Update (Feb. 22): This trade was voided after Donatas Motiejunas failed a physical. Read Kevin Pelton's grades of the fallout from the non-trades here.
The Deal
Sixers get: Center Joel Anthony, 2017 Denver second-round pick
Rockets get: Rights to 2011 draft pick Chukwudiebere Maduabum
Houston Rockets: B
Having acquired Anthony from the Pistons earlier in the day, the Rockets quickly flipped him to Philadelphia in a move that allows them to avoid paying the luxury tax this season.
While the savings this year are relatively modest -- about $4.6 million in salary and taxes, plus whatever the distribution of tax among non-taxpaying teams ends up being -- there's long-term benefit in deferring the possibility of being a repeater well down the line.
Maduabum, last seen coming off the bench in Finland earlier this season, is not an NBA prospect.
Philadelphia 76ers: A
From the Sixers' standpoint, this move is a pretty clear win. Not only does Philadelphia get a decent second-round pick for its trouble, the team also saves some money because Anthony's salary puts them over the floor. The Sixers will only be responsible for paying the remainder of what he's owed (about $800,000) rather than the $2.3 million they would have distributed among their players for being under the floor.
Another small benefit to the Sixers is that Anthony's 2016-17 salary is non-guaranteed, making him a possible trade chip at the draft or early next summer for other teams trying to take on more salary than they have cap space.