games back in sixth place.

With All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, defensive menace Myles Turner at center and newly acquired power forward Pascal Siakam leading the way, Indiana can sustain the loss of Hield and possibly surpass Philadelphia in the standings. The Oklahoma product boosts a Sixers squad that has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks and if All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey can stay healthy the rest of the season, perhaps the team can still be a dangerous one if/when Embiid comes back.

With the addition of Hield, Philadelphia is getting a premier three-point shooter and one of the most durable players in recent years. The 31-year-old has never missed more than two games in a season since he entered the league in 2016.

Hield is one of only two Pacers to appear in all 52 of the team's games this season, earning 28 starts and playing 25.7 minutes per contest.

Marcus Morris and Furkan Korkmaz, meanwhile, have played in 37 and 35 games each but the former has only seven starts while Korkmaz hasn't made any appearances with the first unit. Morris (17.2 minutes) and Korkmaz (8.6) combine for barely more playing time than Hield alone, which would indicate that the Sixers are getting the far more impactful return in the short term.

Indiana and Philadelphia have already played all three of their regular season matchups this campaign, so if the players involved in the trade are to get a chance at seeing their former teammates on the floor again, it'd have to come in the playoffs.