Report: Sixers To Acquire Mike Muscala
It was only a matter of time before Carmelo Anthony departed Oklahoma City. What we didn't know is that the deal would involve the Philadelphia 76ers. Anthony will head to Atlanta and get waived almost immediately. The Hawks receive a 2022 pick from the Thunder as well. Atlanta sends Dennis Schroder to Oklahoma City. That's how it started.
Like most deals, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report Anthony being sent to the Hawks, but Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution broke the Sixers' involvement in the deal. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot heads to the Thunder while Justin Anderson will go to Atlanta and the Sixers will net F/C Mike Muscala.
Muscala, 27, averaged 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds last season for the Hawks. He shot 45.8 percent from the floor and just over 37 percent from beyond the arc. Muscala is just a season removed from hitting 41.8 percent of his three-pointers in 2016-17. A former Bucknell product, Muscala fills the hole left by Nemanja Bjelica. Muscala can stretch the floor from the four and five spots and will likely get a good bit of playing time behind Dario Saric. He's set to earn $5 million this season.
Meanwhile, Justin Anderson departs the Sixers organization after an injury-plagued tenure since being acquired late in the 2016-17 season for Nerlens Noel. Anderson was close with all of his teammates and he contributed in a lot of different ways when on the court. Anderson brought a ton of energy to the game and was a pest on defense, even getting into the head of Miami's Dwyane Wade this past postseason. Anderson averaged 7.1 points on 44.5 percent shooting in 62 games with the Sixers across two seasons. He has a good chance to play meaningful minutes in Atlanta with their young roster.
The Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot era comes to an end as well with this trade. Selected 24th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, TLC was projected to turn into a strong 3-and-D player that could consistently hit from beyond the arc. Aside from a short stint in 2016-17 where he was in the starting lineup, TLC never really played consistent enough to earn minutes. His defense was lackluster and he shot just 32.3 percent from beyond in 121 games. If he wants to continue his career in an NBA role, he'll have to work hard for minutes on an already busy Oklahoma City roster.
Brandon Apter is a contributor to 97.3 ESPN and managing editor at SportsTalkPhilly.com. Follow him on Twitter @bapter23.