With the NBA trade deadline quickly approaching on Thursday, the talk between teams looking to add that missing piece has intensified. But for the 76ers, who are expected to get their starting center back in the lineup on Wednesday, there is no rush to make a trade.

But that doesnt mean the Sixers arent asking around. According to team president Rod Thorn, the Sixers are talking to teams, but he isnt sure if anything will happen before the deadline.

A report on NBC 10 Sports Final indicated that Thorn and the Sixers are looking for a sharp-shooting wing player. But actually, it sounds as if Thorn is just browsing and not necessarily buying.

We're looking at a few things, Thorn said. There is nothing specific we are looking for, but one might be a wing playershooter.

Dwight Howard, the All-Star center from Orlando, is reportedly on the market, as is the Lakers big man Pau Gasol. But any trade those players are in will be a blockbuster and the Sixers wont be making any of those in the next couple of days.

Even smaller deals seem unlikely. In fact, there arent many sharp-shooting wing players of impact reportedly on the market that could be available for what the Sixers are willing to give up. However, one player that is drawing interest from a bunch of clubs mostly from the Lakers and the Clippers is Atlantas Kirk Hinrich. A favorite player of coach Doug Collins, Hinrich has battled injuries over the past few seasons and is averaging just 5.5 points in 21 minutes per game. However, the nine-year veteran was a standout for the Bulls in a handful of playoffs rounds and averaged double-digits in points for the Hawks in six postseason games a year ago.

Moreover, Hinrich has an expiring contract that many clubs covet. But what could the Sixers offer? The team has a handful of expiring contracts, belonging to bench players Andres Nocioni, Craig Brackins, Tony Battie, Lavoy Allen and Jodie Meeks. Plus, Spencer Hawes is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season and Lou Williams can exercise an option in his deal to become a free agent.

Regardless, its doubtful the Sixers will want to break up a roster with anything too dramatic. Aside from that, the team doesnt have much to give up beyond a second-round pick it acquired in the deal with Memphis for Marresse Speights.

I would be shocked if we did anything big. Could we add a little piece? Possibly. We do have a trade exception so we can get a player without having to take anything other than maybe a draft pick so that helps, Collins said. But if we are going to bring someone in is it going to be someone we think can help us? We really dont have anything in the mix. The coaches and I sat down the other day and came up with a sheet of guys we thought maybe might be something we need on this team. We will just have to see where we go from there.

Then again, with Evan Turners emergence in the starting lineup and Hawes return expected Wednesday in Indiana, just a day before the trading deadline, its almost as if the Sixers are making a deal without actually making one (see story).

Though Hawes has missed 27 games this season and will be playing limited minutes when he returns, the Sixers are 12-2 with him in the lineup and the have averaged more than 101 points per game. Meanwhile, since Turner joined the starting five four games ago, the Sixers have gone on a three-game winning streak and are averaging 101.5 points per game.

Turner has experienced a resurgence since joining the starting five, averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds per game during the winning streak, while shooting 27 for 45 from the floor and 11 for 13 from the foul line.

With getting Spencer back and Evan being in the lineup, this team has never played together so we dont even know what it looks like yet, Collins said. But it is good we are doing our homework and we will see what is out there.

So with the deadline looming, the only moves the Sixers appear ready to make will come when Hawes trades in his street clothes for a uniform.
With the NBA trade deadline quickly approaching on Thursday, the talk between teams looking to add that missing piece has intensified. But for the 76ers, who are expected to get their starting center back in the lineup on Wednesday, there is no rush to make a trade.

But that doesnt mean the Sixers arent asking around. According to team president Rod Thorn, the Sixers are talking to teams, but he isnt sure if anything will happen before the deadline.

A report on NBC 10 Sports Final indicated that Thorn and the Sixers are looking for a sharp-shooting wing player. But actually, it sounds as if Thorn is just browsing and not necessarily buying.

We're looking at a few things, Thorn said. There is nothing specific we are looking for, but one might be a wing playershooter.

Dwight Howard, the All-Star center from Orlando, is reportedly on the market, as is the Lakers big man Pau Gasol. But any trade those players are in will be a blockbuster and the Sixers wont be making any of those in the next couple of days.

Even smaller deals seem unlikely. In fact, there arent many sharp-shooting wing players of impact reportedly on the market that could be available for what the Sixers are willing to give up. However, one player that is drawing interest from a bunch of clubs mostly from the Lakers and the Clippers is Atlantas Kirk Hinrich. A favorite player of coach Doug Collins, Hinrich has battled injuries over the past few seasons and is averaging just 5.5 points in 21 minutes per game. However, the nine-year veteran was a standout for the Bulls in a handful of playoffs rounds and averaged double-digits in points for the Hawks in six postseason games a year ago.

Moreover, Hinrich has an expiring contract that many clubs covet. But what could the Sixers offer? The team has a handful of expiring contracts, belonging to bench players Andres Nocioni, Craig Brackins, Tony Battie, Lavoy Allen and Jodie Meeks. Plus, Spencer Hawes is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season and Lou Williams can exercise an option in his deal to become a free agent.

Regardless, its doubtful the Sixers will want to break up a roster with anything too dramatic. Aside from that, the team doesnt have much to give up beyond a second-round pick it acquired in the deal with Memphis for Marresse Speights.

I would be shocked if we did anything big. Could we add a little piece? Possibly. We do have a trade exception so we can get a player without having to take anything other than maybe a draft pick so that helps, Collins said. But if we are going to bring someone in is it going to be someone we think can help us? We really dont have anything in the mix. The coaches and I sat down the other day and came up with a sheet of guys we thought maybe might be something we need on this team. We will just have to see where we go from there.

Then again, with Evan Turners emergence in the starting lineup and Hawes return expected Wednesday in Indiana, just a day before the trading deadline, its almost as if the Sixers are making a deal without actually making one.

Though Hawes has missed 27 games this season and will be playing limited minutes when he returns, the Sixers are 12-2 with him in the lineup and the have averaged more than 101 points per game. Meanwhile, since Turner joined the starting five four games ago, the Sixers have gone on a three-game winning streak and are averaging 101.5 points per game.

Turner has experienced a resurgence since joining the starting five, averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds per game during the winning streak, while shooting 27 for 45 from the floor and 11 for 13 from the foul line.

With getting Spencer back and Evan being in the lineup, this team has never played together so we dont even know what it looks like yet, Collins said. But it is good we are doing our homework and we will see what is out there.

So with the deadline looming, the only moves the Sixers appear ready to make will come when Hawes trades in his street clothes for a uniform.

E-mail John Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com.