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Tag: VJ Edgecombe

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.”

  • 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.

  • The Sixers have entered the NBA trade deadline madness. What will they do next?

    The Sixers have entered the NBA trade deadline madness. What will they do next?

    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.

    Jared McCain traded to OKC Thunder for first-round pick and three second-round selections

    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.

    The Sixers traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-rounders.
    Six burning questions facing the Sixers at the NBA trade deadline

    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.

    Sixers center Andre Drummond is averaging 6.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in just 19.8 minutes per game.

    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.

    Five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the NBA trade deadline

    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 Los Angeles Clippers traded former Sixers guard James Harden (right) to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

    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.

    A look at the Sixers’ movable contracts, and how Paul George’s suspension could impact their trade deadline plans

    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?

  • Sixers takeaways: Winning without Joel Embiid, best stretch since 2024, and more from victory over Warriors

    Sixers takeaways: Winning without Joel Embiid, best stretch since 2024, and more from victory over Warriors

    Andre Drummond has to sustain quick starts in games.

    The 76ers, however, bucked the recent trend of losing on nights when Joel Embiid is not playing.

    And in the process, they’re in the midst of their best stretch since concluding the 2023-24 season with nine consecutive victories.

    Those things stood out in Tuesday’s 113-94 victory over the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

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    The Sixers (29-21) are a half-game behind the fourth-place Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings.

    Drummond must sustain his shooting

    Drummond got his 18th start of the season due to Embiid not being cleared to play on back-to-back nights. Drummond finished with a game-high 11 rebounds to go with 12 points for his 12th double-double of the season.

    On paper, his stat line looked good. He made 5 of 11 shots, including 1 of 2 on three-pointers, to go with one assist, one steal, and one block.

    But he’ll have to be a more consistent shooter to gain the coaching staff’s trust as a reliable reserve when Embiid plays.

    Sixers reserve center Adem Bona scored 11 points in 16 minutes off the bench Tuesday night.

    Drummond was unable to build off his solid shooting start to the game.

    He had four points on 2-for-2 shooting and five rebounds in the first five minutes. He scored those baskets on a put-back dunk and a tip-in. However, Drummond missed his next six attempts.

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    He missed a reverse layup and had a driving dunk blocked before being subbed out for Adem Bona with 2 minutes, 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter. He followed that up by missing a 23-foot three-pointer and a put-back layup in the second quarter.

    His rough shooting night continued in the third quarter, when he missed an eight-foot turnaround jumper and an alley-oop.

    Drummond snapped out of his shooting skid, scoring on two layups in the fourth quarter. The majority of his misses came on shots around the basket.

    Drummond’s offensive shortcomings could be one reason sources say the Sixers are open to trading him, even though he is their leading rebounder.

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    While he struggled from the field, Bona had 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting.

    All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey (14 points on 3-for-9 shooting), Dominick Barlow (10 points, 3-for-10), and Kelly Oubre Jr. (15 points, 4-for-12) all struggled from the field.

    But VJ Edgecombe paced them with 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, and the Sixers got quality contributions from their bench.

    They also benefited from the undermanned Warriors (27-24), who were without Stephen Curry, committing 20 turnovers.

    Needed win without Embiid

    Before Tuesday, the Sixers had lost four straight games when Embiid didn’t play. Teams were blitzing Maxey, and role players weren’t stepping up. They didn’t have that problem against the Warriors.

    Trendon Watford had 16 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in a reserve role. The Sixers had eight scorers in double digits.

    This victory serves as a major confidence boost for a team dealing with Paul George’s 25-game suspension.

    Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe (left) had a game-high 25 points against the Warriors.

    Extending overall winning streak

    The Sixers have the league’s second-best active winning streak at five games. The Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks are tied for the best with seven consecutive victories.

    Dominick Barlow’s stellar play, sharpshooting from three, and more in win over Clippers

    They opened the season with four consecutive victories before winning three straight games from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3.

    But this time, the Sixers appear to be coming into form, getting major contributions from several players.

  • Sixers takeaways: Celebrating 2001 conference champs, another Joel Embiid domination, and more from win over Pelicans

    Sixers takeaways: Celebrating 2001 conference champs, another Joel Embiid domination, and more from win over Pelicans

    Saturday morning, Paul George owned the headlines.

    Saturday night, however, belonged to the 76ers’ 2001 Eastern Conference championship team.

    Joel Embiid continued to put teams on notice that he’s back to playing at an All-NBA level. And Kelly Oubre Jr. is doing his best to fill the void left by George‘s 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.

    Those things stood out on an evening where the Sixers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 124-114.

    Celebrating Sixers’ last NBA Finals team

    The Sixers improved to 27-21 while extending their home winning streak to three games. Embiid finished with 40 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, while Oubre added 19 points on the first night of Paul George’s suspension.

    Not to be outdone, Tyrese Maxey (18 points, eight assists), VJ Edgecombe (15 points, five assists), and Jared McCain (12 points) were the other double-digit scorers against the Pelicans (13-38).

    Former Villanova standout Saddiq Bey led New Orleans with 34 points, while Zion Williamson was held to 11.

    But the 2000-01 Sixers were the highlight of the evening.

    Not only did that squad reach the NBA Finals, but they were also the last Sixers team to advance past the second round of the playoffs.

    That gritty team was led by Hall of Famer Allen Iverson and a bunch of defensive-minded blue-collar players. It was a squad that still carries a lot of weight in Philly and across the NBA. And that’s impressive, considering the Los Angeles Lakers ousted them in five games in the NBA Finals.

    “I can say I’m not surprised, because we had an iconic run, but we had an iconic player, too [in Iverson],” said Eric Snow, who was that team’s point guard. “And it was different. It was unique, the city and the players. It was such a connection that I can [feel] to this day everywhere I’ve been, and I traveled to other countries, and I’ve been to every state, except two, and I’m always asked about this team.”

    Paul George is suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy

    That season, Iverson was the league MVP, Aaron McKie was the Sixth Man of the Year, Dikembe Mutombo garnered Defensive Player of the Year, and Larry Brown was the Coach of the Year.

    Members of the team were on hand and honored during a halftime celebration. Former Sixers team president Pat Croce and former Sixers mascot Hip Hop were the bell ringers.

    The thing that made that Sixers squad special was Brown, a true player’s coach, and the team general manager Billy King assembled around Iverson.

    “When you had a talent like Allen, you had to build a team to fit him,” King said. “So I remember talking to Larry quite a bit. Larry had a vision to get him off the ball, get him to two guard, but we needed a bigger guard that could play point guard and defend some of the guards that Allen couldn’t guard.

    “And I remember Larry and I talking, and we were saying we were watching Eric, we were in Seattle, and he was the fourth point guard there. And we were like, we think we can beat that.”

    Former Sixers guard Allen Iverson talks with former team announcer Marc Zumoff during Saturday’s celebration.

    So they acquired Snow from the Seattle SuperSonics on Jan. 18, 1998, in exchange for a second-round pick.

    “That’s where it started,” King said. “Then it was like, let’s get George Lynch, because we need somebody that can defend the three. Then the big one was Larry, and I looked, we needed a shot blocker, and it was like we knew Allen and Jerry Stackhouse wasn’t going to fit, and so we kept calling Detroit about Theo [Ratliff].”

    The Pistons agreed to the trade, but also wanted the Sixers to take McKie for salary purposes.

    So on Dec. 18, 1997, they traded Stackhouse, Eric Montross, and a 2005 second-round pick for Ratliff, McKie, and a 2003 first-round pick.

    Former Sixers President Pat Croce jokes with past team mascot Hip-Hop during pregame ceremonies before the Sixers-Pelicans game on Saturday.

    Lynch signed with the Sixers as a free agent on Jan. 21, 1999.

    “So it was more than building pieces,” King said. “We wanted guys who could play defense. Larry was a guy that I knew from coaching with him that he didn’t care if you could shoot it. He wanted guys that can play defense, and he’d figure out how to score.”

    But Ratliff suffered a broken bone in his right wrist, which forced him to miss the 2001 All-Star Game and the remainder of the season.

    In need of a standout replacement, the Sixers traded Ratliff along with Toni Kukoč, Nazr Mohammed, and Pepe Sánchez to the Hawks for Mutombo and Roshown McLeod on Feb. 22, 2001.

    Former Sixers guard Allen Iverson greets former team president Pat Croce during the 25th anniversary NBA finals team ceremony on Saturday.

    Embiid back to dominating

    Embiid has made things look easy in the first half, especially as of late.

    The 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star scored 23 of his points on 7-for-17 shooting. Two games prior, Embiid scored 18 of his 29 points in the first quarter.

    But none of this has been surprising, as the 7-foot-2 center is getting back to his old self after dealing with two left knee surgeries in the previous two seasons.

    Sixers center Joel Embiid drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans guard Micah Peavy on Saturday.

    Embiid averaged 33.2 points while shooting 50.0% on three-pointers, along with 9.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists in his previous six games. And it was the seventh straight game that he’s scored at least 29 points.

    “Honestly, surprising,” Embiid said of his play. “Coming into this year, I thought it was going to be more of a tryout year to me. To me, this year has already been successful, because I feel like coming into the year, it was about figuring out, OK, what’s the schedule? How are we going to do this moving forward? And try to figure out how the knee is going to respond every single day.”

    He began the season by taking at least two days off after every game. Now, Embiid can play every other day, and he says everything is going well. That’s why this season is already a success.

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    “But that doesn’t change my mentality as far as wanting to get better every single day,” he said. “Keep pushing and seeing. … Like I said, it was supposed to be a tryout for next year and moving forward, and how we are going to do this.

    “His name hasn’t been mentioned. But I think guys like Simon Rice [the vice president for athletic care for the Sixers], you know, he’s been probably the main guy when it comes to everything. I would say probably everybody gave up on me. He’s the one guy that just kept trying to figure it out … I’m really thankful because he was that one person.”

    Embiid scored on putbacks, jumpers, and layups while making it tough for everyone who had the misfortune of guarding him.

    At one point in the season, the Sixers appeared to be Maxey’s team. But Embiid is showing that he can still be the franchise player. Fans chanted “MVP … MVP … MVP!” as Embiid attempted foul shots in the closing seconds.

    ” He’s really good at basketball,” Maxey said. “That’s really good, though. And I’m not trying to be funny. He’s playing the right way, too. He’s getting people involved, rolling. I think the biggest thing right now is his trust level and his teammates.”

    Sixers guard Kelly Oubre Jr.,is expected to play a major role with the loss of Paul George due to his suspension.

    Oubre’s outing

    The biggest question surrounding the Sixers is who’s going step up in George’s absence.

    Oubre appears to be the frontrunner to do that. The 6-8 swingman scored his points on 7-for-13 shooting — including making 3 of 7 three-pointers — to go with 10 rebounds and four assists.

    This isn’t the first time that Oubre was a force in a game. He scored a season-high 29 points on Nov. 2 against the Brooklyn Nets. He’s also scored at least 18 points on 10 occasions. But he’s been known more for crashing the boards and guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter defender.

    He’s sure to get more offensive opportunities with George out. And he’s excited about that.

    “But at the end of the day, man, any given night we have a team that people can show up and put points on the board and be key contributors to winning,” Oubre said. “And I just want to be a key contributor to winning, whether you know my role be what it was or what it is, just try to take everything with grace and just take the proper steps to be prepared for anything.

    “But at the end of the day, man, I just want to prove that, you know, I’m a valuable piece to this league, and to this team, and you know, that I just continue to show up every day.”

    And if he continues to excel, the Sixers may be better suited to weather the storm.

    His teammates are confident that he can step in for George.

    “We’ve seen it,” Oubre said. “We’ve seen it last year. We’ve seen it the year before. We’ve seen it early this year. He did a really good job early in the season, just kind of playing that role, scoring, rebounding, and defending.

    “I think he had 10 rebounds tonight. That’s big time. We’re going to need it, especially filling in for that role. And I have trust in him, because Kelly’s a guy who is not scared of the moment.”

  • The Sixers must address their rebounding problems before it’s too late

    The Sixers must address their rebounding problems before it’s too late

    The 76ers have a rebounding issue.

    Their 24 rebounds in Thursday’s 113-111 victory over the Sacramento Kings were the third-fewest posted by an NBA team this season.

    The Sixers (26-21) can’t brush this off as just an isolated incident. Over the last 11 games, they’ve ranked last in the league in rebounding at 39.5 per game.

    So what is the biggest issue? Effort? Or being undersized?

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    The Sixers went with a starting lineup centered on Joel Embiid and four perimeter players in four of their last five games, with Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey alongside the big man.

    Embiid is a towering center at 7-foot-2. Oubre and George are both 6-8 forwards who have played shooting guard in previous seasons. Edgecombe is a 6-5 shooting guard, while Maxey, an All-Star starter, is a 6-2 point guard.

    The Sixers only have two other rotation players — reserve center Andre Drummond (6-11) and reserve power forward Dominick Barlow (6-9) — taller than Oubre and George.

    Sixers forward Paul George (left) and Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe double team Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis during the third quarter on Thursday.

    “Well, I think that it’s a few things,” coach Nick Nurse said of the rebounding issue. “Sometimes it’s size and athleticism, whether it’s playing against bigger guys, more athletic, stronger, or whatever. Sometimes it’s just not paying attention to details and getting a body on people.

    “And sometimes, I think it’s defense in general. You give a few [rebounds] and the blood’s in the water. Those guys just seem to get cracked up after they get a couple. And they’re just like, ‘Man, this is an easy way to live tonight. I’m going to really focus on that.’”

    When that happens, the Sixers must put in more effort, and Nurse must devise a strategy to secure more rebounds.

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    Against a player like Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis, who is a rebounding machine, the Sixers assigned two players to try to slow him down.

    “Those guys were blocking him out in front of them,” Nurse said. “The balls were coming over the head, and got to be somebody else’s.”

    The Sixers might also benefit from giving Drummond more playing time.

    Despite averaging 8.7 rebounds in 19.6 minutes and leading the Sixers in the category, Drummond didn’t enter Thursday’s game until the start of the fourth quarter. At that point, the Kings (12-37) had a commanding 37-18 rebounding advantage.

    Drummond did not play in six of the previous nine games. The Sixers felt 6-8center Adem Bona, an undersized but athletic rim protector, was better suited to back up Embiid in those games.

    Sixers coach Nick Nurse looks to solve his team’s rebounding issue.

    But due to the growing rebounding disparity, Nurse said he might look at Drummond coming off the bench more moving forward.

    “I think that the smaller lineup that we are playing is obviously something to look at as well,” Nurse said. “I think Drummond with big, really big centers like that. [The Kings] played big all night, but they’re also pretty physical. All four of their bigs that they play are physical. And I think that probably called for a Joel, Bona lineup or Drummond, [Jabari] Walker. Just maybe different than what we did [Thursday] because it was difficult to rebound.”

    Honoring the 2000-01 team

    The Sixers will look to extend their home winning streak to three games on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans. The game will also be recognized as the 25th anniversary reunion game, celebrating the 2000-01 Eastern Conference championship team.

    Members of the team, which lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, will be on hand for several celebrations in their honor.

    Sixers star Allen Iverson led his team to the NBA Finals in the 2000-01 season.

    “It’ll be great,” George said of the festivities. “Obviously, it’s a tradition here. Being a part of the Sixers family, organization, that group means a lot to the city. It’ll be awesome to kind of share the space, the moment, and play in front of them. We want to represent them the same way that they represented the city.”

  • Sixers takeaways: Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid to the rescue, Giannis rumors, and more from win over Kings

    Sixers takeaways: Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid to the rescue, Giannis rumors, and more from win over Kings

    Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid saved the 76ers from another embarrassing loss.

    But for a while, the on-court action was secondary because of a report that Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to play with Maxey.

    And in the end, the Sixers did manage to win consecutive games at Xfinity Mobile Arena for the first time in over a month.

    Those three things stood out in their 113-111 victory in front of 18,608.

    Avoiding disaster

    Maxey and Embiid reentered the game with the Sixers (26-21) down, 100-92, with 8 minutes, 13 seconds remaining.

    Zach LaVine scored on a three-point play to put the Kings (12-37) up 11 points with 7:44 left.

    That’s when Maxey and Embiid combined to score the Sixers’ final 21 points to avoid a loss to the Kings, a team that is now tied for the NBA’s worst record.

    Maxey capped the scoring barrage with a layup to put the Sixers up two points with 1.3 seconds left. He was also fouled on the play, but intentionally missed the free throw. And the Sixers escaped with the two-point victory after LaVine misfired on a heave with 0.3 left.

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    Maxey finished with a game-high 40 points, with 11 coming in the fourth quarter. Embiid scored 10 of his 37 points in the final quarter. Each player had eight assists.

    “Well, I think that’s kind of what you fear a little bit going into this game happened,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I think we are pretty lucky, to be honest with you, that we got out of there with a W.

    “I mean, you know, it’s like not very good on the glass, not very good in transition, not very good on defense. And they just started building confidence, right?”

    Sixers center Joel Embiid reacts after guard Tyrese Maxey made the game-winning basket against the Kings.

    The Sixers were outrebounded, 46-24, only had three transition points, and gave up 54.2% shooting to a struggling team playing without Malik Monk (right ankle soreness), Keegan Murray (sprained left ankle), and Russell Westbrook (right foot soreness).

    The Sixers have a habit of playing down to struggling opponents, which has led to a few embarrassing losses. While they expected Thursday night to be different, it was much of the same against a Sacramento squad that had lost six straight entering the game.

    Sixers forward Paul George (left) and Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe double team Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis.

    “We did a good job,” Maxey said. “We played kind of resilient. We knew we had to go in there and make a run, quick, and we did that.”

    Maxey was asked if he agreed with Nurse that the Sixers were lucky.

    “I feel like sometimes you got to be lucky,” he said. “It happens. It’s 82 games in the season. We didn’t play great by no stretch of the imagination. But we are going to take the W. I’d rather win the game and learn the lessons after than lose it.”

    But Embiid didn’t see it as a lucky victory. He thinks the Kings are better than their record.

    “They got a lot of talent,” Embiid said. “You look at DeMar [DeRozan], Zach, [Domantas] Sabonis. I mean, those are great players. They have a bunch of others. So they haven’t been healthy all season. So I think they are better than whatever their record says.

    “But I think this is luck. Obviously, this is the NBA. Every team has NBA players.”

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    Giannis, anyone?

    Two hours before the game started, arena employees were discussing the possibility of Antetokounmpo coming to Philly.

    Right before tip-off, a fan asked if it would be wise to include VJ Edgecombe in a package to acquire Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. The Stein Line reported that the Sixers never contacted the Bucks about a possible deal for the two-time All-Star. However, the report said the possibility of playing with Maxey has the Sixers on Antetokounmpo’s radar.

    The problem is, aside from Maxey and Edgecombe, the Sixers don’t have the assets to acquire a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber. And they’re not trading either of those guys.

    Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe reaches for a loose ball as Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder looks on.

    Plus, despite his love for Maxey, the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Minnesota Timberwolves have emerged as the preferred destinations for the superstar. Yet that didn’t stop the infatuation with acquiring the nine-time All-NBA selection from taking much of the shine off Thursday’s game.

    Back-to-back home wins

    With their second straight home win, the Sixers improved to 14-13 at home. The last time they won consecutive home games was against the Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 12 and Dec. 20, respectively.

    “No disrespect to them because they really do have good players and they played well tonight,” Nurse said of the Kings. “Again, I just didn’t like a lot of our defensive mentality and our rebounding mentality. I think it really let them hang around.

    “So I wouldn’t say that was a great game for us. It’s a line drive in the box score, and it’s a W. So we’ll take it. But I think we got another similar team coming in on Saturday.”

    The New Orleans Pelicans, who are 12-27 and tied with the Kings for the NBA’s worst record, are Saturday’s opponents.

    “It feels like a long time,” Maxey said of getting consecutive home victories. “But that’s an achievement, man. We struggled at home, and we are trying to get better … We are just going to keep trying to get better.”

  • Five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the NBA trade deadline

    Five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the NBA trade deadline

    The 76ers have made at least one move at five consecutive NBA trade deadlines since Daryl Morey took over as president of basketball operations in 2020.

    Many of those moves slashed salaries, enabling the Sixers to avoid paying the luxury tax. However, the new acquisitions didn’t make the team’s playoff chances any better.

    What is the Sixers’ biggest need at the NBA trade deadline? Patience.

    The Sixers are expected to continue their trend of making moves ahead of this season’s 3 p.m. deadline on Feb. 5. Here are five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the deadline:

    The Sixers could avoid the luxury tax by trading Kelly Oubre Jr. ahead of the Feb.5 NBA trade deadline. However, he’s their best perimeter defender.

    A bad look for the franchise

    The Sixers are $7 million above the allowable threshold to avoid being taxed. They’re also around $1 million away from being a first-apron team and facing penalties.

    Quentin Grimes ($8.7 million), Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.3 million), and Andre Drummond ($5 million) have expiring contracts that could help avoid paying the threshold tax.

    But trading a key contributor for the sake of avoiding being taxed would be a bad look for the franchise. It would give the impression that saving money for Sixers managing partner Josh Harris is more important than contending for a title. The team would come off looking cheap, especially considering that the Joel Embiid championship window is closing quickly.

    Aside from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe (77), the Sixers don’t have the assets to bring in the type of player who could drastically improve the team.

    Not enough assets

    The Sixers don’t have much to give up to upgrade talent via a trade. Aside from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers don’t have the assets to acquire the type of player who could drastically improve the team. And they’re not trading either of those guys. Nor should they forfeit their future by surrendering future draft picks to help facilitate a trade. The Sixers will need those picks to acquire young talent and continue building around Maxey and Edgecombe after Embiid and Paul George leave.

    Joel Embiid (21) and Paul George (8) are once again healthy. As a result, the Sixers can beat anyone in the Eastern Conference when the team plays well.

    A dangerous team

    The Sixers are dangerous as currently constructed. When they play well, they can beat anyone in the East. They’ve won two of their three meetings against the conference’s second-place New York Knicks. The Sixers have done the same against the third-place Boston Celtics, and split the four-game series against the fourth-place Toronto Raptors. They’re 0-2 against the first-place Detroit Pistons. However, the Sixers were without Embiid and George in both games. And they still had opportunities to win before blowing fourth-quarter leads both times. So if they remain healthy, the Sixers are a team no one wants to face in the postseason.

    Forward Trendon Watford is one of many role players who have learned to mesh well with the Sixers’ Big Three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George.

    Losing chemistry

    If you bring in someone new, he’ll have to learn to play with Embiid. The current players spent half the season learning how to play with Embiid, Maxey, and George. And based on the Sixers’ early struggles with their Big Three intact, there’s clearly a learning curve to playing alongside Embiid, Maxey, and George.

    Players like Oubre, Grimes, Drummond, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, Adem Bona, Jared McCain, and Trendon Watford have established roles. Tinkering with that could negatively impact the team, especially if the Sixers are not acquiring a major upgrade in talent.

    League sources say the Sixers are open to trading Andre Drummond.

    Insurance for Embiid

    With Drummond and Bona backing up Embiid, who is back to playing at a high level, the center position is set. However, league sources say the Sixers are open to trading Drummond, even though he and Bona have been equally valuable assets, playing behind and often in place of Embiid, who misses games because of knee injury management.

    Bona plays against the teams that have fast and athletic centers, while Drummond usually plays against towering centers who flourish in the post.

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    The 6-foot-11 Drummond averages a team-leading 8.9 rebounds while playing just 20 minutes per game. Drummond is second in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes at 16.0, trailing the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson (16.9). And he has started 17 of the games Embiid has missed, averaging 8.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in those contests.