Category: Sixers/NBA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOS ANGELES — Dominick Barlow elevated to attempt to tip in Kelly Oubre Jr.’s missed jumper in the lane, then instantly sprang up again when the ball bounced off the backboard. Barlow then got up a third time, hanging in the air to seemingly will the ball into the basket through contact.

The 6-foot-9 forward has spent this season as an appreciated 76ers role player who has completely outperformed his two-way contract. Barlow is a terrific cutter and savvy rebounder. He blends his athleticism and intelligence to fill in the gaps without overstepping. He “plays the right way, every single night,” All-Star teammate Tyrese Maxey said.

Yet Barlow finally got his monster stat line Monday in an impressive 128-113 76ers victory against the surging Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. He racked up a career-high 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting along with 16 rebounds, including an eye-popping 10 on the offensive glass. The outburst provided further evidence that part of the Sixers’ trade-deadline approach this week should be ensuring a roster spot is available to convert Barlow to a standard contract.

“Really went after it, man,” coach Nick Nurse said of Barlow’s outing. “ … Just wouldn’t quit playing hard, and he kept finding opportunities and made the most of them.”

It was fitting that Barlow brought that energy after the Sixers’ cross-country flight to kick off this crucial five-game Western Conference road trip.

Barlow felt a big night brewing early, when “a lot of stuff I got was really easy” while compiling 11 points and seven rebounds in the opening quarter. Those buckets came by way of two put-back dunks, a cutting and-one layup, and a steal and fastbreak slam. Barlow totaled another six rebounds (four on the offensive end) in the third quarter. And his final scoring burst helped cut short a Clippers fourth-quarter rally.

“He stole a lot of my rebounds,” star center Joel Embiid joked. “ … Every team needs one of those guys, [who] does everything.”

This career performance arrived after Barlow’s role fluctuated during the last 10 days.

The 22-year-old had become the starting power forward while Oubre missed about seven weeks with a knee injury. Yet once Oubre regained his rhythm upon returning to the court, Barlow moved to a reserve role and said he understood why Nurse made that decision. When Paul George was abruptly suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy on Saturday, Barlow moved back into the first five.

He has been an ideal fit with that starting group. Instead of worrying about creating offense with the ball in his hands, he can find spots to set a flare screen or make the correct pass. And when opposing defenders leave him to double-team stars Maxey or Embiid, that frees Barlow up to beeline toward the rim to snag the offensive rebound. He entered Tuesday’s game averaging 8.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 39 games.

“They make the game really simple,” Barlow said of those teammates.

Monday’s outburst also allowed Barlow to reflect on how he wound up in Philly.

‘This dude’s an athlete’

When asked about the origins of his knack for rebounding, he credits his long arms, instincts, and ball skills as a former football player. After beginning his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks, Barlow did not stress when he didn’t immediately land with a new team at the start of free agency last summer. He believed he was “as strong mentally as they come,” and that “I can’t determine whether a team’s going to like the way I play or not. I can only just get better.”

He joined the Sixers on a two-way contract, plopping himself into the middle of their Summer League stint in Las Vegas. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey said there that he believed the Sixers had successfully leveraged that type of team-friendly deal, which typically allows younger players to split time between the NBA and G League, to gain an impactful player. When Maxey returned to Philly for informal workouts before training camp, he quickly noticed Barlow “flying around like, ‘Dang, this dude’s an athlete.’”

Barlow immediately earned a rotation spot, knowing steady minutes would bring increased comfort. So would the confidence instilled in him by coaches and teammates, which Barlow raved about Monday.

“I’ve got Joel Embiid, the league MVP,” Barlow told The Inquirer at his locker, “telling me [that] when I go slash, shoot the ball. Don’t pass. …

“I’ve had great teammates in the past. I don’t know if I’ve had guys collectively, as a whole, just so supportive and want to see me play well.”

As Barlow approached his career high in points Monday, he reminded himself not to force it. He reached the personal milestone on a crafty driving and-one finish with less than nine minutes to play, then received a smattering of “M-V-P!” chants from Sixers fans as he stepped to the free throw line. On the Sixers’ next possession, Maxey slung a pass to Barlow in the corner for a three-pointer that serendipitously rattled in, and increased the Sixers’ lead to 17 points .

“You want to [reward] him,” Maxey said.

Even after Nurse pulled his starters, the coach briefly kept Barlow on the floor so he could receive his own ovation upon checking out of the game. The bench celebration was appropriate for the appreciated role player who, until Monday’s stat-stuffing breakout, had primarily filled the gaps.

And it illustrated why one of the Sixers’ trade-deadline tasks should be securing a full roster spot for Barlow to fill.

“I understand what winning basketball looks like,” Barlow said, “and I’m just trying to continue to, hopefully, make this place a home.”

What will the 76ers do before Thursday’s 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline?

Will Daryl Morey, the president of basketball operations, continue his trend of making a trade even if it’s just to get under the luxury tax threshold? Or will he decide to keep intact the Sixers’ deepest team since the 2018-19 season?

We’ll learn more in the coming days. In the meantime, I’ll answer a few of your mailbag questions.

Missed out on the party? No worries. Submit questions for next time by tweeting @PompeyOnSixers on X with the hashtag #PompeysMailbagFlow.

Q: Can the Sixers void any of Paul George’s guarantees in his contract due to the suspension? — @MyAmbition_3

A: Thanks for starting the mailbag. This is a great question that many people have been asking me. Now, if George had a bonus for games played or point totals, he wouldn’t receive it if the 25-game suspension prevented him from reaching the required numbers. But overall, the Sixers cannot void his contract.

For a contract to be voided, there must be cause. The team could argue that this fits the definition of cause to void a deal, but it would lose.

To void a contract, the infraction would have to be something that impacts a player’s ability to continue his career. For instance, a team can void a contract if a player commits a serious crime and could face jail time. Another example would be if he sustained a career-ending injury away from basketball or training.

Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier was placed on unpaid leave following October’s arrest for his alleged involvement in an illegal sports gambling scheme. However, his contract was never voided. And, on Monday, Rozier won his grievance with the NBA and will be paid his $26.6 million salary for this season.

Q: Is the George suspension a blessing in disguise as it relates to the Sixers’ cap situation? — @bsmallg1

A: Yes, it has been a blessing in disguise as it relates to the salary cap, especially the luxury tax threshold to avoid being taxed. The 35-year-old will lose $11.7 million during his suspension. As a result, the Sixers will have around $5.8 million in tax variance credit. It leaves the team about $1.2 million above the tax threshold.

If not for the suspension, the Sixers would be $7 million above the allowable threshold. In that instance, the expiring contracts of Quentin Grimes ($8.7 million), Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.3 million), and Andre Drummond ($5 million) would have potentially helped them duck the tax.

The problem is, all three are major contributors for a squad that headed into Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Oubre is the starting small forward and has been the team’s X factor. Grimes, a reserve shooting guard, was an early-season candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year. And Drummond, a reserve center, is the Sixers’ leading rebounder.

Now, the Sixers can avoid the tax by making a trade on the margins and avoid parting ways with any of their key rotation players.

Q: Is Joel Embiid’s recent scoring surge fact or fiction? — @wheat

A: There’s nothing fake about Embiid’s recent scoring surge. I do think the Sixers will always have their fingers crossed that he won’t suffer another injury. And that makes sense considering the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center’s injury history. But his recent stint has been the best stretch of his career since he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 30, 2024.

Back to playing at an All-NBA level, the 2023 MVP finished with a season-high 40 points along with 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. Embiid averaged 29.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 14 games in January. His scoring average for that month ranked fourth in the NBA behind Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Dončić (34.0 points per game), Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.7), Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić (31.0), and Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards (30.1). Even that’s misleading because Jokić played only one game.

So it’s hard to say Embiid’s scoring surge is fiction.

Q: What power forward could the Sixers target at the deadline? — @emkahe12

A: Boston Celtics post player Chris Boucher is a player the Sixers are reported to have some “exploratory” interest in, according to a HoopsHype report. A source downplayed the interest in the reserve power forward/center, who has appeared in only nine games this season with the Boston Celtics, averaging just 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.4 minutes.

However, he flourished in the last seven seasons as a reserve glue guy for the Toronto Raptors. Sixers coach Nick Nurse was Raptors coach during Boucher’s first five seasons in Toronto. Nurse 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.

Boucher signed a one-year, veteran minimum contract with Boston for $3.2 million, with a cap hit of $2.2 million.

Paul George’s shocking suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy does not necessarily upend the 76ers’ trade deadline approach. But it does change their situation heading into Thursday.

On one hand, the Sixers are now in more need of an immediate boost — particularly at the wing or frontcourt positions — to keep pace in a tightly packed Eastern Conference during George’s 25-game absence. On the other, it has become significantly easier for the Sixers to get under the luxury tax because George’s unpaid suspension will give the team a tax variance credit of nearly $5.9 million.

The Sixers’ roster construction remains top-heavy, with three players on long-term max deals in George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey. But it is always reasonable to expect the team’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, to pull off something at the deadline.

Here is a look at the Sixers’ most movable contracts, either to tinker with the roster or hit financial goals.

Expiring contracts

Kelly Oubre Jr.

Salary: $8.4 million

Before the George situation emerged, Oubre’s was viewed as the Sixers’ most tradable contract — especially if the front office was instructed to get under the luxury tax. Now he is vital to the current roster as a tenacious wing defender and offensive player who can slash to the basket — and he has upped his three-point percentage.

Oubre, who earlier this season missed seven weeks with a knee sprain, has been looking more and more like the player who was enjoying the best basketball of his 11-year career before his injury. He is back in the starting lineup and is averaging 14.2 points on nearly 50% shooting from the floor (36.9% from three-point range) along with 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals. He is also often tasked with a challenging perimeter defensive assignment.

Oubre’s skill set and production this season could have been attractive to win-now teams looking for that always-coveted wing spot. Rebuilding ones might have been enticed by a short-term commitment to Oubre. His name surfaced in trade rumors before the start of training camp, and was percolating in early deadline chatter in recent weeks.

Now it feels like a near certainty that Oubre will remain with the Sixers through the end of the season.

Quentin Grimes

Salary: $8.7 million

This comes with a massive asterisk because Grimes has the power to veto any trade after signing a one-year qualifying offer in October.

Additionally, any trade approved by Grimes would relinquish his’ “Bird” rights, which allow teams to offer their own players a higher salary in free agency. So unless the new destination appears to be an ideal long-term fit, it is unlikely Grimes would sign off on any trade-deadline move and instead enter unrestricted free agency this summer.

Grimes spent chunks of December and January in a rut, shooting 23.1% from three-point range in his last 12 games. Coach Nick Nurse recently said he was considering moving Grimes to the starting lineup in an effort to spark his production, although so far that has not transpired. He is another player who could see increased opportunity in George’s absence.

At his best, Grimes provides scoring punch at all three levels and is a tough perimeter defender. Even with a lesser role than during last season’s tank after arriving in Philly, Grimes should be one of the NBA’s better sixth men and a contender to play in closing lineups.

Andre Drummond

Salary: $5 million

What once looked like a resurgent Drummond season has turned into an odd role for the 14-year veteran. He starts whenever Embiid sits out for injury or load-management reasons, and does not play at all when Embiid is in the lineup. Drummond is averaging 6.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in 37 games with 17 starts this season.

That theoretically makes Drummond expendable — and perhaps the most likely (fringe) rotation player to depart at the deadline.

The Sixers could try to move Drummond to acquire a cheaper traditional center, or to land a player at a different position. That latter option would put a lot of trust in second-year big man Adem Bona to remain the consistent backup and become the spot starter when Embiid rests.

Bona is a high-energy rim protector and lob threat, but he still needs development as a rebounder and offensive player. The Sixers’ other center options would be of the small-ball variety in Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker, assuming both get converted to standard contracts.

Eric Gordon

Salary: $3.6 million

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 in a salary-dump move would open up an additional roster spot that could be used to sign Walker or Barlow to a standard NBA contract.

One wrinkle: Gordon is close with rookie standout VJ Edgecombe, who played with Gordon on the Bahamian national team.

Kyle Lowry

Salary: $3.6 million

Lowry is in his 20th NBA season. Like Gordon, he is on a veteran minimum contract. It feels less likely that the Sixers would let go of the Philly native and former Villanova star, given his primarily off-the-court role as a respected leader in the locker room and on the bench.

Worth keeping an eye on

Jared McCain

Salary: $4.2 million

Putting McCain on such a list seemed unfathomable early last season, when he was a Rookie of the Year front-runner. And perhaps his breakout shooting week has restabilized him as a contributor to the Sixers’ present and future.

Before that, McCain’s return from knee and thumb surgeries had been an immense struggle. He could not find his shot — making just 36.1% of his attempts from the floor and 33.7% from beyond the arc before going 13-of-20 from deep in his last four games — and had fallen out of the rotation.

Still, last season’s immediate flash, and the expectation that, with time, that rediscovered rhythm continues for extended stretches, still make McCain a valuable young player. He would be the type to be included in a blockbuster trade. But it does not make much sense to give him up in any other scenario, given that the Sixers could lose Grimes in free agency this summer.

Trendon Watford

Salary: $2.5 million (team option for 2026-27)

Watford is another lower-salary player who could be traded to get under the luxury tax. Although his minutes have been inconsistent throughout an injury-riddled start to his first season in Philly, he could become increasingly valuable in George’s absence because of his unique ballhandling and playmaking skills as a point forward. He has a triple-double this season, and totaled four assists in 17 minutes as a reserve small forward in Thursday’s win over New Orleans.

Moving Watford also could be a tricky topic to broach with Maxey, one of Watford’s close friends.

Justin Edwards

Salary: $2 million

Edwards was another feel-good story last season as the local kid who went from going undrafted to earning a standard NBA contract and significant minutes. But although Nurse has reiterated that he still “loves” Edwards’ game, he often gets squeezed out of the rotation when the Sixers are at relatively full strength. His contract is the type that could be used as salary-filler in a deal.

Johni Broome

Salary: $1.3 million

The rookie big man, who has spent the bulk of this season with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats, is another lower-salary player who could be moved to get under the luxury tax.

Tyrese Maxey reached out to teammates Jared McCain, Trendon Watford, and Justin Edwards on Saturday afternoon with a simple message.

“Listen,” the 76ers’ All-Star point guard told them, “y’all got to be ready.”

That is required because of Paul George’s 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, a shocking blow as the Sixers barrel toward Thursday’s trade deadline and the mid-February All-Star break. Their first step in making up for George’s production was a success, topping the New Orleans Pelicans, 124-114, at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Now, their broader goal is to keep pace in a crowded Eastern Conference — entering Sunday, three games separated fourth and eighth place — until George returns in late March for the regular season’s stretch run.

“There’s a number of guys there to do it,” coach Nick Nurse said of filling George’s role. “That’s where we are. We’ve been in this kind of next man up mentality for quite a while, and we’re going to have to dig in and do it again.”

Though George is no longer the explosive three-level scorer he was as a perennial All-Star, Joel Embiid said it is “impossible” for the Sixers to fully replace George’s impact on both ends of the floor.

On Tuesday, the versatile 6-foot-8 wing tied a franchise record by hitting nine three-pointers in a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, and is still a creator and playmaker with the ball in his hands. He also is arguably the Sixers’ best perimeter defender, and a terrific organizer and communicator. Less than an hour before news of George’s suspension broke, Sixers reserve center Adem Bona raved about George’s overall mentorship, and how he makes Bona’s life easier on the defensive end.

“Obviously, he wants the best for me and he expects me to do my part, play my role on the court,” Bona said Saturday after shootaround. “[In] my last game [Thursday against Sacramento], he was telling me, ‘You have to get here!’ on help side and blocking shots.

“That just shows that he expects a lot from me. That means he really believes I can do the things I do best out there.”

Before Saturday’s home win, Nurse rattled off the collection of players who could see more minutes in George’s absence. And the coach has become plenty familiar with tinkering with lineups during the last two-plus seasons, primarily for injury reasons.

One teammate Maxey did not feel the need to call Saturday? Kelly Oubre Jr., whom the point guard said is “always” ready because “that’s just who he is.”

Oubre totaled 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists against the Pelicans, another sign the explosive two-way wing is returning to form after missing seven weeks with a knee injury. Before that, Oubre was off to arguably the best start of his 11-year career — often while fulfilling a heavier load while George worked his way back from offseason knee surgery.

Before Saturday, Oubre also could have been viewed as the Sixers’ most tradable asset. Now, he is almost certainly too crucial to relinquish in the middle of the season. The Sixers also no longer need to move Oubre in order to get under the luxury tax, because George’s unpaid suspension will give the Sixers a tax variance credit of nearly $5.9 million.

“I show up every day to work, do the same steps to prepare,” Oubre said when asked about how his responsibilities might change. “Whatever comes with the game, I’ll take it. I just try to stay even-keeled through everything, because it’s an up-and-down season. … I just want to be a key contributor to winning.”

Watford, meanwhile, became a ballhandling small forward Saturday, totaling four assists along with six rebounds and five points. McCain (12 points) put together another encouraging performance, hitting four three-pointers and playing well off Embiid. Dominick Barlow, who had stepped into a starting forward spot during Oubre’s absence, was back in the first five Saturday and finished with eight points, three rebounds, and two steals. Rookie VJ Edgecombe (15 points, five assists) delivered some nifty passes Saturday but needs to become even more aggressive on both ends of the floor, Nurse said.

Nurse also expects plenty of opportunity for Quentin Grimes (four points, four rebounds, two assists), who returned Saturday after missing two games with a sprained ankle. Jabari Walker totaled eight minutes against New Orleans, while Edwards was out of the rotation. Nurse pulled all the levers, closing the second quarter with the double-big man lineup with Embiid and Bona, and beginning the final period with a three-guard look.

“It’s going to take a little bit of, I think, just connectivity with the right rotations and lineups,” Nurse said, “and to be honest, some play calls and finding the matchups on the night who can go get us a bucket.”

Perhaps most important is that Embiid continues to look more and more like the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player, scoring 40 points on Saturday for the first time since the 2024 playoffs. He has reestablished his dynamic two-man game with Maxey, although Nurse staggered the two stars’ minutes during portions of Saturday’s win. Embiid also believed he took a positive step on the defensive end, where lateral movement and elevation to protect the rim have been issues at times in his road back from multiple knee surgeries.

And though health will remain the ultimate caveat with Embiid, he vowed Saturday to “take more ownership into everything we do” in George’s absence.

“I’m always going to put it on myself,” Embiid said. “… and just encourage everybody. Give them the freedom to believe in themselves, so we can win.”

When asked how George’s suspension could impact the Sixers’ approach entering Thursday’s trade deadline, Nurse conceded “that probably remains to be seen.”

They could execute smaller, salary-dump-style moves to get under the luxury tax and create the two roster spots to convert Barlow and Walker from two-way contracts to standard deals. They could go after a legitimate short-term upgrade with a new wing or frontcourt player, who could then provide additional depth when George returns. Even in the midst of a disastrous 2024-25 season, for instance, the Sixers improved by adding Grimes at the deadline.

George can next take the floor for the Sixers’ March 25 home matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Then his team will face another familiar issue — a lack of time to build on-court cohesion before the postseason begins in mid-April.

Yet the Sixers’ road to bridge that gap began Saturday with a victory. They now have 24 games to go.

“We’ve got to get fighting and get to work,” Nurse said. “All those guys I just mentioned have got to embrace this opportunity. … Here’s a chance for them to do it again.”