Philadelphia 76ers

Two veterans on the Philadelphia 76ers roster, center Andre Drummond and guard Eric Gordon, are garnering interest ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline, according to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.

Philly appears to be ready to sell as it sits 11th in the Eastern Conference at 20-29. The Sixers traded forward Caleb Martin to the Dallas Mavericks for guard Quentin Grimes and the 2025 second-round pick they previously dealt. Stein also reported forward K.J. Martin is going to the Detroit Pistons for two second-rounders.

Drummond and Gordon have player options for 2025-26 worth $5 million and $3.5 million respectively. Especially with how much Philadelphia is struggling on the court, either could plausibly opt out and chase more money or a better shot at a championship.

As painful as it may be to recognize, the 76ers don't have a great playoff outlook and could miss the postseason entirely.

Joel Embiid returned to the court in Tuesday's 118-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks, which provides some optimism moving forward.

But we've been waiting for Philly to turn the corner for months now and it hasn't happened for one reason or another. The front office shouldn't pivot toward a complete teardown, but it might as well see what it can get for Gordon and Drummond when they are unlikely to move the needle much for the rest of the year.

Gordon is averaging 7.3 points per game and shooting 42.6 percent from beyond the arc. Even at 36, he remain an effective long-range threat. Drummond, meanwhile, is a dependable backup big (7.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game) on a reasonable contract.

Both could reasonably net something in draft compensation, which could help the Sixers fill out the roster or facilitate another deal down the road.

Welcome back, Joel Embiid.

The Philadelphia 76ers center marked his return from a 15-game injury absence in a major way on Tuesday, posting a 29-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double to lead the Sixers to a 118-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

JOEL EMBIID FOR THE LEAD!!

HE GIVES THE 76ERS A 1-PT LEAD IN HIS RETURN.

22 seconds left on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/tfc40vFVcW

— NBA (@NBA) February 5, 2025

Joel Embiid is back in action with the turnaround fade 😤

Mavs-Sixers underway on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/ySa6tZeXRl

— NBA (@NBA) February 5, 2025

Tyrese Maxey had a monster performance in his own right, putting up 33 points and 13 assists, while Guerschon Yabusele chipped in with 19 points and eight boards.

That spoiled a strong effort from Kyrie Irving (34 points, nine rebounds), who played without new running mate Anthony Davis following the weekend's shocking Luka Dončić trade.

While the departure of Dončić will continue to be a major storyline in Dallas as fans wrap their heads around the stunning trade, Tuesday night was all about Embiid's triumphant return to the lineup, and fans and pundits were happy to see him back:

First game in a month and Embiid drops 29-11-10, and looks pretty good doing it. Sure would be nice to get some more of that.

— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) February 5, 2025

Embiid scores 29 looks good in Sixers Win. If only he can stay healthy. Hope springs eternal in the Sixer world.

— Gator (@Cloudyskynorain) February 5, 2025

Embiid came back and dropped a triple double man plz

— Furious Stylez (@TweetsByJMike) February 5, 2025

Embiid was rusty and dropped a triple double. Thats growth from the big fella. Yall can talk about injuries but you can't deny his impact on the court

— Sistah Outlaw™ (@Dr_McCloud) February 5, 2025

Embiid triple double my goat is back

— Respectful Sixers Fan 🤝 (@sixersyessir) February 5, 2025

Embiid and Maxey are so good together 😭😭😭😭

— Lavender Brown (@PhillyAlwayz) February 5, 2025

Forgot how good Embiid is lol

— Swish (@BlowMy_Swisha) February 5, 2025

Joel Embiid is insanely good at basketball.

— Durag Papi (@I_m_TaylorMade) February 5, 2025

Triple double in Embiid’s first game back in a month. When he’s on the court, he’s the best player in the league.

— Steppy (@nickyyrebornnnn) February 5, 2025

The win moved the Sixers to just 20-29 on the season, as the team has gone from the high of signing Paul George in the offseason to a rash of injuries that has left them shorthanded more often than not.

That was the case yet again on Tuesday as George, Jared McCain (out for the season), Andre Drummond, Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon all missed the contest due to injuries, new acquisiton Quentin Grimes wasn't available to play after being acquired earlier in the day and KJ Martin was held out due to a pending trade, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.

And yet, there is reason for some optimism in Philly. The Sixers are just a half game back of the Chicago Bulls for the final Play-In Tournament seed (and Chicago has already traded Zach LaVine and may be sellers ahead of Thursday's trade deadline), while Embiid is back in action and looked fantastic on Tuesday.

It hasn't been the season that Philly fans were expecting, but there may be more to the story yet for these Sixers.

The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly dealt KJ Martin to the Detroit Pistons ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports reported the 76ers moved Martin and two second-round draft picks to the Pistons a day after the forward was held out of Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports reported the 76ers listed the 24-year-old as out because of a "trade pending."

The 76ers have already been busy, as ESPN's Shams Charania reported they traded Caleb Martin to the Dallas Mavericks for Quentin Grimes and their own 2025 second-round pick that Dallas held.

Tim Bontemps of ESPN reported that the combination of these moves has moved the 76ers fully out of the luxury tax this season.

The Philadelphia 76ers save $40+ million by trading Caleb and KJ Martin.

💰$14 million off payroll
💰$17 million off tax
💰~$12-14 million gained from tax distribution

The Sixers have ducked the tax for a third straight trade deadline after coming into it over the threshold.

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) February 5, 2025

It seemed to be a solid move, as Grimes is averaging 10.2 points per game while shooting 39.8 percent from deep this season. He can provide a solid secondary scorer for Philadelphia in addition to the draft capital that is coming back in the deal.

As for Martin, he has bounced around some in the early portion of his career since he was a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

The son of former NBA player Kenyon Martin has played for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and 76ers in his career. He came to Philadelphia last season as part of the deal that sent James Harden to L.A. and has largely been a role player.

Martin has appeared in 24 games this season and is averaging 6.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists a night while shooting an impressive 61.6 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from deep.

Martin will join a resurgent Pistons squad that currently sits in sixth place in the East with a 25-25 record, where he will look to provide some depth on the wing.

Joel Embiid will be back on the court on Tuesday after being sidelined for a month with knee and foot injuries.

Per NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Philadelphia 76ers star will play against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. PHLY Sports' Kyle Neubeck added that head coach Nick Nurse said there will be "no hard restriction" on Embiid's minutes against the Mavs, but he expects him to play around 30 minutes.

Embiid played just 39 games a season ago and has had even more injury woes this year, suiting up for just 13 of the 76ers' 48 games. He's been a solid contributor when on the court, averaging 24.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, but that production has done little for Philadelphia with all of his missed time.

Embiid is just two years removed from his MVP season in which he put up 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He was phenomenal in his limited action last year, logging 34.7 points and 11 boards per game.

Embiid isn't the only star who has missed significant time for Philadelphia, as Paul George has also been off the court for much of the season. The 76ers lost standout rookie Jared McCain in December due to a season-ending knee injury.

With Embiid missing so much time, the 76ers have leaned on Tyrese Maxey amid what has been a career year for the fifth-year point guard.

Philadelphia will need Maxey to continue playing at a high level if it wants to get back into the playoff race. The Sixers are currently 19-29, sitting in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

To say the 2024-25 season has been a disappointment for the Philadelphia 76ers would be an understatement of massive proportions.

The team's blockbuster acquisition of Paul George in the offseason to fill out a "big three" also consisting of former league MVP Joel Embiid and superstar-in-the-making Tyrese Maxey has yielded next to no results, with all three players barely sharing the court at the same time, thanks to injury.

The result has been a 19-29 record through the start of February, including just four wins in their last 10.

While most teams would have been quick to start a fire sale amid what looks to be a lost season, Marc Stein reported the Sixers want to gauge the next week of results before making any rash deadline deals.

They are right to do so.

While 4-6 in the last 10 may not seem promising to most squads with championship aspirations, it was enough to convince the Philadelphia front office that all may not be lost in 2025; that a potential berth in the play-in tournament can still be achieved.

That is not the case if the team decides to blow things up and look to the future.

Maxey is averaging 38 minutes, 27.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, six assists, and nearly two steals a game while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 34.8 percent from beyond the arc. He has been as-advertised this season, while Caleb Martin has been a pleasant (and affordable) surprise in the starting lineup and Guerschon Yabusele has impressed off the bench.

Yabusele has been the topic of trade conversation, including from the Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey, who has linked both the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks to the forward.

Both could conceivably play a role in the team's deadline moves, but the team is just one spot out of the play-in tournament. If they can get Embiid back on the floor consistently, and get Martin, Eric Gordon, KJ Martin, and Andre Drummond back from injury, the team is capable of going on a run.

Prized free agent acquisition George remains out with a left finger extensor ligament strain.

Maxey is playing great enough to will his team back into the playoff hunt but one or two more players stepping up or returning from injury would ultimately prove the difference between the front office's willingness to sell or hold steady and see what this team can do late into the season.

So far, holding steady has proven to be the right call as Philly has crept up the standings following an abysmal 2-12 start to this campaign. Doing so just a little longer could be the difference between a run at the postseason and a colossally disappointing lost season.

The Boston Celtics have followed up their NBA title victory with a 35-15 record through the first 50 games of the 2024-25 season. Now, they are one of two teams interested in acquiring 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

This move will provide the depth necessary for the Celtics to emerge from a winnable Eastern Conference and repeat as NBA champions.

Yabusele previously played for Boston but was not the developed player he is now. The 29-year-old can score in the interior and more importantly, he is a threat on the perimeter, adding another three-point shooter to the champs' arsenal.

He would provide the Celtics with an inside-out scoring threat, another weapon for opponents to contend with if they hope to surpass Boston as kings of the east this season.

Due to injury, he is seeing significant playing time, averaging 26.6 minutes per game. He is shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 11 points per game.

He has added 5.5 rebounds and two assists to his stat line.

Yabusele is on an expiring contract, meaning anyone acquiring him from Philadelphia would be doing so fairly cheaply. As a half-season rental, he could be picked up for some draft assets and, maybe, a role player.

It is a bill the Celtics can afford and, considering the other team interested in his services is the rival New York Knicks, one the team should be eager to take on.

Get Yabusele back in the building, acclimate him to the team, and let him be the potential dagger in the interior or from beyond the line that closes things out Boston in pursuit of a 19th world title.

Guerschon Yabusele on trade rumors with the deadline looming this week.

Ends with “Right now, I’m still a Sixers player and I hope to stay a Sixers player”.@NBAKrell pic.twitter.com/NEQMQKssx5

— On Pattison (@OnPattison) February 3, 2025

Whether Philly is willing to give him up amid the interest from other squads, especially in the Eastern Conference, is the question.

Yabusele has been a pleasant surprise and given the tumultuous season the Sixers have had, thanks to the ineffectiveness of the Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey trio that has never really taken off, giving away a player who has been so good off the bench is not necessarily in the team's best interest.

Building to the future and doing so by accumulating draft capital is, though, something it can continue to do by finding a trade partner for the veteran forward.

Guerschon Yabusele is garnering trade interest in his second stint in the NBA.

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey named Yabusele as the Philadelphia 76ers' "most enticing trade target for opposing teams" ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.

Pompey named the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets as teams interested in acquiring the former 2016 first-round pick.

Yabusele began his NBA career by playing two seasons with the Boston Celtics before the team waived him in the summer of 2019.

He spent several years playing professionally in China, France and Spain before the Sixers brought Yabusele back to the NBA on a one-year veteran minimum contract.

Having played his way into a starting role while averaging 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, Yabusele has likely out-earned his $2 million salary this season.

The Sixers likely aren't in a position to give him a raise next season after committing to pay more than $135 million to Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey in 2025-26.

Deciding whether to take advantage of the jump in Yabusele's value to trade him this winter could hinge on if the Sixers see themselves as a postseason contender.

Heading into Sunday with a 19-28 record, the Sixers one game back from the Chicago Bulls for the last play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

If the Sixers decide to push for the play-in round, keeping Yabusele, who played well during a recent four-game winning streak that lifted Philadelphia closer to the playoff picture, could be key to the team's postseason hopes.

If Philadelphia decides to sell at the deadline, however, the team could be better served by taking advantage of Yabusele's value to a win-now team by picking up draft assets.

SNY's Ian Begley previously reported that the Knicks had checked in with the Sixers regarding Yabusele, and that his .400 shooting on 3.9 attempted 3-pointers per game could "benefit a Knick team that wants to keep the floor spread on offense."

The Nuggets have been in need of frontcourt depth throughout the 2024-25 season. Denver's bench has contributed 10.2 points per game, good for 27th in the NBA, through 49 games this season. Adding Yabusele as a depth option behind Nikola Jokić could help this team gear up for a playoff run.

The Celtics added to their frontcourt depth ahead of the 2024 trade deadline by adding Xavier Tillman Sr., but Tillman's playing time has dropped to an average of just seven minutes through 26 games so far this season. Replacing him with Yabusele could be a bench upgrade for the defending champions.

Caleb Martin is reportedly receiving trade interest from several hopeful contenders midway through his first season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings "are conducting due diligence on a potential trade," while the Miami Heat are also "contemplating" a deal for Martin, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pompey noted that sources say both that Martin "would prefer to stay put," and that "the feeling is mutual."

"The team is aware of the impact he could have during a playoff run," Pompey wrote.

Martin, who spent his last three seasons as a role player with the Heat, had slotted into a starting role in Philadelphia prior to the groin and hip issues that have sidelined him since Jan. 10.

He is playing in the first year of a four-year, $35 million deal he inked in Philadelphia last summer, which includes a $9.3 million player option for the 2027-28 season.

Potential contenders looking for depth could be willing to pay up to acquire a 3-and-D player like Martin. The 76ers could meanwhile consider stocking up on draft assets after a 19-28 start to the season that leaves the team at risk at potentially missing out on the play-in tournament this spring.

On the other hand, Martin's $8.7 million average annual salary makes him an affordable starting option. That's a valuable commodity for a Sixers team that has already committed more than 93 percent of next season's cap to Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey (h/t Spotrac.)

After their blockbuster trade for Luka Dončić, the Lakers could hope adding Martin will provide an important depth piece for their hopeful run to the title. The Kings could meanwhile use a roster boost as the team prepares to lose De'Aaron Fox while battling the Golden State Warriors for the last play-in spot in the West.

It's not clear if Martin would be interested in a return to the Heat. He cited "a lot of things behind the scenes" in explaining his reported decision to turn down more money to stay in Miami, per ESPN.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported last Monday that the Sixers "want to gauge results over the next week-plus before firming up their trade deadline approach." The countdown is now down to three games as the 76ers prepare to face the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks and Heat ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Multiple teams have expressed trade interest in Philadelphia 76ers players including Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

According to Scotto, "numerous contenders" have reached out to the Sixers about Martin, while "teams searching for backup center depth" are watching Drummond.

Yabusele has meanwhile received interest from teams including the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, according to Scotto.

NBA insider Marc Stein previously reported Yabusele has "already received multiple trade offers from playoff-bound teams" and that the 76ers had also received interest in Eric Gordon.

"The belief is that the Sixers want to gauge results over the next week-plus before firming up their trade deadline approach," Stein wrote Monday.

The Sixers have strung together four straight wins and head into the weekend just outside the play-in bubble. It is not yet clear if the team will sell by Feb. 6.

ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel reported last week, at the tail end of a seven-game losing streak, that "there has been some talk of the 76ers being sellers."

The four-game win streak since then has muddied the waters regarding the Sixers' plans. This roster, built to be a win-now team following the addition of Paul George this offseason, sits just four games out of a guaranteed playoff spot despite early injury struggles.

Even if the Sixers consider themselves a playoff contender, however, the team could decide to address the fact that they currently sit more than $10 million over the luxury tax line (h/t Spotrac.)

Sending out Martin's $8.1 million deal, which increases over the next two seasons with a player option for 2027-28, or Drummond's $5 million contract with a player option for next season, could potentially help the Sixers chip away at that overage if they take on less salary in return.

Yabusele is on the smallest contract of the three, with an expiring cap hit of just over $2 million, but a trade could help the Sixers recoup something for the forward rather than risk losing him in unrestricted free agency.

Whether the Sixers will be able to make a playoff run depends in large part on George and Joel Embiid staying healthy in the postseason. Given that Embiid is set to sit out a 14th straight game on Friday with a left knee injury, that seems anything but guaranteed.

The results of a tank are also uncertain, given that the Sixers could sell at the deadline and still end up outside the top five picks in the upcoming lottery.

It sounds like other playoff contenders around the league will be watching to whether the 76ers decide to sell or stand pat.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George starred on the Indiana Pacers for the first seven years of his career, but he hasn't gotten a tribute video on any return trips there since leaving the team in 2017.

George spoke with Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire on the matter.

"I'm not sure, you know?" George said when asked about it. "We were joking with the guys, and they were like, you know, 'Do you still get a tribute video when you go to Indiana?' I was like 'I've never gotten a tribute video since I've been going back to Indiana' and that was eight years ago. It does, you know, it sucks. I think the way things played out still holds a grudge to them and they don't realize the great runs we had in the time I was there."

The Pacers went to the playoffs in six of George's seven years, including back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals runs in 2013 and 2014. The only year the Pacers missed the playoffs was 2014-15, when George was out for all but six games after suffering an open fracture of his right tibia and fibula at a Team USA showcase in Aug. 2014.

George made the All-NBA Third Team three times and the All-Star team on four occasions. From 2013-2017, George averaged 22.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

So he did quite well in Indiana. The problem might be with his exit. Mike McDaniel of Sports Illustrated explained.

"George spent seven seasons in Indiana, but the relationship ended tumultuously following the 2016-17 season," McDaniel wrote.

"George had one year remaining on his contract with the Pacers, and it became known through the media that he preferred to play out west in his native Los Angeles area when he hit free agency. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder that summer, and has since played for the Los Angeles Clippers and now, the 76ers."

George's Pacers resume is certainly enough for a tribute video, at least, so there's obviously a mitigating factor here.

If there's ever a video, it likely won't be done in 2024-25 unless the two teams somehow meet in the playoffs or play-in tournament. Philadelphia and Indiana meet once more this regular season, but that game will be in Philly on March 14.