The NBA trade deadline is just a little less than three hours away, but it appears as though Philadelphia 76ers fans can rest easy now, as Philadelphia has no plans to trade franchise swingman Andre Iguodala, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Instead, the “next order of 76ers business” will be to buy out the contract of Jason Kapono.
Iguodala, who turned 27 last month, ranks second on Philadelphia in scoring (14.1), second in rebounding (5.8), first in assists (6.1), and first in steals (1.6). Perhaps the 76ers would have been inclined to trade him were they not enjoying such success this season. At 28-29, Philadelphia owns the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, just two games behind the New York Knicks.
Kapono is a different matter. Though he’s fourth on the NBA’s all-time three-point percentage list, the seven-year veteran has made just 18 appearances this season, shooting 6-of-22 from the field and averaging 0.8 points per game. If the Sixers succeed in buying him out, he will likely sign with a playoff team in need of outside shooting, says Wojnarowski.