Author: Gina Mizell

PORTLAND, Ore. — As Jabari Walker worked his way around the three-point arc during Monday’s pregame warmup, a member of the Trail Blazers’ cheer team exclaimed, “Jabari’s back!”

Yes and no.

Walker, the 76ers reserve forward who spent his first three seasons with the Trail Blazers, was unable to play in his former NBA home. He has exhausted the maximum 50 games for which he is allowed to be active for the Sixers while on a two-way contract, leaving him ineligible since Thursday’s loss at the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Sixers could have used Walker in their 135-118 blowout loss in Portland, when starting wing Paul George was suspended, starting forward Dominick Barlow was a late scratch because of illness, and the team was in its final matchup of a grueling five-game Western Conference road trip. And though president of basketball operations Daryl Morey on Friday did not commit to converting Walker to a standard contract, Walker remains optimistic that such a deal will be “figured out” soon.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Walker told The Inquirer from his locker before the Sixers’ victory at the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. “It puts pressure on the organization or whoever is making the decision, which is all you can do as a player. …

“The energy from management is all positive, and it’s just a matter of time, it feels like.”

Sixers coach Nick Nurse also implied before Monday’s loss in Portland that he expects Walker to be converted “fairly soon … and [we will] get him back out there when all that stuff gets taken care of.”

Walker respectfully shrugged off periodic questions throughout the season about his dwindling NBA game days, as he is a rare two-way player who has consistently been in the Sixers’ rotation. Many players on this type of deal split time between the NBA and G League and/or regularly are inactive because they are less experienced and still developing.

Walker’s reality did not fully hit until he (and the Sixers) reached Game 50 last Tuesday at the Golden State Warriors. He received a phone call reminder that he was out of NBA eligibility but was assured of his value to the front office and “how important it is to try and keep me around,” he said.

The Sixers have two open spots on their 15-man roster, after Jared McCain and Eric Gordon were traded at last week’s deadline and Barlow was converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal. Players who become available via the buyout market could impact the Sixers’ decision to convert Walker, Morey said last week.

“He’s been a tremendous next-man-up contributor, and we hope to have his services,” Morey said of Walker following the trade deadline. “But we do have to weigh optimal use of our scarce two roster spots and against the other opportunities, as well.

“So that will be written over time, whether or not we do that conversion.”

Walker has averaged 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.1 minutes this season. He brings what teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. on Monday described as “unmatched” energy as a rebounder and physical defender, with spotty success as a three-point shooter (27% on 1.4 attempts per game). And Walker is well-liked inside the locker room, with Oubre sharing that teammates have nicknamed him “Mr. Rah-Rah” because he is “the sweetest dude. He’s friends with everybody.”

“Pretty reliable,” Nurse said Monday of Walker. “At this point, we know who he is and what he’s done for us. So it’s a guy we can kind of count on to do the same things every night.”

Added Walker: “I haven’t overstepped my role. I’ve been impactful. It’s validating to know that you play a solid role on a winning team.”

Walker has relished being immersed in the “completely different vibe” of a Sixers team vying for playoff positioning, with star teammates who he said have “an answer for every situation.” As the Sixers roster temporarily got healthier, however, Walker more often got squeezed out of the rotation.

Now, George still has 19 games remaining on his suspension after violating the NBA’s antidrug policy. His absence on Monday, plus Barlow’s illness and Walker’s ineligibility, thrust fellow two-way player MarJon Beauchamp into his first action as a Sixer.

Walker, though, is attempting to best maximize the time he is prohibited to play in NBA games. He has jumped into the five-on-five and three-on-three scrimmages with “low-minute” players on off days and can shoulder more strenuous weightlifting sessions. He is working on improving his lateral quickness on defense and becoming “more bouncy overall.” He also has focused on the fluidity of his three-point shot and “not overcomplicating it” while maintaining the confidence to launch when open.

And Walker has taken mental notes on where his presence could have been felt in the three games he has missed. Watching Thursday’s loss at the Lakers, when the Sixers surrendered a 14-point second-half lead, was rough because he believed his playing style could have slowed the Lakers’ momentum. Walker thinks the Sixers staff feels similarly, which he recognizes is better than those coaches concluding that he “really would not have helped” in such a game.

After Monday’s matchup between Walker’s current and former teams, he greeted Portland All-Star Deni Avdija with a quick dance move and then chatted with Jerami Grant near midcourt. A few minutes later, Walker was spotted catching up with a Trail Blazers staffer in the hallway outside the visitors’ locker room. Walker then continued to linger with Avdija near the Moda Center’s loading dock, from where the Sixers team buses eventually departed for the airport.

Perhaps all of those reconnections were enough to create a fulfilling NBA homecoming. But Walker could not boost the shorthanded Sixers on the floor Monday because he is still waiting for his contract to be converted.

“It’s ‘free Bari’ until he’s back with us,” Oubre said. “Can’t wait for him to suit up and get out there.”

PORTLAND, Ore. — Joel Embiid (right knee injury management), Quentin Grimes (illness), and Dominick Barlow (illness) will miss the 76ers’ game Monday at the Trail Blazers, the team announced.

The absences leave the Sixers without three rotation players for the final matchup of a five-game Western Conference road trip. Andre Drummond and Trendon Watford will start in place of Embiid and Barlow, respectively.

Embiid has been dominant offensively in recent weeks, and is averaging 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 31 games. Barlow, who recently was converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal, arguably has been the Sixers’ most pleasant surprise in averaging 8.4 points, five rebounds, 1.2 assists, and one steal in 42 games with 35 starts at forward. Grimes has been the Sixers’ sixth man for much of the season, averaging 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 48 games.

Coach Nick Nurse said during his pregame news conference that Grimes’ sickness emerged during Monday morning’s shootaround. Grimes was present at the Moda Center about an hour before tipoff, but was in street clothes inside the locker room. Barlow was also at the arena and took the floor for his pregame on-court workout.

The Sixers (30-22) could rely on Watford for more offense-initiating responsibilities, or on Justin Edwards for increased wing minutes. Kyle Lowry also could be a guard option off the bench. The Sixers are missing the suspended wing Paul George, who is a strong playmaker, while guards Jared McCain and Eric Gordon were traded last week. Jabari Walker, who has been in the rotation as a reserve big man for much of the season, is ineligible to play Monday because he has reached the maximum allowed 50 NBA games while on a two-way contract.

After Monday’s game in Portland, the Sixers host the New York Knicks Wednesday and then enter the All-Star break.

PHOENIX — Trendon Watford wanted everybody to know that he believes he beat the shot clock on his swooping right-wing three-point attempt, which he launched off a high-arcing inbound pass from the opposite corner by Tyrese Maxey.

Forget that the fourth-quarter basket was overturned by an official review minutes later.

“Go back and watch that,” the reserve forward said from his locker. “I’m about 95% sure I got that off at 0.1 [seconds]. Approximately 0.2. But hey, 76ers win. It’s OK.”

That ruling took three points off Watford’s stat line in the 76ers’ 109-103 victory over the Suns on Saturday night at Mortgage Matchup Center. At first glance, Watford’s six points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks are not exactly staggering. The eye test, though, recognized Watford’s impact as a complementary ballhandler, offensive connector, and hustle player inserted into the closing lineup for the 30-22 Sixers.

Watford is showcasing that versatile skill set during a crucial stretch of the schedule, with playmaking wing Paul George serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy and reserve guards Jared McCain and Eric Gordon traded away at the deadline last week.

“He just knows how to play the game,” star center Joel Embiid said of Watford. “Very unselfish. Willing to make the right cuts. Whether it’s get our teammates open [or] get a shot, it comes down to [he is an] extremely smart basketball player and he does all the little things.”

Before Saturday’s game, Sixers coach Nick Nurse said it was still “early days” in evaluating Watford, whose first season in Philly had been interrupted by hamstring and thigh injuries. Although Watford did record a triple-double in a November win over the Toronto Raptors, Nurse was still curious about the types of opposing players Watford could guard and how much he could help with rebounding. He has averaged 6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 16 minutes across 30 games.

After Saturday’s victory, however, Nurse praised Watford’s ability to both bring the ball up the floor like a lead guard and post up like a big man.

“Can kind of go from one extreme to the other on offense,” Nurse said.

Watford was the first Sixer off the bench Saturday, and eventually became a direct substitution for guard VJ Edgecombe. In the first quarter, Watford put the ball on the floor and slung a pass to Maxey for a three-pointer that rattled through the rim. Later, Watford set a screen for Embiid, rolled into space, and then found a cutting Dominick Barlow for an and-one layup. Watford then got out in transition to take a feed from Maxey for the layup. Watford also grabbed a rebound and initiated the offense, then backed down the Suns’ Jordan Goodwin in the paint and drew the foul.

Then came two highlight sequences that official reviews erased.

With less than six minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Watford drove past his defender and through contact for what was initially ruled an old-fashioned three-point play. Maxey yelled in celebration and held up his curved arm in a layup pose while waiting to check back into the game. But a coach’s challenge changed the call to an offensive foul on Watford, saying he pushed off with his opposite arm.

Watford’s wild end-of-shot-clock three-pointer came about a minute later, which a review later determined had not left his fingertips in time. Just after that second dash of disappointment, though, Watford sank a driving floater that put the Sixers up, 96-86, with 2 minutes, 56 seconds to go.

The performance was quite the turnaround from when Watford first returned from missing more than a month with an adductor injury in his thigh — and acknowledged he needed to earn his way into consistent playing time. In his first 13 games back, Watford played single-digit minutes six times. He was completely out of the rotation as recently as last Thursday’s home victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Yet even when Watford “wasn’t the most happy” about his role, Maxey assured him that, on teams vying for playoff positioning, rotations will fluctuate throughout the season.

“You’ve got to be ready,” Maxey told Watford. “Your number will be called. It’s inevitable. And you need everybody to win games, especially throughout the regular season.”

Watford has played double-digit minutes in all five games since George’s suspension began, including while totaling 16 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday’s victory at the Golden State Warriors. Maxey said Watford’s presence gives the Sixers their first ball-movement “connector” since Nico Batum during the 2023-24 season. Watford added that he does not feel any additional pressure as a 6-foot-8 ballhandler and playmaker because “I’m comfortable doing it, and I feel it’s a strong part of my game.”

Playing alongside Maxey, a close friend since they were high schoolers, has been “easy,” Watford said. He now feels chemistry building with Embiid, whom he can complement with his passing and floor-spacing.

“We’ve just got to get him to play some defense,” Maxey quipped about Watford, “and then we’ll be all right.”

Yet with the Sixers’ roster reshuffled again during the past week, Watford is carving out a necessary niche. Even if official reviews wiped away his two highlight buckets in Saturday’s road victory.

“Even if I’m not going to play 27 minutes like [Saturday], approach it like I am,” Watford said. “And just try to stay dialed inasmuch as I can. You never know what the game might bring and what the coaches might need.

“That’s been my approach, and control what I can control.”

LOS ANGELES — While on the 76ers’ bus heading to the San Francisco airport Wednesday morning, Jared McCain approached his teammates to reveal that he had been traded.

“It was just like, ‘All right, whatever. He’s just joking,’” All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey recalled. “Calls start coming in, and then you realize it’s real.”

That is the human side of the trade deadline, which takes a backseat to the business focuses of asset acquisition, luxury tax ducking, and trying to enhance (or tear down) a roster for the stretch run and playoffs.

The record will show that the second-year guard was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 first-round pick and other draft compensation. Yet the Sixers abruptly lost a teammate in the middle of a five-game Western Conference road trip more than three months into the regular season. McCain, a fan favorite, also was popular inside the Sixers’ locker room, as somebody who brought positive vibes whether he was enjoying a breakout start to his rookie season or struggling to regain form following knee and thumb surgeries.

“It’s a harsh business and I know you have to try to take emotions out of it,” starting forward Dominick Barlow said of McCain, on the same day his two-way contract was converted to a standard deal. “But it’s kind of difficult. … It was a hard day.”

Maxey was the first Sixers to speak publicly about McCain’s “emotional” departure, calling him his “little brother.”

The 25-year-old “veteran” in this relationship was quickly taken by McCain’s combination of personality and diligence to his craft, saying that “anybody that worked that hard, for me, is going to be somebody that I probably gravitate to.” When Paul George was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, Maxey called McCain to encourage him to seize the opportunity. And Maxey said last Saturday that he was proud of how McCain had “fought his way out of a little funk” in his comeback from injury, shooting 15-of-26 from three-point range in his final six games before being traded.

Also hit particularly hard by the news were Justin Edwards and Adem Bona, who also were part of McCain’s 2024-25 rookie class.

Edwards has known McCain since they were roommates as teenagers at Steph Curry’s basketball camp. He said McCain has “always been the same person, honestly” (and “more than just a TikToker,” Edwards emphasized to The Inquirer). Even after the Sixers’ loss at the Los Angeles Lakers more than 24 hours later, Bona was “still processing” an “unreal” day.

“It’s kind of hard to understand,” Bona told The Inquirer, “but it’s part of the business.”

Once teammates grasped that McCain was leaving, they tried to “make him laugh, even though it’s a tough situation,” Edwards said. Coach Nick Nurse briefly spoke to McCain as he got off the bus, assuring the 21-year-old that he would be successful with the Thunder. Another member of the traveling party told The Inquirer that McCain shed tears on the tarmac before the Sixers boarded their flight to Los Angeles.

“Obviously developed enough of a relationship that I care about him and wish him a lot of luck,” Nurse said before Thursday’s game at the Lakers. “ … Then I kind of move on, because there was a lot of people wanting to talk to him.”

The emotions hit Maxey again when he woke up for Thursday’s shootaround, realizing he would not see “JMac” downstairs at the team hotel. Bona had a similar reaction when he and rookie VJ Edgecombe went to perform a silly pregame ritual of attempting to juggle the basketball, and McCain was not there to join them as usual. Ditto for when it was time for pregame chapel — a staple for several of the Sixers’ younger players — and it felt like the group “wasn’t complete” without McCain, Bona said. McCain would often round up his teammates whenever they lost track of time.

“Tonight I looked up,” Bona said, “and I’m like, ‘Ah, Jared would have called me right now.’ But he wasn’t here to call me.”

By tipoff against the Lakers, however, the Sixers needed to move forward with the players still on the roster. Maxey and star center Joel Embiid encouraged McCain to use being traded as a fresh start with the defending NBA champions. They will all reunite on March 23, when the Thunder visit Philly.

Still, Maxey leaned into the human side of the trade deadline, acknowledging that “a lot of people in this organization were sad to see [McCain] go.”

“He’s got a fan in me for life,” Maxey said. “A brother in me for life.”

LOS ANGELES — Nick Nurse briefly chatted with Daryl Morey on Tuesday about the looming trade deadline.

At that point, the 76ers coach and the president of basketball operations had not had a conversation in a couple of days. Nurse said he had not yet had “any discussions” with players about potential moves or speculation.

“I mostly let him do his thing,” Nurse said of Morey and the front office. “They’re obviously working long hours.”

Another phone call was certainly worthy by Wednesday afternoon, when the Sixers got into the deadline mix by trading second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 first-round draft pick and additional draft compensation.

On Thursday, the Sixers sent veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon and a second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies, opening a roster spot to convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract into a standard deal and creating additional salary cap space under the first apron.

Morey thus fulfilled the expectation that he will always do something this time of year. This was Morey’s sixth trade deadline with the Sixers, where his moves have ranged from pulling off a blockbuster to executing a straight salary dump.

Here is a look back at previous deadline moves for the Sixers since Morey joined the organization in 2020.

2025

Deal 1: Acquired Quentin Grimes and a second-round draft pick that became Johni Broome from the Dallas Mavericks for Caleb Martin.

Deal 2: Acquired Jared Butler and draft capital from the Washington Wizards for Reggie Jackson.

Deal 3: Traded KJ Martin to the Detroit Pistons for cash considerations.

Even amid a miserable season, Morey found a way to upgrade the roster. The Sixers nabbed Grimes from the Mavericks for an injured Caleb Martin, a slick deal that still flies under the radar because of Dallas’ disastrous trade of superstar Luke Doncic a couple of days earlier. Grimes was a breakout player during the Sixers’ tank job down the stretch of last season and is now their sixth man who can impact both ends of the floor. Martin entered Thursday averaging 3.7 points in 57 games across parts of two seasons with Dallas.

Butler got a tryout as a young reserve guard but became expendable when the Sixers drafted VJ Edgecombe third overall last summer. KJ Martin now plays in the Chinese Basketball Association.

2024

Deal 1: Acquired Buddy Hield in a three-team deal with the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs, which sent out Furkan Korkmaz, Marcus Morris Sr., and draft compensation.

Deal 2: Traded Jaden Springer to the Boston Celtics for a second-round draft pick that became Adem Bona.

Deal 3: Traded Patrick Beverley to the Milwaukee Bucks for Cameron Payne and a second-round draft pick.

Deal 4: Traded Danuel House Jr. to the Detroit Pistons for a second-round draft pick.

Morey said then that he believed Hield was the best player moved on the actual deadline day. The sharpshooting Hield theoretically should have been a smooth fit as a floor spacer, but he did not get much chance to play off an injured Joel Embiid. Hield eventually slipped out of the starting lineup and the playoff rotation, other than his Game 6 breakout against the New York Knicks.

Payne was a clear upgrade over Beverley and part of the playoff rotation before joining the Knicks in free agency.

2023

Deal 1: Acquired Jalen McDaniels and a second-round draft pick in a four-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and New York Knicks that sent out Matisse Thybulle.

Though Thybulle had not proved himself to be offensively reliable enough to play in the postseason, McDaniels also fell out of the rotation in the Sixers’ second-round series against Boston that season.

2022

Deal 1: Acquired James Harden and Paul Millsap from the Brooklyn Nets for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round draft picks.

Simmons’ long holdout saga finally ended with a blockbuster deal headlined by disgruntled All-Stars that was finalized just before the deadline.

Harden led the NBA in assists during Embiid’s MVP season, and helped the Sixers get to Game 7 of the second round against the Celtics in 2023. But he was in Philly for less than two seasons, forcing his way out early in the 2023-24 season after the Sixers would not offer him a long-term extension. The losses of Drummond and Curry were also sneaky important during the Sixers’ second-round playoff exit in 2022.

Simmons has never been the same player, primarily due to health issues. He last played for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2024-25 and has not been on an NBA roster this season.

2021

Deal 1: Acquired George Hill and Ignas Brazdeikis in a three-team trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks, while sending out Tony Bradley and Terrance Ferguson.

The Sixers brought in Hill to attempt to shore up their backup point guard position down the stretch. Waiting in the wings that season: a rookie named Tyrese Maxey.

LOS ANGELES — Jared McCain took charge during Tuesday’s second quarter at the Golden State Warriors and thrust both arms into the air. He pointed across the Chase Center court toward the 76ers’ bench, a motion veteran Kyle Lowry mimicked back to the second-year guard.

That turned out to be one of McCain’s final moments as a Sixer. He was traded Wednesday afternoon to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for draft compensation, abruptly ending his stint in Philly.

McCain’s tenure will be marked by immediate promise after being selected 16th in the 2024 NBA draft, a bright spot in a mostly miserable season. Then, the knee and thumb injuries that required surgery and zapped 11 months from his early basketball development. And, finally, that he essentially ran out of time to regain his footing with the Sixers amid a guard group bolstered while he was sidelined.

McCain’s popularity extends beyond basketball diehards. The 21-year-old has nearly five million TikTok followers, where he documents his on- and off-court life and partakes in social-media dance trends. He paints his nails. He practices meditation. He picked up non-basketball activities, such as the piano and learning Spanish, while he could not walk or play.

He also made an immediate impact on the Sixers, averaging 15.3 points and 2.6 assists in 23 games as an early Rookie of the Year frontrunner. His dynamite three-point shooting carried from college to the NBA, connecting on 38.3% of his 5.8 long-range attempts as a rookie. He flashed a crafty ability to drive and finish at the basket or pull up for midrange jumpers, and started developing as a backup point guard option.

Then he hit his head on the court during a Dec. 13, 2024, home game against the Indiana Pacers. Tests did not reveal a concussion, but found a torn meniscus in his left knee that would end his season. After months working his way back from that, he tore a thumb ligament in a “freak” accident while playing defense in an informal pickup game days before training camp began in late September.

While McCain was recovering from those injuries, the Sixers’ guard depth increased. VJ Edgecombe, the third overall pick in last summer’s draft, became an instant starter and an impact player on both ends of the floor. Last February, the Sixers traded for Quentin Grimes — and will now likely prioritize re-signing the sixth man following a messy restricted free agency saga last summer.

“You never try to compare,” McCain said when asked recently about that competition for guard minutes last week. “You’re always on your own journey. I knew my time was going to come, and I knew it’s going to continue to come.

“There’s going to be ups and downs, but you kind of stay focused on yourself. It’s not in a selfish way, but it’s more to just worry about yourself in these moments, because it’s bigger than you. You can’t have too big of an ego in this.”

McCain returned to game action Nov. 4 at the Chicago Bulls, but did not make a shot in his first four games played. He ditched a clunky knee brace that made him feel unbalanced in favor of an “Incrediwear” sleeve, and eventually removed the brace on his shooting hand. He twice joined the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats to try to generate some flow with heavier minutes. As the Sixers returned to relative full strength, McCain slipped out of the rotation. He averaged 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 16.8 minutes across 37 games.

“I don’t think he’s had much of a runway to play consistently,” coach Nick Nurse said on Jan. 19.

Yet this move arrives just as McCain had finally rediscovered some rhythm.

At the tail end of a brutal Jan. 26 loss at the Charlotte Hornets, he connected on four three-pointers. He went 5 of 6 from deep the next night against the Milwaukee Bucks, and made another four attempts Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans. He also looked more comfortable running the offense during Monday’s victory at the Los Angeles Clippers, and Nurse said he has been pleased with how McCain has played within the Sixers’ defensive schemes.

All-Star teammate Tyrese Maxey also singled McCain out on Saturday as a teammate who could provide scoring punch during Paul George’s 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.

“He has fought his way out of a little funk,” Maxey said then. “And to do that is hard, man. It’s really hard, especially when you don’t play every night [and] the uncertainty of the roster …

“It’s just a weird spot to be in. But he’s fought his way out, and I see the confidence coming back into him.”

During this mini resurgence, McCain also spoke about refocusing on staying present. He will need that as he abruptly shifts to a new NBA home with about 30 regular-season games remaining. He joins the defending NBA champions anchored by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and an organization with a history of identifying and developing young players.

It is the latest step in an already winding NBA journey for McCain, whose Sixers tenure is now over quicker than expected.

SAN FRANCISCO — On Feb. 4, 2025, Quentin Grimes finished a shootaround in Philly as a Dallas Maverick and then, while at the team hotel, became a 76er.

“Well, I’m already here,” Grimes recalled thinking back then. “I don’t have to go far at all.”

The 25-year-old guard is coming up on one year since he changed teams during a whirlwind trade deadline. In the months since then, Grimes has put up career numbers while the Sixers tanked to end last season. He went through a messy restricted free agency before signing a one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer. And he has navigated an up-and-down 2025-26 season as a sixth man before he can enter unrestricted free agency this summer.

Entering Thursday’s trade deadline, Grimes’ expiring contract comes with a massive caveat — that he can veto any proposed deal. When asked Monday if he envisions any scenario that he would approve a deal, Grimes responded, “Nah, I haven’t even thought about that.” But Grimes does feel some relief that he will not be caught off guard by any move.

“It’s a little different now,” Grimes said Monday before the Sixers’ 128-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. “Because nothing’s going to happen unexpectedly on my [end].”

Another reason Grimes might not waive that no-trade clause? That would cause him to lose his “Bird” rights, which allow a team to re-sign its own players for a higher salary. So unless Grimes viewed a potential landing spot as an ideal long-term fit, he likely wouldn’t approve a deal.

Grimes is averaging 13.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and one steal in 46 games. The dip in role and production from last season, when he averaged 21.9 points in 28 games with the Sixers, is understandable. When he arrived after the trade with Dallas, the Sixers put the ball in Grimes’ hands as a leading scorer while the bulk of the roster was injured and the organization transitioned to vying for a high draft pick.

After looking like an NBA Sixth Man of the Year contender early this season, Grimes hit shooting ruts for stretches of December and January. He has connected on just 26% of his three-point attempts in his past 14 games. Sixers coach Nick Nurse last month publicly floated the idea of putting Grimes in the starting lineup to try to jump-start his play, though that never materialized.

Now, though, Grimes is in line for more immediate opportunity after starting wing Paul George was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.

Nurse said the Sixers need Grimes’ consistently “great effort” as a perimeter defender, where George was such an important tone-setter. Ditto for Grimes’ scoring punch off the bench. Nurse added that he wants Grimes to increase his three-point attempts beyond the 5.5 he averages this season and certainly more than the 3.5 in his past 11 games.

Nurse also noted Grimes’ ability to play double-digit-minute stretches, typically to join the lineups featuring the starters that close both halves.

“That’s possible if he’s in his groove a little bit,” Nurse said. “We’ve just got to help him get back to that.”

Grimes has flashed that impact during the first two games of the Sixers’ Western Conference road trip.

He scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting — including a nasty dunk — and added four assists in Monday’s victory over the Clippers. The next night, in a 113-94 win at the Golden State Warriors, Grimes finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists. He mixed sharp drives to the basket with step-back three-pointers. And he was a key component of the Sixers’ bench unit that built a 15-point second-quarter lead and helped put the game away in the final period.

“Kind of getting back into a rhythm,” Grimes said when asked about his goals before the mid-February All-Star break, “how I kind of was early in the season.”

Grimes’ first full season with the Sixers comes after both sides were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term contract in restricted free agency. The barren leaguewide market, a product of the new collective bargaining agreement and its “apron” penalties, meant Grimes did not receive an offer sheet from another team that he could have used as leverage. Since signing the one-year qualifying offer in October, Grimes has switched his representation to CAA.

Last year reminded Grimes that “things happen quick” at the trade deadline. This year, he knows he will not be caught off guard by a deal while at the Sixers’ Los Angeles-area hotel heading into Thursday.

Yet even after last year’s chaotic move, Grimes is content that he wound up with the Sixers.

“I didn’t know if it worked out at the time,” he said, “but it kind of worked out in the end.”

LOS ANGELES — Joel Embiid is content to spend his All-Star break on a family vacation after the 76ers’ standout center was not selected as an Eastern Conference reserve by the NBA’s coaches.

“I don’t need any validation from anybody,” Embiid said following the Sixers’ victory over the Clippers on Monday night. “I’m happy where I’m at. I’m excited to be playing every night. If [the All-Star Game selection] didn’t happen, who cares? I get a week off to rest, anyway.”

Embiid may need to keep those plans tentative, however. He still could be named an injury replacement for the game on Feb. 15, with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo out with a calf strain that is expected to keep him sidelined for at least a month.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse and Tyrese Maxey, who earlier was named an All-Star starter for the first time, acknowledged that they were surprised Embiid was not among those selected as a reserve. Embiid’s production has exploded in recent weeks, with the big man averaging 29.6 points on 52.2% shooting along with 7.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 18 games since Dec. 23. It has been an impressive progression in Embiid’s recovery from multiple knee surgeries.

“He’s been super dominant,” Nurse said of Embiid before the game against the Clippers. “… I thought, just the general buzz or feel I was getting, was that he would make it.”

Added Maxey: “It’s life. I understand it. He’s going to keep being Joel.”

Embiid and the Sixers (28-21) had been doing some recent campaigning for his inclusion in the midseason showcase for the eighth time in his career. Following a Jan. 9 game at the Orlando Magic, Embiid said he believed he deserved the honor and added, “I think you guys [the media] should start putting the word out that Joel Embiid is back.” And when Maxey was asked at a news conference following a Jan. 22 victory over the Houston Rockets which teammate he would like to join him at All-Star Weekend, he said, “Process!” and tapped the microphone.

“Sixers, put that out there!” Maxey said.

The Eastern Conference reserves are the Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren, the Atlanta Hawks’ Jalen Johnson, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell, the Miami Heat’s Norman Powell, the Indiana Pacers’ Pascal Siakam, and the New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns. They join starters Maxey, Antetokounmpo, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, New York’s Jalen Brunson, and the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown.

Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe also will represent the Sixers at All-Star Weekend as part of the Rising Stars competition.

For now, Embiid will plan to enjoy his vacation and rest an “ankle thing” that he has been playing through in recent games. And the 2023 NBA MVP reiterated that “there’s only one thing missing” from his personal basketball accomplishments while glancing at his wedding ring, a clear reference to winning an NBA championship.