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Sixers discussed deal for Battier

    by Kate Fagan
    Published 

Update: 

Although the 76ers did not make a move by the 3 p.m. trading deadline, a source confirmed that they were engaged with the Houston Rockets up until the final hours before the deadline discussing a deal which involved Sixers' forward Jason Kapono and big man Marreese Speights in exchange for Rockets' forward Shane Battier. Houston ended up trading Battier to the Memphis Grizzlies for Thabeet and a first-round pick.

This almost-trade was first reported by ESPN's Marc Stein.

Although Sixers were taking and making calls all the way up to the deadline, and this news is evidence of that, the team moves forward with the current roster. As noted in the previous post, keep an eye on Kapono and his $6.6 million contract, which could be bought out.

From earlier:

As the NBA trade madness swirled around them -- the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards, and Boston Celtics all made significant trades -- the Sixers didn't make a move by today's 3 p.m. trading deadline.

Deciding to see what this roster could do with 25 more games together, the Sixers' brass held onto all of their assets and will play out the remainder of the season without any significant trades. It's still possible that the Sixers will buy out Jason Kapono (his $6.6 million expires at the end of the season), allowing him to sign with a contender such as the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers. A source confirmed that many teams are interested in Kapono's shooting ability, should the Sixers agree to buy him out. At today's practice, Sixers coach Doug Collins said if the team did that, it would be for Kapono's sake, but it would also have to make sense for the organization. That's something the organization will consider now that no trades have been executed.

--Kate

Each week, Kate will check in from the road and answer fan questions about the Sixers. Click here to ask Kate a question or e-mail her at kfagan@phillynews.com.

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