Report: 76ers 'tried hard' to find a Carter-Williams deal at draft, may continue to seek trade

Toward the end of the 2013-14 NBA season, a report surfaced that the Philadelphia 76ers were quietly kicking the tires on potential trades involving the newly-crowned Rookie of the Year, Michael Carter-Williams.

The Sixers never went through with the sell-high move, opting instead to hang on to the 2013 No. 11 draft pick and his 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. That wasn't for lack of effort, though, according to a report from Zach Lowe of Grantland:

They tried hard during the draft, but they couldn’t draw the trove they envisioned or guarantee that the player they wanted with an acquired pick would be there, per several league sources. Expect Philly to repeat the exercise. It’s not a shot at Carter-Williams, or even a signal that the Sixers are dying to trade him. He may well end up a long-term cog in Philly.

It's not surprising Philadelphia couldn't find the right deal. An interested team would know they were buying high and may have considered that Carter-Williams's numbers were inflated some by the fast-paced, no-quality-teammates system in which he played. Teams also may have valued picks highly on the eve of the draft, seeing comparable talent with an additional year of control available.

The Sixers could continue to look for deals for Carter-Williams, but that's not an indictment on his talent or fit. According to Lowe (and logic), the Sixers realize point guard is the league's deepest position, and acquiring a more talented player at another spot would be desirable.

For now, Carter-Williams will stay put at least until he can get back on the floor - a timeline that remains in question.