PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 22: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during ... [+]
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid scored a franchise-record and career-high 70 points to go along with 18 rebounds and five assists in Monday's 133-123 win over Victor Wembanyama and the rebuilding San Antonio Spurs. Considering that NBA legends such as Wilt Chamblerlain, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving and Charles Barkley all donned a Sixers jersey at some point in their careers, that's an incredible accomplishment.
It also underscores the dilemma that the Sixers' front office finds itself in roughly two weeks before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.
The Sixers replenished their trove of assets when they traded James Harden and P.J. Tucker to the Los Angeles Clippers on Halloween. They're now armed with more than $100 million in expiring contracts along with three tradable first-round picks—including a fully unprotected 2028 first-rounder from the Clippers—and six second-round picks.
That might not be enough for Brooklyn Nets wing Mikal Bridges or Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, but that should get the Sixers in the conversation for Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray or anyone else who becomes available over the next two weeks. The only question is whether the Sixers decide to splurge on someone.
Multiple reports in recent weeks have suggested the Sixers will tread lightly at the trade deadline with an eye on making a bigger splash in the offseason. They'll be able to trade as many as five first-round picks on the night of the 2024 NBA draft, and they could create more than $55 million in salary-cap space this summer by renouncing their rights to every free agent not named Tyrese Maxey.
With Embiid playing at a historic level, the Sixers might be confident in their title chances. Currently, they have the fifth-best odds to win the championship this year at +1100, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, trailing the Boston Celtics (+300), the reigning champion Denver Nuggets (+430), the Milwaukee Bucks (+480) and Harden's LA Clippers (+850). They're seated third in the Eastern Conference standings, trailing only the Celtics and Bucks. They also have the fourth-best offensive rating, fourth-best defensive rating and second-best net rating in the NBA.
The Sixers have gone 26-6 in the 32 games that Embiid has played this year, and they're outscoring opponents by 11.1 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. But unlike past years, they aren't getting destroyed whenever he needs a breather. In the 679 minutes that Maxey has played without Embiid this year, the Sixers have a plus-7.3 net rating.
Injuries have ravaged the Sixers as of late—De'Anthony Melton, Patrick Beverley, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Mo Bamba and Jaden Springer all missed Monday's win over the Spurs—but the full-strength squad has been something to behold. In 467 possessions, the Sixers’ starting lineup of Maxey, Melton, Embiid, Nicolas Batum and Tobias Harris has outscored opponents by an absurd 33.3 points per 100 possessions. That figure ranks in the 97th percentile leaguewide, trailing only five other five-man combinations across the NBA.
Still, given their recent playoff history, doubts will inevitably persist about Embiid and the Sixers until they prove it in April, May and June. Dropping 70 points against the hopelessly outmatched Spurs during the regular season is one thing; doing it against longtime nemesis Al Horford and the Celtics in a Game 6 or Game 7 is another.
At the recent Sixers Youth Foundation Gala, team president Daryl Morey told Bob Cooney, Andrew Salciunas and Tyrone Johnson of 97.5 The Fanatic that he's thinking a lot about how the Sixers match up with Boston, whom he called the favorite in the East.
"I think we are one of the very few championship contenders," Morey said. "But you have to be realistic about where you are relative to other teams. I think you have to say Boston is the favorite right now to come out of the East… I do think Boston's playing at a very high level. It is a team that we focus a lot on. I do think Milwaukee also is right there with us. And yeah, look, if there's an opportunity to make the team better, that's something we'll do, for sure."
That might depend on who becomes available and their respective teams' asking price. With more than two weeks to go until the trade deadline, most teams are still in the deeply unserious stage of negotiations.
For instance, the Washington Wizards want "at least two first-round picks" for forward Kyle Kuzma, according to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, and "the implication is they will be seeking higher-quality picks" than the ones that the Toronto Raptors received from the Indiana Pacers for Pascal Siakam. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets also want "the equivalent of two first-round picks" for forward Dorian Finney-Smith, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Once the trade deadline draws closer, teams typically begin to drop their asking prices, especially for players on expiring contracts whom they might lose for nothing in free agency. The Sixers seem inclined to call other teams' bluff and see whether they can pry away a rotation player for less than currently expected.
Between OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, most of the big-name options are already off the board. The Sixers could always circle back on LaVine or Murray, but they seem more likely to swing a deal for a lower-profile player. They also may be keeping an eye on the buyout market, particularly after the Miami Heat sent Kyle Lowry to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
Although the Hornets currently don't plan to buy Lowry out, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, that figures to change if they're unable to re-route him by the trade deadline. The Sixers may be uniquely positioned to land him if so—he's a Philadelphia native who played both for Sixers head coach Nick Nurse and Morey—but the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement could complicate that pursuit.
Under the new CBA, teams over either salary-cap apron can't sign players on the buyout market if they were previously earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (roughly $12.4 million this year). The Sixers are roughly $2.76 million below the first apron at the moment, so they'll have to be mindful of that if they do hope to pursue Lowry as a buyout option.
Either way, Morey is urging Sixers fans to remain patient for now.
"Evaluate us at the right time, which is the playoffs, and how the team looks going into there," he said at the youth gala. "Most of the trades that really help teams in my opinion happen closer to the deadline. The ones that happen early is usually one team or another team overpaying. Generally those don’t help you as much.
"… We're evaluating everything. If a player becomes available who can help us, we're for sure gonna be right there."
We'll soon find out what Morey has up his sleeve.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac or RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
