Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes

Author: Keith Pompey

  • Sixers takeaways: Struggles without Joel Embiid, horrid three-point shooting, and more from loss to Knicks

    Sixers takeaways: Struggles without Joel Embiid, horrid three-point shooting, and more from loss to Knicks

    So much for the early-season banter about the 76ers being better without Joel Embiid.

    Guard depth went from the biggest strength to a glaring weakness.

    And poor three-point shooting was another major problem.

    These things stood out in the Sixers’ 138-89 loss to the New York Knicks at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Knicks rout the Sixers behind strong performances by Jose Alvarado and Mikal Bridges

    The loss dropped the Sixers to 30-24. The Eastern Conference’s sixth-place team takes a two-game losing streak into the NBA All-Star break. Meanwhile, the third-place Knicks improved to 35-20 after posting their largest victory in franchise history and evened the season series with the Sixers at two games apiece.

    No Embiid, no victory

    Remember when Embiid couldn’t move well at the beginning of the season?

    Back then, the Sixers played at a noticeably slower pace on nights when the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center was in the lineup. As a result, there was a growing belief that the team was better when Adem Bona or Andre Drummond started in his place.

    No one thinks that anymore.

    Embiid missed his second consecutive game on Wednesday with right knee soreness. And he was sorely missed.

    The Sixers have now lost six of the last seven games that Embiid has not played. Their lone victory during that stretch was a 113-94 decision over the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 3 at Chase Center. The Sixers are 11-12 without him and 19-12 when he plays.

    The Sixers trailed by as many as 52 points against the Knicks. This came after they trailed by as many as 31 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.

    New York scored 32 points off 18 Sixers turnovers. The Knicks also had a commanding 51-38 rebounding advantage in Philly’s most-lopsided loss of the season.

    The Sixers must find a way to play well in games without Embiid, considering he’s going to miss more time due to not playing in back-to-backs.

    “There’s been some, probably not as good of nights [without Embiid],” coach Nick Nurse said. “And I think most of it has been offensively. When I thought we were operating really well early in the year with some of the stuff we kind of put in in training camp, and just kind of maybe get back and readjust [to playing without him] we go over it a little bit and look at some of that stuff, because we’re obviously capable of playing pretty decently offensively as well.”

    Tyrese Maxey finished with a game-high 32 points to go with two assists. His backcourt mate, VJ Edgecombe, added 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Dominick Barlow had 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting.

    Joel Embiid and Quentin Grimes miss second straight game as Sixers face Knicks

    However, Bona got into early foul trouble and finished with six points, five rebounds, two steals, two turnovers, and four fouls, while being minus-24 in 22 minutes, 42 seconds. Drummond had two points and four rebounds and was minus-10 in 10:38 off the bench. He was replaced by Charles Bassey in the rotation during the second half.

    Bassey, whose second 10-day contract expires on Saturday, had two points and one block in 4:38. Following the game, he was assigned to the Delaware Blue Coats.

    “It’s weird, man,” Maxey said of readjusting to play without Embiid. “It’s weird because you got to play multiple different ways. A lot of times when he sits out, it’s on back-to-backs, so it’s hard. You go from playing one way with him or without him early in the season. He comes back and then you got to play that way and then a different way when he’s there, which is OK. It’s fine, you know what I mean?

    “It’s the reality of it, and I think we’ll be all right. He’ll be here more than he isn’t here when we get back, and we just got to maintain. Those games that he’s not there and [suspended forward] Paul [George] probably won’t be there till the end, so we just got to maintain.”

    The Sixers also struggled to contain Jose Alvarado. The reserve guard, acquired last week in a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, finished with 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the three-point line. He also finished with a game-high five steals.

    The Brooklyn native’s play drew loud “Jose … Jose … Jose!” chants from the Knicks fans who made up at least half of the 19,746 in attendance.

    “Obviously, we had zero readiness and energy physically or mentally,” said Nurse, whose squad trailed 72-42 at intermission. “We kind of got to the half, the game was pretty much settled by then, and just going over all the things that we already gone over that we couldn’t get done.”

    Lack of guard depth

    This past summer, the Sixers were excited about their deep, versatile backcourt rotation featuring Maxey, Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Jared McCain.

    Daryl Morey, the team’s president of basketball operations, likened it to the guard-heavy style used by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers to reach last season’s NBA Finals.

    But the Sixers traded McCain on Feb. 4 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a first-round pick and three second-rounders. Meanwhile, Grimes has missed the past two games with an illness.

    The Sixers also traded Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 5 for a pick swap. As a result, Kyle Lowry, MarJon Beauchamp, and Dalen Terry joined Maxey and Edgecombe as the available guards against the Knicks.

    And that wasn’t good.

    Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey (right) scored a game-high 32 points against the Knicks on Wednesday.

    Lowry is a six-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer. But in his 20th NBA season, the 39-year-old has taken on more of a player-coach and mentor role. Meanwhile, Beauchamp and Terry are both on two-way contracts.

    Beauchamp made his first appearance in Monday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. He finished with eight points, three rebounds, one assist, one block, and three turnovers against the Knicks. And Terry had a rebound, an assist, and one turnover one day after signing his two-way contract with the team.

    Regardless of Daryl Morey’s comments, the Sixers used the NBA trade deadline to duck luxury tax

    The Sixers need to strongly consider adding a guard in the buyout market. That will help Maxey and Edgecombe, especially on nights Grimes is unavailable.

    Meanwhile, McCain appears to be finding his groove in Oklahoma City.

    The second-year guard had 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting — including making 2 of 3 three-pointers — in the Thunder’s 136-109 victory over the Suns. McCain scored eight of his points in 75 seconds.

    Poor three-point shooting

    The Sixers had more problems than being without Embiid and a lack of guard depth. Against the Knicks, they shot 18.8% (6 of 32) from three-point range.

    Kelly Oubre Jr. (0-for-5), Edgecombe (0-for-5), Justin Edwards (0-for-3), Trendon Watford (0-for-2), Terry (0-for-1), and Johni Broome (0-for-1) were a combined 0-for-17.

    A lot of the Sixers’ three-pointers were short or off target. The squad appeared noticeably fatigued in their first home after following a five-game West Coast road.

    “Maybe,” Maxey said when asked if being tired impacted their three-point shooting. “I think, in general, guys are a little tired, but that’s what the break is for, though. That’s what the [All-Star] break is for. Rejuvenate, get your legs back under you. Get mentally prepared for this stretch because after the break, it’s go time. It’s go time for every team in the NBA that’s trying to make a push, for sure. They want to play their best basketball down the stretch to get ready for the playoffs.”

    Inside Sixers: Tyrese Maxey’s three-point invite, Paul George suspension plan and more

    The Sixers are 16th in the league in three-point shooting at 35.6%. However, they’re 21st in made threes (12.7 per game). And the squad hit less than half that amount against the Knicks.

    As bad as things were, this wasn’t the fewest amount of made three-pointers for the Sixers this season. They made 4 of 28 in a road victory over the Orlando Magic on Jan. 9.

    The Sixers were fortunate that night. They know they must shoot the ball better to stay in games, especially when Embiid doesn’t play.

  • Joel Embiid and Quentin Grimes miss second straight game as Sixers face Knicks

    Joel Embiid and Quentin Grimes miss second straight game as Sixers face Knicks

    Joel Embiid and Quentin Grimes will miss their second consecutive game when the 76ers host the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Embiid reported right knee soreness following Saturday’s 109-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. The center will be reevaluated following the seven-day NBA All-Star break, which begins Thursday.

    Meanwhile, Grimes will remain sidelined with an illness. Dominick Barlow, however, will play against the Knicks (34-20) after missing Monday’s 135-118 setback to the Portland Trail Blazers with an illness.

    Sixers guard Quentin Grimes (left) will miss his second consecutive game with an illness.

    Embiid’s knee “is bothering him enough that he’s not playing,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I think it is improving a little bit. But it’s not quite there to get out there tonight.”

    The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder finished with 33 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and one block against the Suns. The 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star is averaging 29.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in his last 17 appearances.

    Inside Sixers: Tyrese Maxey’s three-point invite, Paul George suspension plan and more

    The Sixers (30-23) have lost five of the last six games that Embiid has not played. Their lone victory during that stretch was a 113-94 win over the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 3 at the Chase Center. Overall, the Sixers are 11-11 without Embiid and 19-12 when he plays.

    “Anybody that’s a little bit sore and signed up has a chance here to get some treatment for a week, and off their feet for a week,” Nurse said. “He would certainly be included in that for sure.”

    Nurse added that there’s not a lot of concern that Embiid’s right knee soreness has reemerged. Embiid missed several games earlier this season because of it. He was also sidelined with left knee soreness.

    “This is probably what we’ve expected to have happened, that there would be some soreness at times,” Nurse said.

    Grimes is averaging 12.7 points and 3.6 assists in 48 games this season.

  • Sixers signing former Bulls swingman Dalen Terry to a two-way contract

    Sixers signing former Bulls swingman Dalen Terry to a two-way contract

    The 76ers are signing Dalen Terry to a two-way contract.

    This deal comes after the 6-foot-6 swingman was waived Friday by the New Orleans Pelicans, which came one day after he was traded twice. The Chicago Bulls traded him to the New York Knicks in exchange for former Sixers power forward Guerschon Yabusele and cash. Hours later the Knicks traded Terry, two second-round picks and cash to the New Orleans Pelicans for Jose Alvarado and the draft rights of Latavious Williams.

    Sixers convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal

    The Sixers (30-23) had a two-way spot available after converting Dominick Barlow’s deal to a standard contract on Thursday. MarJon Beauchamp and Jabari Walker are the team’s other players on two-way contracts.

    The Bulls selected Terry with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He averaged 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 204 games with seven starts in 3 ½ seasons with the Bulls.

    Dalen Terry (right) averaged 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 204 games with the Bulls.

    Terry, who has a 7-foot wingspan, is regarded as a high-energy player and versatile perimeter defender. Recognized for his active hands, the 23-year-old has the ability to generate deflections.

    His best game of the season came in the Bulls’ 128-126 victory over the Utah Jazz on Jan. 14. Terry finished with a season-high 11 points while making 3 of 4 three-pointers, along with five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. He also shot a career-best 41.3% from deep this year.

    Jared McCain shares emotional reaction to Thunder trade: ‘Everybody is getting on the plane and I’m just crying’

    As a two-way player, Terry can be active for 18 of the Sixers’ final 29 games. They’ll return to action on Wednesday against the Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena before heading into the seven-day NBA All-Star break.

  • Sixers takeaways: Glaring lack of depth, VJ Edgecombe’s shooting woes, and more from loss to Blazers

    Sixers takeaways: Glaring lack of depth, VJ Edgecombe’s shooting woes, and more from loss to Blazers

    Every time the 76ers seem to be on the right path, injuries and/or illness pop up.

    That prevented them from accomplishing something that hasn’t been done since March 2023.

    Also, VJ Edgecombe must regain his shooting touch.

    Those things stood out in Monday’s 135-118 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.

    The loss dropped the Eastern Conference’s sixth-place Sixers to 30-23. They also fell 1½ games behind the fifth-place Toronto Raptors. Meanwhile, the Blazers (26-28) won their third straight game after losing their previous six.

    Always something

    The Sixers came into this matchup winners of six of their last seven games.

    Joel Embiid averaged 33.0 points and shot 50.0% on three-pointers while playing in six of those games. Dominick Barlow averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 offensive rebounds, and 1.2 steals while starting in the last five games. And Quentin Grimes was back to providing energy off the bench, putting his athleticism on full display.

    With NBA trade deadline behind them, Sixers turn focus to the buyout market to balance their roster

    This matchup against the struggling Blazers was supposed to be an easy victory for the Sixers if they remained healthy.

    Unfortunately for them, health was indeed an issue.

    Embiid missed the game due to right knee injury management. Meanwhile, Barlow and Grimes were both sidelined due to illness.

    As a result, Andre Drummond and Trendon Watford started alongside regular starters Kelly Oubre Jr., Tyrese Maxey, and Edgecombe.

    The Sixers were also without Paul George, who missed his sixth game as he serves a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA anti-drug policy. Meanwhile, the team also traded guards Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline to get under the luxury tax threshold and free up roster spots.

    As a result, seldom-used point guard Kyle Lowry got first-quarter minutes and two-way guard MarJon Beauchamp made his first appearance of the season.

    Is this current version of the Sixers deep enough?

    “Given these situations, it’s a good chance to give Justin [Edwards] and Beachamp tonight a chance, [and] to give Watford a start,” coach Nick Nurse said to the media. “These guys, I think we are still learning. And these guys need more minutes learning. They need to get more minutes. They need more conditioning. They need to get in the groove of things. And you know, when everybody is playing, there’s no minutes for them to do that.

    “So I mean, just those three guys I mentioned did OK.”

    Trendon Watford (12) scored 12 points while getting the start due to Dominick Barlow being sidelined with an illness.

    Watford finished with 12 points and three assists. Edwards had 12 points and three steals, while Beauchamp finished with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

    Maxey finished with 30 points, marking his 22nd game with at least 30 points.

    The undermanned squad suffered its first lopsided loss since a 130-93 road setback to the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 26. Embiid also missed that game.

    Regardless of Daryl Morey’s comments, the Sixers used the NBA trade deadline to duck luxury tax

    On this night, the Sixers were, once again, doomed by third-quarter struggles. The Blazers outscored them 49-22 in the quarter to take a 113-87 advantage into the fourth. Portland broke the quarter wide open thanks to a 27-7 run. It also had a 12-0 advantage in second-chance points in what was the Sixers’ worst third quarter of the season.

    “Obviously, it was a bunch of energy things,” Nurse said. “We didn’t rebound it well enough, I mean, transition rebounding. We didn’t get out to shooters near enough. They were just lacing up threes. So it was up the floor quick. We were losing matchups.”

    But none of this was surprising for a Sixers squad that entered the game with an NBA-worst minus-16.4 net rating in the third quarter.

    Toumani Camara torched the Sixers with a career high of 30 points and eight three-pointers. With the game out of hand, the Belgian forward sat out the fourth quarter.

    The Blazers came into the contest ranked last in the NBA in three-point percentage at 33.9%. But you wouldn’t have known that, as Portland shot 40.7% on Monday.

    The Sixers were also outrebounded 51-33. The Blazers held a 20-8 advantage in offensive boards.

    Unable to finish 4-1

    With the loss, the Sixers finished their road trip at 3-2. After beating the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, the expectation was that they would go 4-1 on their five-game trip against the Los Angeles Clippers (Feb. 6), Golden State Warriors (Tuesday), Los Angeles Lakers (Thursday), the Suns, and the Blazers.

    Their other loss was a 119-115 decision to the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. On that night, the Sixers fell apart after intermission, committing 11 turnovers.

    A victory would have enabled them to go 4-1 on a road trip for the first time since facing the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

    “I would say … four and a half really good games,” Nurse said of the road trip. “I think there was a half here tonight or a quarter here tonight that was really bad, and one quarter in LA. But most of it was really good basketball.”

    Tyrese Maxey’s 30 points on Monday were not enough for the shorthanded Sixers to finish the road trip 4-1.

    Edgecombe’s shooting woes

    Edgecombe hasn’t shot the ball well since the Sixers’ five-game post-Christmas road trip. He shot 41.3% from the field and 33.0% on three-pointers during the 19 games before the contest with the Blazers. In his previous 12 games, the rookie shooting guard shot 29.7% from deep.

    But with Embiid and Maxey dominating, Edgecombe’s poor shooting flew under the radar.

    That wasn’t the case against Portland. With three players out, Edgecombe needed to provide more of the offensive load. And as a result, his shooting woes were more noticeable.

    Joel Embiid, Quentin Grimes, and Dominick Barlow all out vs. Blazers

    Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t shed the poor-shooting blues.

    Edgecombe had 11 points on 3-for-13 shooting — including going 1 of 6 on three-pointers — along with six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. One of his missed shot attempts was a third-quarter airball three-pointer. The good thing is that Edgecombe has been able to contribute without scoring.

    However, he’s going to need to improve his shooting for the Sixers to sustain success.

  • With NBA trade deadline behind them, Sixers turn focus to the buyout market to balance their roster

    With NBA trade deadline behind them, Sixers turn focus to the buyout market to balance their roster

    The NBA trade deadline garnered a lot of attention last week — especially among 76ers fans.

    The team’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, moved Jared McCain before Thursday’s deadline, sending him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-rounders. The Sixers also traded Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for a 2032 second-round pick swap.

    Those moves were made in part to accomplish the team’s goal of getting under the luxury tax threshold at the trade deadline for the fourth consecutive year. But the Sixers will still need to make roster additions for what they hope is a championship run.

    Regardless of Daryl Morey’s comments, the Sixers used the NBA trade deadline to duck luxury tax

    Right now, Charles Bassey is on his second 10-day contract, while Patrick Baldwin Jr. is on his first 10-day. Once those contracts expire on Saturday, the Sixers will have two available roster spots.

    Since five games have passed during Paul George’s 25-game suspension, the forward will be moved from the active to the suspended list. So the Sixers will be able to sign an additional player if need be.

    The team could opt to use one of the available spots to convert Jabari Walker’s two-way contract into a standard contract, as the Sixers did with Dominick Barlow on Thursday. Walker has been inactive for the last two games because he ran out of the allotted number of games a two-way player can be available for an NBA game.

    The Sixers also can try to sign players via the buyout market. However, Walker’s situation will factor into their decision-making.

    The Sixers have to decide whether they want to convert Jabari Walker’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal or add players in the buyout market.

    “Jabari, for sure,” Morey said. “Not to reference our [collective bargaining agreement] we all live under, [but] it’s sort of like, you know, annoying … just how it all works, that Jabari can’t play for some games here. He’s obviously been part of our next man up mentality. I think coach [Nick] Nurse has done a good job when we’ve had players in and out, which we’ve had less of this year. But we’ve still had quite a bit, especially with the recent Paul news, things like that.”

    With George suspended for violating the league’s anti-drug program, Barlow has moved back into the starting lineup at power forward. Trendon Watford and Justin Edwards have been the two forwards off the bench.

    “He’s been a tremendous next man up type contributor,” Morey said of Walker. “We hope to have his services going forward, but we do have to weigh optimal use of our sort of scarce two roster spots, and against the other opportunities as well. So that’ll be written over time, whether or not we do that conversion there.”

    Sixers takeaways: Matching physicality, Tyrese Maxey is hard to guard, and more from the win against Suns

    The Sixers are $1.57 million below the $187.9 million tax line and $3.75 million under the $195.9 million first apron. As a result, the Sixers will have only enough space under the luxury tax to fit two more season minimum salary contracts for the rest of the season.

    Among the buyout-market candidates are power forward Chris Boucher, point guard Lonzo Ball, forward Haywood Highsmith, and wing Khris Middleton, if he is waived by the Dallas Mavericks.

    The Boston Celtics traded Boucher to the Utah Jazz, who waived him.

    Boucher failed to crack the Celtics’ rotation after signing a one-year minimum deal this past summer. However, he flourished in the last seven seasons as a reserve glue guy for the Toronto Raptors. Nurse was Raptors coach during Boucher’s first five seasons in Toronto. He was able to get the best out of the undersized post player, who averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 406 games as a Raptor.

    Sixers forward Dominick Barlow had his two-way contract converted to a standard deal on Thursday.

    Highsmith began his NBA career as a Sixers two-way player on Jan. 8, 2019. After being waived less than a month later, he thrived with the Delaware Blue Coats, leading to an opportunity with the Miami Heat. He played in 213 games, with 80 starts, over four seasons with the Heat before signing with the Brooklyn Nets last summer.

    He has not played this season because of a meniscus tear in his right knee. Now healthy, Highsmith has been taking part in five-on-five drills and was on track to return Wednesday before the Nets released him to free up a roster spot. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder is expected to draw interest from teams looking for wing depth.

    Middleton is a three-time All-Star with career averages of 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, while shooting 38.5% from three-point range in 810 games over 14 seasons.

    Daryl Morey likes the Sixers’ chances in the East, but he understands skepticism around the Jared McCain trade

    Because of injuries, the Milwaukee Bucks moved the former fixture to the Washington Wizards last February in a four-team trade that enabled them to acquire Kyle Kuzma from Washington. On Thursday, Middleton was moved to the Mavericks as part of a three-team trade that netted the Wizards 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis.

    While he’s not the player he once was, Middleton could be a solid option to provide some scoring off the bench if the Mavs buy him out.

    Ball was the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017. The 6-5, 190-pounder also played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls before a significant knee injury derailed his career. The Bulls traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in June. In a salary-clearing move, Cleveland traded him on Thursday to the Jazz, who waived him.

    Former Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Lonzo Ball could be available for teams to sign in the buyout market.

    He averaged just 4.6 points on 30.1% shooting (27.2% on three-pointers) in 35 games with three starts for the Cavs. But he could be an option to provide guard depth after the Sixers parted ways with McCain and Gordon.

    “I mean, we have two [spots] to fill,” Morey said of the team’s needs. “Obviously, Barlow was one of the signings. I think balancing it out with guard and wing might — we really want to go for best player. I mean, obviously, that sounds trite, but that’s true. You do want to focus on a little roster balance in terms of adding. …

    “We thought, yeah, backfilling Paul was a possible spot while he was out, but I hate to repeat it again, the operative players that were available [in a trade] weren’t adding in a way that was material [compared] to what teams wanted us to give up.”

  • Regardless of Daryl Morey’s comments, the Sixers used the NBA trade deadline to duck luxury tax

    Regardless of Daryl Morey’s comments, the Sixers used the NBA trade deadline to duck luxury tax

    Daryl Morey tried his best during Friday’s 28-minute press conference to convince people that trading Jared McCain was good for the 76ers.

    But the Sixers president of basketball operations could have spoken for 28 days, and it wouldn’t have changed folks’ minds that this deal was made to save money.

    No matter how much Morey and the organization preach positivity, the Sixers did not get better by trading the second-year guard to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 first-round pick and three second-rounders. They may have actually gotten fleeced by Sam Presti, the Thunder executive vice president and general manager.

    Daryl Morey likes the Sixers’ chances in the East, but he understands skepticism around the Jared McCain trade

    Based on their tendency to win deals, Presti and Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge are the two executives you don’t want to trade with. And the fact that Presti surrendered a first-rounder — something he hasn’t done since 2015 — reveals that he sees something special in McCain.

    This trade has the potential to be one that the Sixers will regret in a few seasons.

    The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder received a standing ovation while checking into the game during his Thunder debut on Saturday in Oklahoma City. He finished with five points, two rebounds, and one assist while a plus-12 in 13 minutes, 56 seconds during the 112-106 loss to the Houston Rockets at Paycom Center.

    These are reasons why Sixers fans are up in arms over this move, and see it for what it is: a way to get under the luxury tax threshold for a fourth consecutive season.

    But give Morey credit for trying to sell the trade to the media and Sixers fans.

    The team will receive the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick, which is expected to be a late first-rounder. One of the second-rounders is the most favorable 2027 pick from the Thunder, Rockets, Indiana Pacers, and the Miami Heat. The other second-rounders are 2028 picks that previously belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks and Thunder.

    Daryl Morey speaks at the team’s NBA training facility on Friday.

    “Sort of the whole tell with people who don’t like the deal is they’ll leave off the return, minimize this draft, which we think is good, and things like that …,” Morey said. “That return is for a starter-quality player on a good team. It’s actually above that.”

    Morey added that the Sixers tried to trade those draft picks for an impactful addition at the deadline. He also thinks they could use them as tradable assets to move around in the draft.

    Morey did say that McCain has the potential to be a great player. He even noted that the Sixers wish the 21-year-old good luck. Morey added that they feel the returns for McCain put them in a better position for the future.

    But what if they can’t swap those picks for the standout player Morey envisions?

    Will people think back to when the Sixers traded Matisse Thybulle as part of a four-team trade on Feb. 9, 2023, that helped them get under the luxury tax?

    Daryl Morey’s message to Joel Embiid and Sixers fans: Trust the Process

    The team acquired Jalen McDaniels from the Charlotte Hornets in that deal.

    “A big theme of our season this year was to prepare for the playoffs, and win a championship as you guys know,” Morey said then. “We wanted to make sure we gave [coach Doc Rivers] as many two-way players as possible.

    “And we think Jalen is one of the up-and-coming solid defenders, somebody that’s a little easier to keep on the floor in a lot of matchups.”

    The problem is that McDaniels gradually found himself out of the rotation during the Sixers’ second-round playoff series loss to the Boston Celtics.

    The 6-9 small forward signed with the Toronto Raptors on July 6, 2023, after the Sixers only offered him a minimum-salary contract to remain with the team in free agency.

    Unable to find his footing with several other teams, McDaniels is out of the league.

    The Sixers traded guard Jared McCain for a first-round pick and three second-rounders to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

    There’s also some uncertainty surrounding the type of players the Sixers could get with the picks acquired from OKC, assuming they keep them.

    While there are some exceptions, with Sixers two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey (21st pick in 2020) being one of them, late first-rounders and second-rounders often have brief NBA careers. And very few of those players become stars, and even fewer become value rotation players.

    Yet, McCain, whom the Sixers selected 16th in the 2024 draft, averaged 10 points and made 38.1% of his three-pointers in 60 career games with the Sixers.

    He was the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year front-runner before suffering a season-ending torn meniscus in his left knee in December 2024.

    Despite playing in just 23 games last season, McCain finished tied for seventh in the Rookie of the Year voting. He was awarded a third-place vote from the media panel of 100 voters.

    Sixers takeaways: Matching physicality, Tyrese Maxey is hard to guard, and more from the win against Suns

    That’s because McCain put the league on notice by averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists last season. He also shot 46% from the field, including 38.3% from three. The California native joined Hall of Famer Allen Iverson as the only Sixers rookies to average at least 15 points and two made three-pointers.

    In addition to last season being cut short, the start of this season was delayed after he suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb in September.

    While returning from the injuries, McCain struggled with consistency this season, leaving him out of the rotation at times. He averaged just 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 37.8% on three-pointers in 37 games this season.

    But once a player returns from a major knee injury, it can take up to an additional five or six months to regain his old form.

    Daryl Morey said “time will tell” if it was the right move to trade McCain for picks.

    With that, the expectation was that we would start seeing flashes of the old McCain at the end of this season. Even if they felt strongly about trading him, one would have thought his value would have been higher this summer when he’d be back to his old self.

    Morey didn’t see it that way.

    “I’m quite confident we were selling high,” he said. “Obviously, time will tell. We weren’t looking to sell. I’ll be frank. Teams came to us with aggressive offers for him. You could say, ‘Yeah, that’s because he’s a good player.’ I agree with that. We thought this return was above, for the future value of our franchise, what we could get. The only higher point would’ve been during his run last season. Otherwise, we feel like we did time this well.”

    The Sixers trading Jared McCain will either be a head-scratcher or an embarrassment

    Perhaps.

    The thing is, however, the Sixers will have a tough time convincing people that trading McCain isn’t a move to duck the luxury tax for the fourth consecutive season.

  • Sixers takeaways: Matching physicality, Tyrese Maxey is hard to guard, and more from the win against Suns

    Sixers takeaways: Matching physicality, Tyrese Maxey is hard to guard, and more from the win against Suns

    The 76ers need to keep playing a heady brand of basketball.

    Tyrese Maxey is unguardable when in his bag of tricks.

    And so far, Paul George’s absence hasn’t had a major impact on the outcomes of games.

    These things stood out in Saturday’s 109-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center.

    With the win, the Sixers improved to 30-22 and evened the two-game season series against the Suns (31-22). They’re also 3-1 in the first four games of their five-game West Coast road trip, which concludes on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center.

    Solid brand of basketball

    The Sixers had effective ball movement against the Suns. They also attacked the basket, crashed the boards, and played at a much faster pace than in recent games.

    In addition to doing those things, they didn’t back down from Phoenix’s physicality or Dillon Brooks’ antics. Kelly Oubre Jr. got in the face of his former roommate and high school teammate at Findlay Prep (Nevada) after Brooks flopped on a play.

    Before that, Joel Embiid and Devin Booker exchanged words at the conclusion of the first half. And there were other heated exchanges.

    Joel Embiid (21), who led with a game-high 33-point effort, gets fouled by Suns guard Jordan Goodwin in the first half of Saturday’s game.

    The Sixers didn’t match the physicality of the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season. So seeing them fight back and play with an edge against the Suns was a great sign.

    “We stayed professional,” Maxey said to the media. “We didn’t let all the rah rah stuff affect us. We got physical back, and that’s good. That happens, and we can take that.”

    Maxey said he could anticipate the Suns’ antics. With the Sixers up 16 points in the second quarter, he knew Phoenix would resort to something.

    “Any good team or any team that’s playing for something, they’re not going to let you steamroll them. They’re not going to lay down. They are going to go out there and try to put up a fight. And sometimes that’s what has to come with it. You have to get more physical, and you have to sustain that lead. And we did a good job of that.”

    Daryl Morey likes the Sixers’ chances in the East, but he understands skepticism around the Jared McCain trade

    The Sixers had a 50-40 rebounding advantage. They scored 34 points in the paint and held the Suns to 23.9% three-point shooting.

    Embiid finished with 33 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and one block. Maxey finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and one steal, while Oubre added 18 points, six rebounds, and two steals.

    Marvelous Maxey

    Maxey had a slow start, missing his first three shot attempts. But after that, the two-time All-Star was close to unstoppable.

    Unable to keep him in front of them, the Suns’ defenders were helpless. The point guard drained a couple of his three-pointers. He scored on a post-up. And Maxey played through contact on his way to the rim. Fourteen of his points came in the first half.

    “We just played fast that group that I was in there with,” Maxey said regarding the first half. “Got rebounds, got stops, and got out and ran, trying to make sure everybody touched the ball, everybody involved, and it was good.”

    Maxey missed his first three shots in the second half. But after settling down, the Suns, once again, had a tough time guarding him.

    Making 8 of 9 foul shots, the sixth-year player scored 13 of his points in the fourth quarter. His last two with 11.8 seconds remaining gave the Sixers their six-point cushion.

    No George, no problem?

    Let’s not get it twisted.

    The Sixers are a better team with George on the floor. The nine-time All-Star is a solid facilitator and one of their best defenders. As a result, there was a thought that the team would struggle while he serves a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug Program.

    So far, that hasn’t been the case.

    The Sixers are 4-1 in the first five games without the 6-8 forward. Their lone loss was Thursday’s 119-115 setback to the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

    Different players stepped up to help Embiid and Maxey in each of their victories. On Saturday, it was Trendon Watford in addition to Oubre.

    “He’s become a little more important now [what] the roster is,” said Sixers coach Nick Nurse. “If one of those guys gets in foul trouble, he’s got to kind of be another ball handler. I thought he did a good job.

    “He’s starting to show a little bit of element of some toughness, kind of standing up to [the Suns with] some of his physicality out there.”

    Daryl Morey’s message to Joel Embiid and Sixers fans: Trust the Process

    Watford finished with six points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.

    While he didn’t score a lot of points, the reserve point forward displayed a lot of toughness and did a lot of intangible things. Being impactful, Watford played the entire fourth quarter. That’s when he had four points, four rebounds, and two blocks.

    “The big thing for us is he can handle the ball,” Maxey said of his close friend. “He’s a connector. We needed that for a long time. Nico [Batum during the 2023-24 season] was probably the last [point forward] we had. But he doesn’t handle the ball as much as TY does. So he does a good job of handling the ball. He can play pick-and-roll. He can post, get a bucket down there in the post. We just got to get him to play some defense, then we will be alright.”

  • Daryl Morey likes the Sixers’ chances in the East, but he understands skepticism around the Jared McCain trade

    Daryl Morey likes the Sixers’ chances in the East, but he understands skepticism around the Jared McCain trade

    The NBA trade deadline sparked movement among Eastern Conference contenders.

    James Harden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nikola Vučević landed with the Boston Celtics. The Detroit Pistons added Kevin Huerter and Dario Šarić. And the New York Knicks acquired Jose Alvarado.

    All these moves were made to bolster those teams’ championship chances.

    Anyone expecting to see the sixth-seeded 76ers do the same were let down. In fact, star center Joel Embiid might have been among them after he expressed hope that the front office would avoid “ducking the tax” and instead focus on strengthening the roster to compete.

    Still, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey didn’t make any deals that netted a player. Instead, they traded Jared McCain and Eric Gordon in exchange for draft picks in what was viewed as an avenue to get under the luxury tax threshold for the fourth consecutive season.

    The Sixers trading Jared McCain will either be a head-scratcher or an embarrassment

    Morey spoke on Friday as if he wasn’t the least bit concerned about the rest of the conference’s attempts to improve on the margins.

    “We like our chances in the East,” Morey said. “We feel like we’re in the mix with the top teams there. Obviously, we’ve got to prove that on the court. But, just reiterating, we were looking to add, and we didn’t add. But we still believe in this team. … Folks have speculated on the improvements of our East competitors. I don’t see it, personally. I think all the teams made moves at the deadline, but there weren’t any needle-movers, in my opinion.”

    Pressed about his no “needle-movers” comment, Morey was reminded that Harden’s migration to Cleveland from the Los Angeles Clippers is regarded as a blockbuster deal. Does he believe that the Cavaliers trading for Harden, who is familiar with from stints together with the Sixer Houston Rockets, doesn’t move the needle?

    “I don’t want to talk about specific teams,” Morey said. “I’m just saying, I mean, objectively, teams in the East, the array is similar. Like, if you were to look at teams’ chances before and after — that’s my opinion. I think people can have differences of opinion.”

    Former Sixer James Harden is coming back to the East as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

    That said, Morey understands the disappointment among Sixers fans who have witnessed him make moves to duck below the tax threshold for several years at the trade deadline. This gives the impression that saving money for managing partner Josh Harris is more critical than contending for a title. The team comes off looking cheap, especially as Embiid’s championship window continues to shrink.

    “I’d say we were trying to add to the team and we didn’t find a deal that made sense that we thought could move the needle on our ability to win this year,” he said. “The CBA pressures were felt up and down the league.”

    Morey said the Sixers traded Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday in exchange for a 2032 second-round pick swap to create space to convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal.

    Joel Embiid keeps his reaction to Sixers’ trade deadline politically correct: ‘I believe in myself’

    According to Spotrac, the team is now $1.7 million below the tax level. The Sixers also have $3.9 million in cap space under the first apron. Morey said that because of the first apron, they had to move to create that opportunity for Barlow.

    “But that wasn’t the primary reason for the Jared deal,” he said. “We see Jared as somebody that’s more likely to help a team in the future.”

    Yet the Sixers shipped him to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-round selections. One of the second-rounders is the most favorable 2027 pick from the Thunder, Rockets, Indiana Pacers, and the Miami Heat. The other second-rounders are 2028 picks that previously belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks and Thunder.

    In June, Morey expressed confidence in the Sixers’ deep and versatile backcourt rotation of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and McCain. He likened it to the guard-heavy style used by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers to reach last season’s NBA Finals.

    Sixers president Daryl Morey believes former guard Jared McCain has a chance to be a good player in the future.

    McCain was exceptional in his rookie season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in December 2024. But he struggled with consistency this season, leaving him out of the rotation.

    Did the Sixers lose faith in the second-year guard?

    “I wouldn’t say that. No,” Morey said. “I think he has a tremendous future. Sort of the whole thing with people who don’t like the deal is they’ll leave off the return, minimize this draft, which we think is good, and things like that. … That return is for a starter-quality player on a good team. It’s actually above that. We do a lot of analysis on how we think things will play out both here and around the league going forward, in terms of the quality of play. What kinds of returns will there be for what players in the future?

    “And the bottom line is, Jared is a player who’s a great future bet and a potential great player. We wish him luck. We feel that this returns sets us up better to set up the team in the future.”

    Sixers takeaways: Second half turnovers, Joel Embiid’s scoring and more in loss to Lakers

    While it’s not a primary focus, the Sixers think the first-round pick can be used to make moves around the upcoming draft. Morey also believes they can use the three second-rounders to move up the draft.

    But that doesn’t address the team’s needs for the remainder of the season. They offered the picks they received from OKC to other teams.

    “Nothing materialized for a player that we thought could move the needle with those picks now,” Morey said. “But we feel like going forward, those picks will help us build the team in the future in a good way.”

    Sixers guard Eric Gordon during warm ups before the Sixers played the New York Knicks on Saturday, January 24, 2026 in Philadelphia.

    While Morey mentioned that he had authorization to go over the tax, this was the fourth straight year that the Sixers made moves to get under the luxury tax, even after Embiid’s comments.

    “I understand the perception,” Morey said. “I hope to defeat it by finding a deal that I can go to ownership and say, ‘We think this move is the right move to do for that and create those apron issues.’ But I haven’t been able to recommend that move yet.”

    At this moment, however, Morey wants to talk about the solid players that the Sixers currently have on the roster.

    He’ll remind you that Embiid is rounding into form. Morey will mention that Maxey took a leap to becoming an All-Star starter. And he’ll tell you that Kelly Oubre Jr. is playing the best basketball of his career.

    “We love the bigs we have with Joel, [Andre Drummond and Adem] Bona,“ he said. ”We feel like guys are contributing up and down the roster. Coach [Nick] Nurse has done a tremendous job putting us in with the top few teams in the East in terms of how we’re playing. So that’s why we understand the fan reaction. Obviously, the big move was with Jared. Because we’re playing well, we were trying to upgrade the team and add to the team now. That was goal No 1.”

  • Sixers takeaways: Second half turnovers, Joel Embiid’s scoring and more in loss to Lakers

    Sixers takeaways: Second half turnovers, Joel Embiid’s scoring and more in loss to Lakers

    The 76ers were handling business at the conclusion of an emotional two days, until they began turning the ball over when things got chippy in the second half.

    They were also doomed by the Lakers’ bench points.

    But if there’s a positive for the Sixers, Joel Embiid was back to doing a little bit of everything against Los Angeles.

    And coach Nick Nurse will tell you that the biggest strides that VJ Edgecombe have made are with his consistency.

    Austin Reaves scores 35 to help Lakers snap the Sixers’ five-game winning streak

    Those things stood out in Thursday’s 119-115 loss to the Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena.

    The setback dropped the Sixers to 29-22 and snapped their five-game winning streak. They also fell one spot into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

    Unable to handle business

    The good news is the Sixers didn’t initially look like a team that was emotional due to losing teammates Jared McCain and Eric Gordon before the 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline.

    The bad news is that the team continued its trend of falling apart after the intermission.

    At one point, it looked like the Sixers would coast to an easy victory. However, they began to struggle as the Lakers (31-19) increased their physicality. That led to costly turnovers by the Sixers.

    Sixers guard Quentin Grimes (center) reaches for a loose ball with Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia on Thursday.

    Los Angeles opened the fourth quarter on a 21-6 run.

    The Sixers committed 15 turnovers, with 11 coming in the second half. To their credit, they battled back after trailing by 16 points with 4 minutes, 4 seconds left to play. Tyrese Maxey’s floater pulled the Sixers within two points with 27 seconds left.

    But they just couldn’t overcome costly turnovers at inopportune times, combined with Los Angeles’ chippy play.

    “It’s just the physicality at one end was a big thing,” Nurse told the media. “I think it was we had [been] playing pretty good and rolling along pretty well, winning. It just seemed like it was physical at one end and not at the other.”

    Sixers convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal

    This loss could be considered a major disappointment, given that the Sixers’ stars shone.

    Embiid finished with 35 points on 13-for-19 shooting along with seven rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and two blocks. Maxey added 26 points, 13 assists, and four steals for his sixth double-double this season. Edgecombe finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and four steals for his third double-double. And Dominick Barlow had 13 points, two steals, and a block hours after having his two-way contract converted to a standard deal.

    But the last couple of days for the Sixers were intense mentally.

    First, the uncertainty surrounding the trade deadline was emotionally taxing. They knew that several teammates could be moved before Thursday’s deadline. Then there was some added emotion seeing the well-liked McCain get traded on Wednesday. And even though he rarely played, the emotion resurfaced when Gordon, a team mentor, was moved on Thursday.

    The Sixers got under the tax and took a small step back at the NBA trade deadline

    “I think it is emotional for everybody,” Nurse told reporters before the game. “Just watching it all unfold over the last three days, it seems like every half hour there’s some news around the league. I think that pours into the emotion for everybody that there’s a lot going on, seeing the wildness of all of it going so fast.”

    The Sixers knew the trade deadline was coming down to the wire when they arrived at Thursday’s shootaround. And it was a bit of a distraction for them.

    “But everybody is going through it,” Nurse said. “So you can’t sit here and say it’s a factor in anything. And you have to get through this game. And we’ll see what kind of emotions it had for us when we go out there and play tonight.”

    And they came to play, with all five starters scoring in the first five minutes to set the tone early.

    Bench-point disparity

    The Sixers could have used McCain’s scoring production off the bench against the Lakers. That’s because Los Angeles had a 61-14 advantage in bench points. Austin Reaves, a regular starter, is coming off the bench for the Lakers because of a minutes restriction. The guard finished with a team-high 35 points and made 5 of 8 three-pointers while playing just 25:03.

    Rui Hachimura added 14 points in a reserve role.

    He and Reaves took up the slack for Luka Dončić, who exited the game in the first half with left leg soreness.

    Sixers’ Joel Embiid (left) made 13 of 19 shots against the Lakers on Thursday.

    Embiid’s night

    It didn’t take long to realize Embiid would have a solid night.

    The 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star scored 12 of the Sixers’ 27 first-quarter points. Embiid was averaging 30.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 12 career games against the Lakers before Thursday’s game.

    Sixers trading Eric Gordon to Memphis in exchange for a second-round pick swap

    But Embiid had struggled through 4-for-21 shooting — including missing all six of his three-pointers — while scoring 16 points in the Sixers’ 112-108 loss to the Lakers on Dec. 7 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Thursday, however, marked the seventh time that he scored at least 30 points against Los Angeles.

    Edgecombe’s consistency

    As a 20-year-old rookie, Edgecombe has experienced peaks and valleys in his play.

    “But not many,” Nurse said. “Not … too high or too low. And I think that’s an accomplishment or development, or a stride that rookies are usually pretty up and down. But he kind of came in doing a lot of stuff, and he continues to do a lot of stuff. That’s all I keep saying, he’s so versatile. He does a little bit of everything. And again, he has great maturity and composure for his age as well.”

    Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe (right) finished with a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) against the Lakers.

    The Sixers are trying to get Edgecombe to become more aggressive. Nurse has seen increased aggressiveness from him lately.

    “But I don’t want to say we’re there yet, either,” the coach said.

  • Sixers convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal

    Sixers convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal

    The 76ers signed Dominick Barlow to a standard NBA contract.

    The 6-foot-9 power forward, who started 33 games, is averaging 8.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steals this season.

    Not afraid of the moment, Barlow finished with a career-high 26 points to go with 16 rebounds — including a career-high 10 on the offensive boards — in Tuesday’s 128-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

    He became the first Sixer with at least 25 points and 10 offensive rebounds since Hall of Famer Charles Barkley did so in November 1990.

    The Sixers got under the tax and took a small step back at the NBA trade deadline

    Barlow’s previous two-way deals with the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks also were converted to standard deals. Barlow averaged 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 96 games over three seasons with the Hawks and Spurs before joining the Sixers on a two-way contract last July.

    Barlow, who has family in Philadelphia, was one of the top high school players in New Jersey.

    He had his freshman year of high school at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, N.J. cut short due to a torn labrum in his shoulder. The native of Hackensack, N.J., transferred to Dumont High School as a sophomore.

    As a senior, he was named the North Jersey boys’ basketball player of the year while averaging 27.6 points, 17.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.6 blocks in eight games during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 school year.

    ‘Every team needs one of those guys’ like Dominick Barlow, who is showing he deserves to stick with the Sixers

    Barlow opted to sign with Atlanta-based Overtime Elite, forgoing his college career. After going undrafted a year later, he signed a two-way contract with the Spurs on July 10, 2022, and his contract was converted to a standard deal on March 2, 2024.

    He then signed a two-way contract with the Hawks on July 30, 2024, and it was converted on March 4, 2025.