Colangelo on 76ers' excess of bigs: 'We've got to make a decision'

Philadelphia 76ers chairman Jerry Colangelo is ready to listen as the NBA trade deadline approaches, and on Tuesday, he alluded to the glut of big men the team has collected over the last few drafts.

"With (Joel) Embiid, everyone's optimistic, but we still have to find out whether he can play and will he hold up?" Colangelo told reporters, according to Calkins' Media's Tom Moore. "Right now, that's a strength as it relates to the three bigs. But at some point, we've got to make a decision what to do and how to do it."

Embiid is midway through sitting out his second full season due to foot surgery. On the floor, the 76ers are trying to find a way to balance the skills of Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, both natural centers.

"If Nerlens could be a power forward, that would be a different story," Colangelo said. "Right now, his natural position is center. He's a rim protector. He is who he is. As you go forward and try to analyze this thing, what's the best combination? Who complements one another? How do you surround the player? You look at Okafor and what he can do and his deficiencies. How do you surround him?"

Colangelo, who was hired to oversee the 76ers organization in December, said Tuesday that he signed a three-year contract with the team. The Sixers' general manager, Sam Hinkie - who many felt was being undercut by Colangelo's hiring at the time - said that if an opportunity to upgrade the roster presents itself, the team will act.

"If there are big things we can do, I think we've shown we're not afraid to do something big - and maybe do something big that other people don't expect," Hinkie said. "We're still looking for talented players that can take us deep."

They are baby steps, but the 76ers have looked slightly more like a NBA franchise since Colangelo took the reins in the wake of intense criticism of Hinkie's perceived plodding and directionless "process."

"We're not out there actively looking to make a trade, but you always have to be open," Colangelo added. "Things happen usually right around All-Star break. There are 10 days when there's a lot of discussion. It may lead to nothing. Right now, we're kind of content to say there are too many question marks about certain players' health and so forth that you have to be very careful and very selective.

"Timing is everything."