Philadelphia 76ers Trade Rumours: 3 players that could leave the Sixers ahead of the trade deadline

The NBA trade deadline will close next week ahead of the annual NBA All-Star Event in North Carolina. This leaves teams around the league with just four days to make major changes to their rosters ahead of the business end of the 18/19 NBA season, and the moves made in the next few days could make or break a team's season.

We have already seen major moves around the league such as the Mavericks trade with the Knicks that resulted in Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke heading to Dallas in exchange for Denns Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two future first round picks. While we are unlikely to see another trade of this magnitude, a number of teams around the league are looking to make additions, including the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers have been impressive so far this season, although serious concerns remain over the team's depth. Philadelphia gave up a lot of rotation players in the trade to acquire Jimmy Butler back in November, and the Sixers bench has struggled ever since.

Nevertheless, with additions to the roster likely, departures are also imminent, and here are three players that could leave the team ahead of the deadline.

#3 T.J. McConnell

T.J. McConnell was picked up by the 76ers after he went undrafted during the 2015 NBA draft, and during his four seasons with the team, the 26-year-old has served as the Sixers' back up point guard. Nevertheless, despite playing good minutes, McConnell is yet to average more than seven points per game for a season, and McConnell has always been a defensive liability.

While McConnell has been better creatively, averaging 4.9 assists during his time in Philadelphia, the guard will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Ultimately, the Sixers are known to be targeting a new point guard, and McConnell could be used in order to facilitate a trade ahead of the deadline.

#2 Wilson Chandler

Wilson Chandler was traded to the Sixers from the Denver Nuggets back in July, and the veteran has quickly found a major role in Philadelphia. The 31-year-old has started more than 30 times for the Sixers, although Chandler is currently averaging a career low 6.7 points per game.

Despite Chandler's struggles, the Sixers have had little choice but to give the small forward extended playing time, as the team is incredibly light at the position. The Sixers would like to sign a new starting forward, although Chandler is signed to an overvalued $12.8 million deal, and the Sixers will need to offload the veteran in order to bring in a more effective player.

Due to this, the Sixers may choose to package Chandler with a younger player or draft pick, and there is a strong possibility that the underwhelming veteran will depart the team ahead of the deadline.

#1 Markelle Fultz

Towards the end of 2018, reports surfaced that the Sixers organization were finished with Markelle Fultz and would look to trade him away in 2019. While these reports have yet to be confirmed, it seems obvious that Fultz has no future in Philadelphia, and the team will instead move forward with the trio of Butler, Embiid, and Simmons.

Fultz remains injured for an unknown period of time due to a nerve condition, although ESPN has reported that the Atlanta Hawks have asked the Sixers to include the point guard in trade discussions for Dewayne Dedmon:

But in order to get him, the 76ers would likely have to do something they have so far been resistant to, per sources: trading former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz.

While Fultz has been underwhelming during his spell in Philadelphia, the Sixers won't be willing to trade him away for little in return. Ultimately, Fultz is likely to be part of a bigger trade, although it remains to be seen if the Sixers will execute such a move ahead of the deadline.