Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors pick the best Philly sports images from the last seven days. This week, we’re reaching all the way to last Friday night, when Unrivaled took over South Philly and brought a record crowd to Xfinity Mobile Arena. But that’s not all the basketball — we’ve also got the Sixers, some local college action, and a high school hoops showdown between two defending state champs, Father Judge (Class 6A) and Neumann Goretti (5A).
LOS ANGELES — When asked to assess the 76ers’ approach and execution at the trade deadline, Joel Embiid kept his words politically correct.
But his multiple pauses to look to his right at a team public relations staffer observing his postgame media session — not out of nervousness, but as if this was the way he could make his desired point — spoke volumes.
“The only thing I’ll say, I believe in myself,” Embiid said late Thursday, after the Sixers dealt guards Jared McCain and Eric Gordon and did not add any players. “I believe in Tyrese [Maxey]. I believe in everybody in this locker room. But the main thing is I believe in myself.
“So no matter what, we’re going to go out there and compete and still try to win it.”
Those comments came exactly one week after Embiid said publicly that he hoped the Sixers (29-22) would not make moves purely to duck the luxury tax and would instead try to bolster a roster that, after Thursday’s 119-115 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers, sat in sixth place in a crowded Eastern Conference.
“Hopefully, we keep the same team,” Embiid said then. “ … We’ve got a good group of guys in this locker room and the vibes are great. … Hopefully, we think about improving, because we have a chance.”
When those previous comments were referenced to Embiid following Thursday’s game, the standout center coyly quipped, “I don’t remember what I said.”
Like several teammates on Thursday, Embiid complimented McCain’s impact and wished him well with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I felt like [McCain] was starting to find himself there [after knee and thumb surgeries],” Embiid said from his locker inside Crypto.com Arena, “especially considering what he was doing last year. OKC got a great one.”
The departures of McCain and Gordon, who was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies, are at least a temporary blow to the Sixers’ guard depth before the buyout market opens. Those losses are particularly crucial while starting wing Paul George serves a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. The Sixers surrendered a 14-point second-half lead against the Lakers, and four starters played more than 37 minutes in the team’s third game in four nights.
Yet there is reason for Embiid, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player, to have re-instilled self-belief after struggling with knee issues the previous two seasons.
He put together another monster stat line against the Lakers, totaling 35 points on 13-of-19 shooting, seven rebounds, seven assists, and two blocked shots. In his last 11 games played, he is averaging 31.4 points on 53.2% shooting, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists to put himself in All-Star contention. And though Embiid has not been cleared to play in back-to-backs, he has logged 34.9 minutes in that timeframe and is moving and elevating better.
“I’ve made a lot of progress, and I think this is only the beginning,” Embiid said. “I think, from now on, every single day … keep stacking them up, it’s only going to get better. With the hope that, whether it’s by the playoffs or next year, I’m really, really back to being myself. I’m on my way there.”
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
LOS ANGELES — Austin Reaves scored 35 points in just 25 minutes, and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame Luka Doncic’s departure with a left leg injury for a 119-115 victory over the 76ers on Thursday night.
LeBron James had 17 points and 10 assists for the Lakers, who snapped Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak with a big second-half rally in their first game back from an eight-game road trip.
Joel Embiid had 35 points and Tyrese Maxey added 26 points and 13 assists for the Sixers, who blew a 14-point lead and nearly came back from a 16-point deficit in the second half of their first loss since Jan. 26.
The Lakers led 110-94 with four minutes left, but the Sixers closed the gap to 116-113 when rookie VJ Edgecombe stole James’ inbounds pass and hit a three-pointer with 36 seconds to play. James had eight turnovers.
But Maxi Kleber fed Rui Hachimura for a dunk with 12 seconds left, and the Lakers hung on.
With 12-of-17 shooting and five three-pointers while coming off the bench, Reaves was phenomenal despite playing on a minutes restriction in his second game back from a 5½-week absence with a calf injury.
But just when the Lakers’ core was finally healthy again, Doncic went down during their fifth win in seven games.
The NBA’s leading scorer limped to the locker room with 3 minutes, 3 seconds left in the first half after apparently hurting his leg on the far end of the court moments earlier. He didn’t return for the second half due to what the Lakers called left leg soreness.
Reaves, Doncic and James were playing in only their 10th game together during a season in which all three have struggled with significant injuries.
The Lakers took their first lead with Reaves’ back-to-back three-pointers to open the fourth on a 21-6 run.
The Sixers continue their west coast roadtrip by facing the Phoenix Suns on Saturday (9 p.m., NBCSP).
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.
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.
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.
The shaping of the 76ers took a step backward this week … perhaps just momentarily.
The team moved on from Jared McCain, a fan favorite and 2025 Rookie of the Year front-runner, and seldom-used veteran guard Eric Gordon before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. In return, the Sixers acquired a first-round pick, three second-rounders, and a second-round pick swap.
McCain was shipped 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 the 2028 picks that previously belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks and Thunder.
Then, around 2 p.m. on Thursday, the Sixers agreed to send Gordon and the right to swap second-round picks in 2032 to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the draft rights to Justinian Jessup.
Shedding those players’ salaries gives the Sixers just over $7.6 million in cap space under the first apron. That means they can sign players on the buyout market in addition to using up to $8 million in a trade exception to acquire a player.
After the deadline, the Sixers signed forward Patrick Baldwin to a 10-day contract and center Charles Bassey to his second 10-day stint, giving the Sixers 14 standard contracts. And 48 minutes before Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the team announced it converted starting power forward Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard deal.
That enabled Barlow remain active for the remainder of the season.
But for now, they’re not in a good situation.
The buyout market could be key for the Sixers if they don’t sign Baldwin and Bassey for the remainder of the season.
Baldwin was the 28th overall pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA draft. On July 6, 2023, he was traded to the Washington Wizards.
The 7-foot, 220-pound player has averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 37.7% on three-pointers in a combined 95 games with the Warriors, Wizards, and Los Angeles Clippers.
Meanwhile, Bassey was not active for any games with the Sixers during the initial 10-day deal that he signed on Jan. 26. However, he excelled for their NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
The Sixers headed into the trade deadline with a 29-21 record and were riding a five-game winning streak. Even though they were fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, they were regarded as the league’s most dangerous team.
With Joel Embiid healthy and playing at a high level, the thought was that they could beat any team on any given night. And it didn’t matter that Paul George is in the midst of serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program.
Kelly Oubre Jr., Barlow, and VJ Edgecombe took up the slack during the first three games that he missed.
Since then, the Sixers traded away players who were well-liked in the locker room for what on the surface appear to be moves to help them get below the luxury tax threshold.
But it’s still too early to fully judge the moves that were made.
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. Gordon played in only six games, with his last appearance coming Dec. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets.
So these moves were made on the margins and will only be crystalized once we see how they affect the roster this season and what they do with their draft picks in the future.
But in the interim, the Sixers got a little worse over two days while several contenders in the East improved.
As expected, the 76ers parted ways with Eric Gordon.
Sources confirmed that the Sixers traded the reserve shooting guard to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday in exchange for a 2032 second-round pick swap. This move gives the Sixers various options.
It opens up a roster spot to convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract into a standard deal. It also gives them a little over $7.6 million in salary cap space under the first apron, meaning they can sign players on the buyout market in addition to using up to $8 million in a trade exception to acquire a player.
Gordon played only in six games this season, with his last appearance coming Dec. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets. The 37-year-old, in his 18th season, signed a one-year, $3.63 million contract on July 1 after declining his $3.47 million player option.
Gordon’s deal carried a $2.3 million cap hit and a $2.3 million dead cap value, which was considered a good, low-risk expiring salary for potential trades.
The thought was that the Sixers could use a second-round pick to entice a team with a lot of cap space to take on Gordon’s contract for the remainder of the season. It turns out they found a trade partner in the Grizzlies.
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The NBA trade deadline has come and gone without the Sixers making any additions to their roster, not even to fill in during Paul George’s 25-game suspension.
Earlier Thursday, the Sixers traded Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies in a salary dump. Wednesday they parted ways with Jared McCain, the 2024 No. 16 overall pick, for draft picks.
The Sixers did create some roster spots that could be used to sign Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to a standard NBA contracts. They could also still sign a player waived by another team, and are now $5.3 below the luxury tax.
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The 76ers signed Charles Bassey to a second 10-day contract.
The 6-foot-11 center was not active for any games with the team during the initial 10-day deal that he signed on Jan. 26. However, he excelled for their NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
This extends Bassey’s second stint with the Sixers.
The team initially selected him with the 53rd pick in the 2021 draft out of Western Kentucky. He appeared in 23 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 3.0 points on 63.8% shooting along with 2.7 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and 7.3 minutes.
Bassey became expendable when the Sixers added reserve center Montrezl Harrell to the roster in September 2022. The Nigerian player was waived on Oct. 13, 2022.
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LOS ANGELES – While on the team bus as the 76ers traveled from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Jared McCain approached the group to share 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.”
McCain had been sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a first-round pick and additional draft compensation. The “part of the business” cliche has been uttered by players and coaches throughout the league leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline. But this particular deal was emotional for Maxey, who called McCain a “little brother” as part of his first rookie-veteran NBA relationship.
“I’m happy for him,” Maxey said from the Sixers’ shootaround at Crypto.com Arena ahead of Thursday’s game at the Los Angeles Lakers. “Hopefully he gets an even better opportunity over there to succeed. He’s got a fan in me for life, a brother in me for life.”
McCain quickly endeared himself to the Sixers fan base because of his impact play and colorful personality, before knee and thumb surgeries led to struggles in his second season. Maxey experienced those qualities day-to-day, saying McCain “just cared” about people and his craft.
“Anybody that worked that hard for me is going to be somebody that I probably gravitate to,” Maxey said. “He was a good person, as well. He treated everybody with respect. A lot of people in this organization were sad to see him go.”
The emotions hit Maxey again this morning, when he woke up and realized “Man, I’m not going to see ‘JMac’ downstairs.”
“It’s just unexpected,” Maxey said. “That’s really all I got to say. You just never know.”
Then Maxey headed to shootaround, which began about two hours before the deadline. Veteran guard Eric Gordon was present, before reportedly being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. So was veteran center Andre Drummond, who is viewed as another potential contender to be moved by the deadline.
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As expected, the 76ers parted ways with Eric Gordon.
Sources confirm the Sixers traded the reserve shooting guard on Wednesday to the Memphis Grizzlies for a 2032 second-round pick swap. This move gives the Sixers various options.
It opens up a roster spot to convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract into a standard deal. It also gives them a little over $7.6 million in salary cap space under the first apron. And they can sign players on the buyout market in addition to using up to $8 million in trade exception to acquire a player.
Gordon only played in six games, with his last appearance coming Dec. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets.
The 37-year-old, in his 18th season, signed a one-year, $3.63 million contract on July 1 after declining his $3.47 million player option. Gordon’s deal created a $2.3 million cap and a $2.3 million dead cap value, which was considered a good, low-risk expiring salary for potential trades.
The thought was the Sixers could entice a team with a lot of cap space, with a second-round pick, just to take on Gordon’s contract for the remainder of the season. It turns out they found a trade partner in the Grizzlies.
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The Sixers are in talk to move veteran guard Eric Gordon before the trade deadline, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones.
Gordon, on the tail end of a successful career, has played in only six games in his second season as a Sixer. Trading the 37-year-old and his $3.6 million contract in a salary-dump move would open up an additional roster spot that could be used to sign Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to a standard NBA contract.
The Sixers already created one spot when they traded Jared McCain to the Orlando Thunder Wednesday.
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So much for that.
The Milwaukee Bucks have told teams they won’t be trading two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of Thursday’s deadline, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Bucks are currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, 9 games below .500 and completely out of the playoff picture. Hopes for a second-half turnaround seem fleeting under Doc Rivers, who’s barely been a .500 coach (85-82) in his two-and-a-half seasons with the Bucks.
So what does this mean for Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee beyond this season? He’s currently under contract with the Bucks for one more season, has a player option for the 2027-28 season, and on Oct. 1 he’ll be eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension.
If the Bucks try to move him in the offseason, Antetokounmpo will have more leverage over his destination, since he could opt for free agency following the 2026-27 season.
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All eyes remain fixed on the Milwaukee Bucks as the contemplate trading two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The teams most often mentioned in trade talks have been the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat, and one distant report about Antetokounmpo being intrigued about playing for the Sixers.
But according to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, it looks more likely Antetokounmpo will remain with the Bucks past the deadline, pegging the chances around 60% a trade won’t happen.
“Minnesota is still out there, but I’ll be honest with you: I don’t think Minnesota’s offer was as good as Golden State’s,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up Thursday morning. “And if Golden State’s offer wasn’t good enough and Minnesota can’t make a trade to improve their offer, I don’t think Minnesota’s realistic.”
“Miami is making a player and semi-draft pick offer – it’s a decent offer but I don’t think it’s something that [Milwaukee] would stop everything for Giannis,” Windhorst added.
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LOS ANGELES — Nick Nurse briefly chatted with Daryl Morey Tuesday about the looming trade deadline.
At that point, the 76ers coach and president of basketball operations had not had a conversation in a couple days. Nurse added 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. It is unclear if that is a precursor for another deal before 3 p.m. Thursday, or a way to get under the luxury tax threshold while also acquiring assets.
Either way, the typically aggressive Morey has already fulfilled the expectation that he will always do something this time of year. He is entering his 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 each deadline move for the Sixers since Morey joined the organization in 2020:
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Could we see another alteration to the 76ers‘ roster before they face the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. Thursday at Crypto.com Arena?
There was always a belief that the Sixers would shed some salary before the 3 p.m. Thursday trade deadline to get below the luxury tax threshold. They also needed to free up a roster spot to sign two-way players Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to standard deals.
And the squad might have accomplished both by trading Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-rounders. One of the second-rounders is the 2027 most favorable pick from Oklahoma City, Houston, the Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. The others are the 2028 Milwaukee Bucks and 2028 Thunder picks.
The Sixers are now $3 million below the luxury tax threshold after trading away McCain’s $4.2 million salary for draft assets.
But is there another deal to be made? There’s a sense that this roster, as it’s currently constructed, has a chance to position itself for an Eastern Conference title.
Multiple sources insist that the Sixers are still willing to trade reserve center Andre Drummond.
But while McCain battled inconsistent play during his return from last season’s knee surgery, Drummond is the team’s best rebounder and has 12 double-doubles this season.
Parting ways with Drummond would be a blow to the Sixers’ depth. With Joel Embiid resting on the second night of a back-to-back, Drummond started his 18th game of the season Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors. The 6-foot-11, 279-pounder had 12 points, 12 rebounds, one steal, and a block in the 113-94 victory.
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As of Wednesday night, there were no indications the Sixers were gearing up to make a legitimate run at acquiring Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was previously reported to be intrigued by the possibility of teaming up with Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers. Such a move would almost certainly require the Sixers to part with rookie star V.J. Edgecombe. That’s a move they almost certainly will not do.
But the Sixers could easily end up involved on the periphery of the Giannis talks.
If Minnesota is determined/desperate to add Giannis, then it would presumably need to be desperate/determined to acquire the first-round picks that the Bucks would require (the Timberwolves don’t have much in the way of draft capital to trade). Minnesota’s determination/desperation creates some intriguing possibilities for a third team that does have first-round picks it can trade.
The dream scenario would be someone like young sweet-shooting big man Naz Reid becoming available. A more realistic opportunity could come in the form of former Villanova-turned-Knicks-turned-Timberwolves grinder Donte DiVincenzo.
I’m throwing those names out there mostly as for-instances. The world remains Daryl Morey’s oyster until the clock strikes 3 p.m. EST on Thursday.
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The Golden State Warriors found their dependable big man by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from Atlanta and granted forward Jonathan Kuminga his wish to be traded while also dealing guard Buddy Hield to the Hawks, according to a person with knowledge of the swap.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the trade had not yet been approved by the league.
Kuminga sat out Tuesday night’s 113-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers because of a bone bruise in his left knee, his fifth straight missed game.
The Hawks had listed Porzingis — who has recently missed time with an Achilles tendon injury — as questionable for Thursday’s game against Utah because of an illness. Atlanta also acquired center Jock Landale from the Jazz, a person with knowledge of the trade told the AP.
In mid-January, Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke with Kuminga about being out of the rotation for more than a month and the expectation that he would be traded. However, general manager Mike Dunleavy said on Jan. 20 after Jimmy Butler’s season-ending knee injury that there wasn’t an immediate indication other teams were interested in Kuminga.
“As far as the demand, I’m aware of that,” Dunleavy said, referencing Kuminga’s trade request. “I think when you, in terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market. So we’ll see where that unfolds.”
Kerr discounted any issues between him and Kuminga as the reason the high-flying forward requested a trade after not being used in 17 of 18 games — though he has been listed as injured for nine games this season.
— Associated Press
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Curious.
Suggestive.
Dangerous.
Most of all, unfortunate.
Those are the only sorts of words you can use right now when evaluating the Sixers’ decision to trade Jared McCain to the Thunder on Wednesday afternoon in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and some ancillary draft capital.
To judge the move in more definitive terms would be irresponsible given the amount of time that still remains between now and Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. The final verdict depends on what happens next.
If nothing happens next, then, yeah, the Sixers’ decision to jettison their promising 2024 first-round pick will rank somewhere on a spectrum between “underwhelming” and “foolish.” If their primary motivation was to duck below the luxury tax yet again, it will be a level beyond foolish. It will be criminal.
That being said, there are a lot of other ifs in play, many of them more plausible than Daryl Morey viewing a legitimate asset as a cost-savings vehicle.
This year’s NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m., the annual cutoff for trades during the season.
It’s generally a busy day in the league. Last year, 45 players changed teams on deadline day, including big names like Luka Dončić, Jimmy Butler, and De’Aaron Fox.
The Sixers have also been active in recent years, with varying degrees of success since Daryl Morey was named the team’s president of basketball operations at the start of the 2020-21 season.
Last season, they acquired Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler, both of whom remain on the roster. In 2024 they landed Buddy Hield, only to later trade him to the Golden State Warriors.
In 2023 the Sixers traded Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trailblazers. In 2022, they dealt Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that brought James Harden to Philly, who was later traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Could we see another alteration to the 76ers‘ roster before they face the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. Thursday at Crypto.com Arena?
There was always a belief that the Sixers would shed some salary before the 3 p.m. Thursday trade deadline to get below the luxury tax threshold. They also needed to free up a roster spot to sign two-way players Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to standard deals.
And the squad might have accomplished both by trading Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-rounders. One of the second-rounders is the 2027 most favorable pick from Oklahoma City, Houston, the Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. The others are the 2028 Milwaukee Bucks and 2028 Thunder picks.
The Sixers are now $3 million below the luxury tax threshold after trading away McCain’s $4.2 million salary for draft assets.
But is there another deal to be made? There’s a sense that this roster, as it’s currently constructed, has a chance to position itself for an Eastern Conference title.
The Sixers (29-21) take a five-game winning streak into their contest with the Lakers (30-19). The conference’s fifth-place team is 3 ½ games behind the second-place New York Knicks with 32 games remaining.
Multiple sources insist that the Sixers are still willing to trade reserve center Andre Drummond.
But while McCain battled inconsistent play during his return from last season’s knee surgery, Drummond is the team’s best rebounder and has 12 double-doubles this season.
Parting ways with Drummond would be a blow to the Sixers’ depth. With Joel Embiid resting on the second night of a back-to-back, Drummond started his 18th game of the season Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors. The 6-foot-11, 279-pounder had 12 points, 12 rebounds, one steal, and a block in the 113-94 victory.
But more than providing a presence, Drummond has been a great teammate, setting screens, playing hard, and mentoring younger players.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has seen the same traits from many of his teammates.
“As far as the trade deadline, when I was younger, I was a part of every [possible trade] situation,” Maxey said. “So you have to keep your head low, keep working. It’s a business, at the end of the day. Whatever happens, happens.
“I like this group. I think our group is really good, really tight, and guys like each other. So whatever happens, we will always support each other.”
At this stage of his career, it remains to be seen what kind of return the Sixers would receive for Drummond.
In fact, Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are the only trade assets who would pull in a player capable of drastically improving the team. And both are considered untouchable.
But by trading McCain, Daryl Morey, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, has made a deadline deal every year since being hired in2020.
And he’s not the only NBA executive making moves. The Detroit Pistons, who sit atop the East, received sharpshooter Kevin Huerter and former Sixers post player Dario Šarić from the Chicago Bulls in a multiteam trade that sent Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley and Pistons combo guard Jaden Ivey to the Bulls.
The third-place Boston Celtics are acquiring two-time All-Star center Nikola Vučević, a former Sixer, and a second-round pick from the Bulls in exchange for Celtics guard Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick.
And the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers traded two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for 11-time All-Star point guard James Harden, another former Sixer.
Harden will be paired in the backcourt with seven-time All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland (31-21) also has frontcourt difference-makers in 2025 Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley and rim protector Jarrett Allen. Both players have made an All-Star team.
“He does James Harden stuff,” Maxey said about his close friend being traded. “He’s a dynamic player with playoff experience. He knows how to play the game, knows how to get guys involved. He’ll take some pressure off D-Mitch, for sure, and get those other guys, Mobley, Allen, [Jaylon] Tyson, all those guys easy shots.”
The big question is: What else will the Sixers do?