News 76ers Team Notes

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Can the Sixers afford to re-sign Quentin Grimes in free agency?

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Quentin Grimes’ future in Philadelphia will be inextricably linked to what happens with Guerschon Yabusele this offseason.

After posting back-to-back duds, Quentin Grimes responded Saturday night with the best game of his NBA career. He erupted for a career-high 44 points (!) on 18-of-24 shooting (!!) to go with six rebounds, three steals and an assist in the Sixers’ shocking 126-119 victory over the Jimmy Butler-less Golden State Warriors.

In doing so, he might have just earned himself a hefty raise in free agency this offseason.

Grimes is on the final year of his rookie-scale contract, which means he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer. The Sixers will have the right to match any offer sheet he signs with another team, which often deters teams from making offers in the first place. However, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks became notorious for lobbing offer sheets at RFAs in the mid-2010s — who could forget his $70-plus million offers for Otto Porter Jr. and Allen Crabbe? — and the Nets are one of the few teams projected to have significant cap space this summer.

Marks has his own RFA to worry about in Cam Thomas, who recently made his return from a hamstring injury that cost him nearly two months. But if he believes Thomas and Grimes could coexist — or he’s willing to move on from Thomas — Marks projects to have the financial flexibility to throw a hefty offer sheet at Grimes.

The Nets figure to be the Sixers’ biggest threat for Grimes this offseason by far. The Detroit Pistons could also create upward of $25 million in cap space, but they likely wouldn’t spend that on a third guard with Cade Cunningham already on a max contract and 2022 No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey becoming extension-eligible this offseason.

Aside from Brooklyn and Detroit, the other teams around the league project to be limited to the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception at best. Offseason trades can always change that financial landscape, but the Sixers likely wouldn’t bat an eye matching an offer in that range. The Nets throwing Grimes $25 million per year would be far more problematic.

The Sixers did inherit Grimes’ Bird rights when they acquired him from Dallas at the trade deadline, so they’re allowed to re-sign him to anything up to a max contract. However, Guerschon Yabusele could help determine how much they’re actually willing to spend to retain Grimes.

If the Sixers need to use some (or all) of the non-taxpayer MLE on Yabusele, they’ll be hard-capped at the first apron, which is projected to be $195.9 million next season. Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain alone will be earning $149.1 million. That leaves the Sixers with less than $50 million of wiggle room under the first apron to fill out their roster around those four. If the Sixers do wind up using the full non-taxpayer MLE on Yabusele, they’d be at nearly $163.2 million with just those five players, putting them only $32.7 million below the first apron with as many as 10 open roster spots.

The Sixers figure to keep Ricky Council IV ($2.2 million) and Adem Bona ($2.0 million), both of whom are on fully non-guaranteed contracts, in part because they’ll be cheaper than a typical veteran-minimum deal ($2.3 million). Still, just filling out the rest of the roster with minimum contracts would put the Sixers at $183.5 million. That isn’t even taking into account the possibility (likelihood?) of Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon picking up their respective $5.0 million and $3.5 million player options.

If Kelly Oubre Jr. declines his $8.3 million player option to test unrestricted free agency, that’d be yet another variable for the Sixers to factor in. They can offer him up to nearly $14 million as the starting salary of a new contract courtesy of Early Bird rights, but it’d be tough to fit all three of him, Grimes and Yabusele if they’re hard-capped at the first apron.

The Sixers’ best hope might be convincing Yabusele to take the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception rather than the non-taxpayer MLE. That would hard-cap them at the $207.8 million second apron rather than the $195.9 million first apron, which would give them an extra $12 million of flexibility to fit both Oubre and Grimes while filling out the rest of their roster. They could pitch Yabusele on the same Early Bird rights trick that they might swing with Oubre this offseason, but that also might be a tough sell for someone who already flamed out of the NBA once. No one should begrudge Yabusele for chasing the biggest bag possible, even if it isn’t in Philly.

In the second-apron era, team-building decisions are more interconnected than ever. If the Sixers splurge to re-sign Grimes or Oubre, it could cost them a shot at using the non-taxpayer MLE to retain Yabusele. If the Sixers use the non-taxpayer MLE on Yabusele, the hard cap might force them to move on from one of Grimes or Oubre.

Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office already had their work cut out for them this summer after this debacle of a season. However, they’ve actually hit a number of moves on the margins in recent years, including signing Oubre and Yabusele and acquiring Grimes at this year’s trade deadline. It’ll soon be time for them to pull another rabbit out of a hat and figure out a way to keep all three without running into hard-cap issues.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ency-mavericks-daryl-morey-guerschon-yabusele

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: More injuries and another loss for Philadelphia against Blazers

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

An awful third quarter doomed the Sixers’ chances of a winning streak in a 119-102 loss to Portland.

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey - 16
Jared McCain - 8
Joel Embiid - 8
Paul George - 7
Guerschon Yabusele - 4
Kelly Oubre Jr - 4
Quentin Grimes - 3
Ricky Council IV - 2
KJ Martin - 2
Justin Edwards - 2
Adem Bona - 1
Jared Butler - 1
No One - 1

A solid first half had folks wondering if the Sixers’ tank had caught a flat tire. Coming off the win over Golden State, Philadelphia looked good against Portland for the first 24 minutes — not world beaters, mind you, but the steady sort of squad that should take care of a team playing a road back-to-back. Then, the Sixers were outscored by Portland, 35-20, in the third quarter, both Tyrese Maxey and Justin Edwards suffered injuries in the second half, and the tank got right back on track with a 119-102 defeat. Let’s talk Bell Ringer.

Andre Drummond: 25 points, 18 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0 turnovers

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Credit where credit is due. Drummond looked like he needed to be Old Yeller’d for a while there, but he’s been legitimately impactful the last two games. Maybe Andre just shouldn’t have been trying to play through injury earlier this season? (The same thing could be said for about 90 percent of the roster this year.) Drummond was looking spry out on the floor tonight, tallying a double-double by halftime and almost hitting the 20-20 mark in this contest. He crashed the glass hard on both ends and showed good hands as a roller and touch around the basket. Andre even hit a three-pointer! This is the guy the Sixers thought could eat innings this year when they brought him back.

Lonnie Walker IV with the FANCY footwork

Finds Andre Drummond (16p, 11r) for the flush! pic.twitter.com/IWrELT11Rs

— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2025​

Quentin Grimes: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 turnovers

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

One game after Grimes recorded a career-high in points, he switched over to a career-high with nine assists. It’s a great sign that Quentin is able to drive the offense even on a night when his shot isn’t falling (he went 0-of-5 from three). Grimes was able to slither his way into the interior and hit a few tough looks and find teammates with an assortment of slick passes in tight spaces. The book on Grimes is certainly expanding beyond ‘3-and-D guy’.

Quentin Grimes dances around Portland big Duop Reath and finishes with the floater pic.twitter.com/RFAexVDGE3

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 4, 2025​

Lonnie Walker IV: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Lonnie had a rough few first games with the Sixers, but looked tonight as if he has settled in back stateside. Walker went 3-of-6 from downtown and set up his centers for a pair of nice buckets. Defensively, he was active and got his hands in there to prevent a couple drives. More games like this one and the PA native might be sticking around for another year.

Lonnie Walker 4⃣ for 3⃣ pic.twitter.com/3LNsbakSz8

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 4, 2025​

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...philadelphia-76ers-nba-portland-trail-blazers

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

NBA Games to watch this week that’ll revive your spark for hoops this Sixers season diminished

Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

With the Sixers needing to pay more attention to ping-pong balls the rest of the NBA slate is heating up as we inch closer to the end of the regular season.

The Philadelphia 76ers finally won a basketball, halting their season-ending and tank-starting nine-game losing streak. While that was happening, the association was stirring with storylines and incredible hoops.

‘Tis the season for such things. We’re just over a month away from the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason. Because you’ve been devoutly following the Sixers all year, you likely have catching up to do (and need a reminder that basketball is fun). So, as I’ve done every week, I’m here to highlight the best matchups of the association for the week ahead. Last week, I went seven for seven in picking banger games, so I should earn your trust here.

LeBron James made a statement that negativity is at the core of NBA media coverage these days, so I’ll do my best to keep positive, which was pretty easy. These matchups should be, nay, will be, beautiful.

LeBron:

"Why do you wanna be the face of the league when all the people that cover our game and talk about our game on a day to day basis shit on everybody? Obviously, I didn't ask for it. I feel Ant. I understand. This is weird energy when it comes to that" pic.twitter.com/TtlXp6w5KM

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 28, 2025​

Mar. 4: New York Knicks @ Golden State Warriors
Steph Curry is on a hot streak. He’s back. Joy anew. He dropped 56 points against the Orlando Magic, the second-best defense in the league, reminding all teams how terrifying he can be, but also all fans that a hot Steph Curry is the best show in basketball.

Whether he’s still the best point guard in basketball is up for debate. Enter Jalen Brunson. The New York Knick’s savior. Through his angle attacking, shifty ball-handling and relentless pick-and-roll attack, the Knicks have the fourth-best offense in the NBA. He’s one of three players in the top 10 of both points and assists per game. He’ll never take over the game and the stadium and the viewing public and the very nature of basketball the way Curry does, but he can bend a game to his will, forcing the defense to give him a lane and capitalizing on the smallest error.

Beyond the point guard battle, this matchup will be terrific. Jimmy Butler, the newest Warrior and arguably the harbinger of their newfound contender status, will take on New York’s fierce defensive wing duo of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. Knicks center Karl Anthony-Towns will stretch out the Warriors defense and face a barrage of smaller defenders, all whom he can easily shoot over.

But forget all that — Steph Curry is on a hot streak. You can’t miss it.

Mar. 5: Portland Trailblazers @ Boston Celtics
In 2025, the Portland Trailblazers have gone on a four-game win streak, a six-game win streak, and another four-game win streak. Thankfully for Philly fans, they’ve taken themselves way out of the lottery race. Thankfully for hoop fans, they’re a scrappy young team that fights like hell and can truly take on anyone.

They have a hodge-podge of intriguing young prospects. Toumani Camara is a future All-NBA defender with ridiculous instincts. Deni Avdija just dropped a 30-point triple-double against the best team in the NBA. Shaedon Sharpe is the best dunker in the league and everyone should hope he figures out the rest of his game. He’s one of those players that turn into cult favorites and electrify the most casual of fans.

Since Jan. 19, when their first win streak began, they’ve had the second-best defense in the league. It’s a stretch that has saved the jobs of the current Portland regime. Coach Chauncey Billups has finally figured it out with this squad.

The Blazers will 1000% be up for their matchup against the reigning champion Boston Celtics. Boston has shaken off the championship hangover, winning seven of their last nine (though the two losses were a blowout to Detroit and a loss to Cleveland after going up by 20 in the first three minutes). They are still the ultimate challenge in the league and will want to round into form as the playoffs approach.

Mar. 6: Indiana Pacers @ Atlanta Hawks
Neither of the Indiana Pacers nor the Atlanta Hawks are expected to cause much disruption in this year’s playoffs, but they’re still fun squads.

The Hawks employ Dyson Daniels, the best guard defender in the league. Since San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama is out for the season, Daniels has an argument for winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. He has the most steals in the league, nearly 60 more than the next best player. He has over 100 more deflections than the next best player. He smothers opposing guards. Embarrassing them with his ability to cut off drives and poke the ball away before they’ve even started their sizeup.

On Thursday, he’ll be tasked with guarding Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton. After breaking out last season, the Pacers point guard has had a turbulent campaign. He’s had multiple games under 10 points, including two zero-pointers. But, it seems he’s finally found a rhythm. He just dropped 33 points and 11 assists against the Toronto Raptors, and has racked up at least 10 assists in his last four games. He’s brought stability and security in the top six East seeds to a Pacers team that looked bland and waning in the early parts of the season.

Mar. 7: San Antonio Spurs @ Sacramento Kings
After Jimmy Butler loud-quitting the Miami Heat, De’Aaron Fox’s departure from the Sacramento Kings is the most dramatic betrayal of the season. The point guard demanded a trade to the San Antonio Spurs after the Kings failed to build a true contender around him. They did look alright after a coaching change, but that changed nothing for Fox. He got what he wanted.

His departure never got extremely ugly, but there were some hints of weirdness. Fox unfollowed a lot of his former teammates (high-school level drama, I know, but drama nonetheless) and got defensive about it in Instagram comments. According to ESPN’s James Ham, Kings fans booed a photo of De’Aaron Fox promoting his return to Sacramento. That’s this game.

The return of stars to a franchise they departed is always good viewing. This one won’t reach the levels of vitriol LeBron James faced in his return to Cleveland or Kevin Durant in his return to Oklahoma. But that loud and proud Sacramento fanbase will have something to say. And De’Aaron Fox will have something to prove.

Kings fans just booed when De’Aaron Fox and the Spurs promotion flashed on the scoreboard.

— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) February 25, 2025​

Mar. 8: Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics
Adam Silver and NBA traditionalists are sleeping well these days. The league’s two most-storied and famous franchises, and the opposing forces in the league’s defining rivalry, are championship contenders. Both are the second seed in their conference and have a genuine chance at making the Finals.

The Los Angeles Lakers have won six straight. After a rough start, the newly acquired Luka Doncic is looking like the superstar he is. That’s rejuvenated a 40-year-old LeBron James who is still dictating games on offense, and now looking ridiculously locked in on defense. For all 48 minutes of a game, coach JJ Redick can deploy one of Luka and LeBron, both otherworldly masters of the court.

But it’s their defense that has the Lakers faithful dreaming big. Since Jan. 1, 2025, they’ve had the third best defense in the league. Since the Feb. 6 trade deadline, it’s been the second best (that’s when they traded away All-NBA defender Anthony Davis!). Hate or love it, the Lakers are well and truly contenders.

It’s why this Saturday night primetime matchup against Boston may be the most watched game of the regular season. Boston are the reigning champs and will be title favorites until they lose a playoff series. They’ll want to shut up the God Damned Lakers and keep their claim as the NBA’s best franchise.

It’ll also be Doncic’s first game back in Boston after losing there in last year’s Finals. A series that proved league-altering after Marc Spears, on Cedric Maxwell’s podcast, reported that Doncic’s ‘struggles’ in that series are why he was traded off the Mavericks and to the Lakers.

This might be an NBA Finals preview. The NBA will want it to be and, if you believe that it’s the legacy and history that makes the NBA your favorite league, you should want it to be too.

Mar. 9: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Milwaukee Bucks
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team in the NBA. They’re on track for a billion wins, just came back from a 20-point deficit in Boston, and have four All-Star caliber players playing at their best. They’re yet to prove they can be formidable in the playoffs, so you give Boston the title of Eastern favorite, but Cleveland is having as good of a regular season as you can have.

Their offense hums. Passes to cutters. Cutters to shooters. Shooters to buckets. No one scores as easily as they do and they barely ever turn the ball over. Beating them requires defensive perfection and outlier shooting.

They’ve taken the title of ‘Celtics’ biggest threat’ from the Milwaukee Bucks. But the Bucks are beginning to look threatening. They’ve won seven of their last 10 and, since returning from injury, Giannis Antetokounmpo has had Herculean performances. Against the Denver Nuggets, he dropped 28 points and 19 rebounds. He deserves more MVP talk than he’s getting, especially since the Bucks are now the fourth seed and look like they’ll be a tough out in the playoffs.

If he can perform against the Cavs’ Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen then the Bucks have a real chance at not only winning the game, but wreaking havoc in the postseason and busting a bunch of bets and parlays.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...er-hawks-pacers-blazers-knicks-warriors-curry

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers fall on the road in Minnesota

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Treacherous fourth quarter sinks the Sixers as they drop to 21-40 on the year.

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey - 16
Joel Embiid - 8
Jared McCain - 8
Paul George - 7
Guerschon Yabusele - 4
Kelly Oubre Jr - 4
Quentin Grimes - 3
Ricky Council IV - 2
Justin Edwards - 2
KJ Martin - 2
Adem Bona - 1
Jared Butler - 1
Andre Drummond - 1
No One - 1

---

The Sixers traveled to Minnesota for a Tuesday night clash with Anthony Edwards and the current Western Conference seven seed Timberwolves. It went as well as you would’ve expected with Philly falling 125-112.

The Sixers came into this one on the second night of a back-to-back after falling Monday at home to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Sixers were without Tyrese Maxey for this one as he would be sidelined with a back injury suffered vs. Portland. Justin Edwards would also be out with an injury leaving the perpetually shorthanded Sixers even more so in this one.

The first quarter ended with Minnesota clinging to a 24-22 lead. The Sixers were led in the opening frame by Quentin Grimes who continued his stellar play with nine first-quarter points. Minnesota scored 10 of their points from the line with five apiece from the line coming from Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid.

Q1 in the books. @cryptocom pic.twitter.com/L6CG5F7QOW

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 5, 2025​

The Timberwolves went on a run early in the second quarter to jump out to a 13-point lead at one point midway through the period. The Sixers would claw back to close the quarter trailing by just four by a score of 57-53. Quentin Grimes was dynamite in the first half as he would head to intermission with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-12 from the field.

Before Saturday, @sixers @qdotgrimes had never scored 20+ points in the first half of an @NBA game. He's now done so twice in his past three contests.

At halftime tonight, Grimes has 20 points (8-12 FG) at Minnesota.

h/t @Stathead

— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) March 5, 2025​

The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair that ended with a Mike Conley three at the horn that would give the Wolves an 83-80 lead headed to the fourth quarter. The Sixers were led by Grimes and Kelly Oubre, Jr. who would go to the fourth quarter with 26 and 18 points, respectively.

clean up aisle 9 pic.twitter.com/GmxVOSnfDc

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 5, 2025​

Minnesota took total control in the fourth quarter of this one as they went on a big run early in the period and never looked back in route to a 126-112 victory.

final. @cryptocom pic.twitter.com/lEZPjhEAwo

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 5, 2025​

Time for the Bell Ringer.

Quentin Grimes: 30 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assist, 12-of-18 from the field, 3-of-7 from three

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Grimes continued his excellent play in this one as he poured in a hyper efficient 30 points. Grimes on-ball scoring and shot creating has been a bit of a revelation to many as he was mostly more of a 3-and-D off guard with some ancillary playmaking ability. This level of scoring prowess from Grimes is familiar to those who have followed his career from his prep days. Grimes was Texas Gatorade Player of the Year in high school at Woodlands College Park High School and a five-star recruit before he headed to Kansas to begin his college career. Grimes, still just 24 years old, seems to finally be realizing his potential as an NBA player and making the most of his opportunity in an expanded role with the Sixers. It's easy to see how perfect Grimes will fit as a complementary piece for the Sixers in the future. It looks like Daryl Morey once again struck gold on the margins with the addition of Grimes.

Most points this month:

88 — Quentin Grimes
82 — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
78 — Steph Curry

Elite company. pic.twitter.com/pwqojuw6yB

— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 5, 2025​

Kelly Oubre, Jr.: 24 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assist, 11-of-19 from the field

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

Oubre, who’s had plenty of Bell Ringer-worthy performances this season, has been one of the most consistent staples in the Sixers’ lineup this year. While Oubre does have his flaws from an overall feel perspective and as a passer, he has proven his value to the Sixers as a guy they can count on to play his role. Oubre provided plenty of highlight plays tonight throwing down multiple dunks and bringing energy and life to this Sixers team that as we know often lacks in those areas.

Air Kelly pic.twitter.com/OggVgNjasQ

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 5, 2025​

Operation “Capture the Flagg” continues to be in full swing as the Sixers fall to 21-40 on the season.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...s-kelly-oubre-joel-embiid-wolves-edwards-reid

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Another 30-point night for Grimes, another loss to help with the ping-pong balls

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Quentin Grimes recorded his third 30-plus-point game as a Sixer but it wasn’t enough as Philly couldn’t match the Timberwolves’ firepower.

Of all the Sixers basketball games that was certainly the most recent.

Philadelphia dropped their second in a row, falling 126-112 to the Timberwolves Tuesday.

Paul George left the game early with groin tightness. He had seven points on 3-of-11 shooting in 29:38 before exiting.

At least Quentin Grimes looked good — he led all scorers with 30 points, shooting 12-of-18 from the floor. Kelly Oubre Jr. went for 24 points going 11-of-19 from the field. Naz Reid led the Wolves with 23.

Tyrese Maxey (back contusion) and Justin Edwards (ankle sprain) were both out, as was Rudy Gobert for Minnesota.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter​

• Another solid start for Grimes, despite coming into the game as questionable. Oubre returned with a couple strong drives as well. George walked into a midrange but missed his first three of the night.
• It was an unfortunate start for Guerschon Yabubsele, who nearly punted the ball out of bounds on a turnover and missed an open dunk. He did steal a pass as a part of five Wolves turnovers — they also opened the game 3-of-9 from the floor.
• Lonnie Walker IV may be settling in a bit. He had a couple three-point plays shortly upon checking into the game. The offense stalled though, going scoreless for nearly three minutes. They had five turnovers of their own and trailed by two after the first.

hoop & the harm pic.twitter.com/udLpWjLrx0

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 5, 2025​

Second Quarter​

• Just as the Wolves’ offense was getting going, Edwards returned from a brief injury scare to finish up a 13-2 run. Julius Randle was his only teammate to get to the line but the two of them combined for 12 in the first half.
• Jaden McDaniels quickly racked up four blocks, but when the Sixers weren’t challenging him they were able to put together an 11-2 run. Grimes continued to excel off the dribble, putting up 20 points in the half.
• Jared Butler got to close out the quarter, and was off to a better start than the previous night. He made his first two shots of the night and had a pair of assists as well. The Sixers went into the half trailing by four.

WITH AUTHORITY pic.twitter.com/7bMVmKw5KR

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 5, 2025​

Third Quarter​

• Despite shooting in the low 20s from three, the Sixers came out of the break pretty well. Yabu finally got one to go down and was one of the guys found by George moving to the basket.

merci! pic.twitter.com/5F5cqGR0n8

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 5, 2025​

• It was a tougher assignment for Andre Drummond, and he had to go to the bench with his fourth foul midway through the quarter. He did help the Sixers finally win another challenge when a clean block of his got called a goaltend.
• The Sixers again almost went three minutes without a field goal to close the quarter, but Oubre stole himself a transition opportunity to tie things up. Mike Conley threw up an absolute prayer that beat the buzzer to keep the Wolves ahead by three.

Fourth Quarter​

• After playing 29 out of a possible 32, George was ruled out for the rest of the game with groin soreness. Good thing everyone is squinting towards a championship though so all these injuries are worth it.
• An annoying trait of this team is they always seem to give away points at the most inopportune times. The bench got called for a technical amidst a 12-3 run, again giving Minnesota their largest lead of the night. Reid’s pick and pops had the defense stretched thin as they made their first five threes of the quarter.
• The Toronto Raptors pulled three of their five starters with eight minutes left in the game, and the fourth with less than two minutes to go. They left Ja’Kobe Walter in though, who won it for them at the buzzer. With that win and Sixers loss, they’re just two games back for the fifth worst record in the league.

pic.twitter.com/BwprWhSRlo

— . (@dphoop2425) March 5, 2025​

• Your Philadelphia 76ers will once again be on a national stage as they are set to visit the Boston Celtics Thursday — scheduled to tip at 7:30 p.m. on TNT.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...eorge-tyrese-maxey-kelly-oubre-quentin-grimes

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Quentin Grimes’ emergence is changing the Sixers’ outlook yet again

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Quentin Grimes has been a revelation since joining the Sixers at the trade deadline, but his ascension does present the front office with a few good problems.

Quentin Grimes played in 215 regular-season NBA games before joining the Sixers. He scored 30-plus points twice.

He’s played in 11 games here since being traded by the Dallas Mavericks. Tuesday was his third 30-point game as a Sixer.

Suffice it to say, while it was only the second-worst trade Nico Harrison has made over the last few months, it’s another one that will make Mavs fans sick.

But for the Sixers, it presents an interesting dilemma. Part of the reason why Dallas moved on from Grimes is his pending restricted free agency. With each impressive performance from Grimes, the price seemingly goes up for the Sixers. This could lead to difficulty for the Sixers’ front office, but it might present good problems for Nick Nurse.

The season has been as miserable and cursed as any season in Sixers history. The few bright spots have been beacons — Guerschon Yabusele’s NBA return, Jared McCain running away with Rookie of the Year before he got hurt, Justin Edwards going undrafted but thriving with his hometown team, Kelly Oubre, Jr. continuing to resurrect his career and play his ass off every night. If those guys have been bright spots, Grimes has been the freaking sun since arriving in Philly.

The 24-year-old has been a revelation. In 11 games with a mangled roster, he’s averaged 17.7 points per game while shooting a tidy 52.4% from the field and 38.2% from three. He’s also averaged 3.3 assists, a number that crushes his career high. Known as a 3-and-D archetype, Grimes is showing he can be a whole lot more than that.

When Daryl Morey made the trade, he did so with the idea that Grimes would be a piece for the future. With the Texas native being a restricted free agent and few teams having the necessary cap space to give him an offer sheet, the Sixers are in a great place to re-sign him. How much he commands could force difficult decisions elsewhere on the roster.

As our Bryan Toporek recently wrote, signing Grimes could impact the team’s ability to re-sign Yabusele and Oubre. Of the three, Grimes has to be the priority given his performance, fit and the team’s desire to get younger and more dynamic. If it comes down to a choice between Yabusele or Oubre, that would be an unenviable position.

The guess here is the team would prioritize Yabusele. That’s not a knock on Oubre. It’s a shame the athletic wing hasn’t gotten a shot to play with the ideal version of the Sixers. At the beginning of last season, Oubre played off Joel Embiid so well while the then-reigning MVP was looking like a world destroyer. The problem is he could be redundant with Grimes, while Yabusele is such a uniquely perfect fit for the Sixers with his ability to play the four and five.

If the Sixers can somehow retain all three, Nurse’s rotation is potentially intriguing.

A starting five of Tyrese Maxey, Grimes, Oubre, Paul George and Embiid could be formidable, given health ... though that’s not even close to a given. Then off the bench, you’ve got McCain, Edwards and Yabusele. That’s a strong top eight. Sprinkle in a big man combo of Andre Drummond (who’ll likely be back given his player option) and Adem Bona, plus guys like Jared Butler and Ricky Council IV, and you have solid depth. Plus, the team could potentially add two rookies with a high first-round pick (fingers crossed) and a premium second-rounder (also acquired in the trade with the Mavericks).

That’s 14 players — and we all know Morey’s preference is to leave the 15th roster spot to start the season for flexibility. If it went down like that, it would make for a pretty boring free agency period. Then again, the Sixers aren’t exactly celebrating their exciting 2024 offseason at the current moment.

While the Sixers look like they have little recourse but to run it back with Embiid and George, having Grimes under contract would be a big boon for any type of pivot. All of Maxey, Grimes, McCain, Edwards, Butler, Council and Bona are currently under 25. Plus, the possible addition of two rookies, as mentioned. That’s a great starting point if the Sixers look to get off the bloated contracts of their aging and oft-injured stars.

If it proves to be too difficult to retain Oubre and their first-rounder conveys to the Thunder, things would definitely get trickier. Still, the solid framework of a roster would be in place well before July. And though Morey has seemingly whiffed on a couple of big swings, the team’s front office has crushed it on the margins. The scouting department will just have to get to work identifying the next Oubre or Yabusele.

Of course, trading for another Quentin Grimes wouldn’t be the worst outcome either.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ency-mavericks-kelly-oubre-guerschon-yabusele

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Paul George is not helping himself at all by playing

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Paul George is hurt again. At this point, it’s probably time to shut him down as well.

Nick Nurse had a very short and telling response in his postgame press conference in Minneapolis following the Sixers’ loss to Timberwolves when it came to Paul George. The veteran wing suffered a groin injury on Tuesday night and Nurse said, “We’re certainly concerned,” when asked about George’s status.

With 21 games remaining in this dreadful 2024-25 season, perhaps there is time for George to return to game action before the end of the season. But, at this point, the juice is not worth the squeeze. While George’s play has been erratic for practically the entire season, his first year with the Sixers has also been marred by a slew of nagging injuries.

It started with a knee injury in the preseason that delayed George’s regular season debut until Nov. 14. After being steadily available from that point until the end of 2024, George dealt with ankle and groin problems that limited his availability in January. George was less available in February than he was in January as he was dealing with a torn tendon in his left pinky. March now looks to be a disjointed month as well for George if he does make an effort to continue to be available here and there with more groin issues.

In total, George has appeared in 41 of the Sixers’ 61 games this season. It’s enough of a sampling to have fans voicing plenty of displeasures over giving him a max contract last summer. But there have also been enough injuries that would have anyone wondering how much of George’s poor performance was hampered by health.

With one quarter of the season remaining, could George travel down a similar path and play in 10-15 of the remaining 21 games? Of course, it all depends on the severity of his latest groin injury. He’s already listed as questionable for Thursday’s game in Boston so that may be an indicator that the Sixers are still going to try to parade George onto the court whenever they can.

To be perfectly clear, no one is gaining anything by continuing to have George dress. Unless, you’re of the mindset that George is helping the Sixers tank. Who would have thought that would have ever been a real take anyone would utter this season? In a perfect world, I’m sure the Sixers would have liked anywhere from 1-3 weeks of good George games in March following his declaration that he was going to zero in on basketball and put his podcast to the side. The hope there was that George was distracted, injured and just didn’t really care as much as he should have in the season’s first three quarters. Any sort of renewed focus and energy towards just playing basketball might boost his trade value heading into the offseason.

It’s a fitting script for George’s season the more you think about it. The moment he’s seemingly more committed to playing basketball is the moment he’s dealing with another injury. At this point, your guess is as good as mine for why the Sixers even want George on the court anymore. It is apparent to everyone that there is no saving grace to be had on this dreadful season for George. The more he plays, the more he will run out of excuses for his poor performance. Sooner or later it’s not going to be health. We now know by George’s own admission that his podcast is no longer a distraction. The more teams conclude that George is simply washed up and his contract is not worth taking on, the more his market will shrink. It’s certainly not growing the more George plays for Philadelphia this season.

The Sixers will have to deal with whatever number of suitors there are for George this summer and see what happens. To avoid being saddled with his contract for its entire duration, the more realistic path for George will be prove he’s healthy next season and start hot. But there is no salvaging this season for George. He’s doing himself far more harm than good by continuing to play.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...el-embiid-tyrese-maxey-daryl-morey-nick-nurse

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Well, Kelly Oubre showed up

David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Sixers were comically shorthanded and had few highlights in a drubbing by the Celtics.

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey - 16
Joel Embiid - 8
Jared McCain - 8
Paul George - 7
Guerschon Yabusele - 4
Kelly Oubre Jr - 4
Quentin Grimes - 4
Ricky Council IV - 2
Justin Edwards - 2
KJ Martin - 2
Adem Bona - 1
Jared Butler - 1
Andre Drummond - 1
No One - 1

---

The Sixers — what’s left of them — played a basketball game Thursday. It did not go well ... or it went very well depending on your perspective.

While both teams were shorthanded, Jayson Tatum led the charge in a dominant 123-105 Celtics win at TD Garden.

It’s the Sixers’ third straight loss. They’ve dropped 12 of their last 13 and are now 20 games below .500 at 21-41. The Chicago Bulls beat the Orlando Magic so the Sixers’ play-in fantasy is fading fast. The Brooklyn Nets lost a tight one to the Golden State Warriors so Philly didn’t get much help with the ping-pong balls either.

Tyrese Maxey and Paul George were both out. Joel Embiid, Jared McCain, Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry all remain sidelined.

Slim pickings for Bell Ringer, but let’s get to it.

Kelly Oubre, Jr.: 27 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals

David Butler II-Imagn Images

Going to use this space to shoutout Kelly Oubre, Jr. for this season.

It’s been miserable for everyone involved. While there have been bright spots like Guerschon Yabusele, Jared McCain, Justin Edwards and the newly-acquired Quentin Grimes, Oubre’s efforts have flown under the radar a little.

The 29-year-old wing is tied with Yabusele for the team lead in games played and has played more minutes than any other Sixer. Despite having a brutal season from three, Oubre is having one of the most efficient seasons of his career, shooting 47.2% from the field coming into tonight, which would crush his previous career high.

The biggest turnaround for Oubre has been playing more under control on drives and finishes around the rim. Against Boston — and really all season — you saw Oubre blow by his perimeter defender with his first step, come to a jump stop and then hit a little floater a couple feet from the rim. It’s also helped him as a playmaker. He dished out a season-high six assists Thursday and is averaging 1.8 per game, which would be a new career high.

Oubre is a flawed player, but he’s done a lot of things well over his Sixers tenure. His efforts in a lost season shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Justin Edwards: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

David Butler II-Imagn Images

Edwards continues to be one of the few bright spots for the Sixers this season. The rookie got off to a great start tonight, making a nice leaner after a drive into the paint followed by a three. While the team effort to slow down Tatum tonight stunk, Edwards continues to take on difficult defensive assignments and battle.

The Kentucky product and Philly native is showing an awful lot of promise. The shot looks great and he’s gaining more confidence putting the ball on the floor and getting to his spots. Feels like you can pencil him in for a rotation spot next season, regardless of what moves are made.

Lonnie Walker IV: 17 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound

David Butler II-Imagn Images

A shoutout for another local-ish product.

Walker, the Reading native, returned to Boston Thursday. You’ll recall Walker was in camp with the Celtics but failed to make their final roster (largely because of financial constraints). After a few months overseas, Walker was back in TD Garden and bringing some offensive juice.

It’s been a weird journey for Walker. He’s admitted recently that he’s just now getting used to the time change. It’s reflecting in his play as he’s making more shots (he was 5-of-10 from deep Thursday) and appears to have his legs underneath him.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...tics-kelly-oubre-justin-edwards-lonnie-walker

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Showing appreciation for Kelly Oubre, Jr., who shows up to play every night

David Butler II-Imagn Images

It’s probably not getting noticed as the Sixers continue to lose games, but Kelly Oubre, Jr. has been available and plays hard for Philly on a nightly basis.

Thursday night was the most recent drubbing the Sixers took as we now have exactly 20 games left in this dreadful season. The Sixers fell to 21-41 with the 123-105 loss in Boston which was hardly a surprise. Philadelphia never led in the game and trailed by as many as 30 points. Better health wouldn’t have saved the Sixers in Beantown, but it’s worth noting that Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Kyle Lowry were among the Sixers ruled out last night in addition to those who are already out for the year.

But there is one player who played last night for the Sixers who is worth talking about. He’s played almost every night in 2024-25 for Philly and that’s Kelly Oubre, Jr. If you actually watched the entire game, Oubre would have been the most noticeable Sixer by a country mile. The second-year Sixer stuffed the stat sheet at TD Garden on Thursday finishing with 27 points on 9-of-20 shooting and 3-of-5 from the three-point line while adding five rebounds and six assists. He also shot seven free throws and no other Sixer attempted more than two.

There’s an effort level and desire to play hard every night that Oubre displays which is commendable during a season that has been so easy for anyone that’s healthy for the Sixers to tap out on. Oubre has appeared in 58 games this season and started 55 of them. His 58 games played is tied for the most on the team with Guerschon Yabusele and his 55 starts are the most on the roster. The next game he starts will be his career high in games started. His 47% shooting also stands to be a career high. Yabusele has rightfully been discussed as one of the team’s bright spots in this dark season. But Oubre’s name should be brought up in those conversations as well.

The deeper you dive into Oubre’s career, the more snakebit you’ll realize he is with regard to where he’s landed and how close he’s been to playing for contenders. His career began in Washington 10 years ago and the Wizards had some good teams but Oubre was primarily a bench player for them out of the gate. During the 2018-19 season, Oubre was shipped across the country from DC to Phoenix and joined a rebuilding Suns team. Unfortunately for Oubre his stint in the desert was brief and he was not a part of the 2021 Western Conference champion Suns roster. Oubre was traded to Oklahoma City just before the start of the 2020-21 season in a pivotal move for Phoenix that brought in Chris Paul. A week later, Oubre was rerouted from Oklahoma City to Golden State.

You might have thought Golden State would be a good place to land. Unfortunately, Oubre ended up in the Bay Area while the Warriors were in the midst of their only down period in the last 10 years. The Warriors missed the playoffs in 2020-21 and Oubre departed for Charlotte in free agency. Of course, Golden State won another NBA Championship in 2021-22.

Oubre did have some individual success in the Queen City getting some Sixth Man of the Year votes in 2021-22 and made regular starts in 2022-23 and averaged a career high in scoring before coming to Philadelphia. As you can see, the Kansas product has played with a few rebuilding and dysfunctional franchises while also joining Golden State during its lone recent down period. Oubre was a solid pickup for Philly in the 2023 offseason and appeared to be settling in despite only being on a one-year deal. With the thought being that last year was a bit of a punt year for Philly en route to a massive amount of cap space in the 2024 offseason, Oubre decided to re-sign in Philadelphia and be a part of what appeared to be a bright future. Sure enough, after an influx of moves last summer, the Sixers entered 2024-25 with championship aspirations.

As we all know, the season could not have worked out in a worse way and Oubre is stuck on another loser. But it does not appear as if Oubre’s attitude has diminished. As we noted, his effort still seems to be there and his professionalism is admirable. It’s uncertain what next season will look like for the Sixers, but provided Oubre opts in to the 2025-26 portion of his contract, he’s one guy fans should certainly feel happy for if the Sixers bounce back and return to the postseason. He has paid his dues and has not complained along the way.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...nets-warriors-suns-wizards-guerschon-yabusele

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sorry McCainiacs, but Grimes-Maxey is the starting backcourt of the Sixers’ future

As scintillating as the rookie was, Quentin Grimes gives the team a more well-rounded punch at the guard spot.

As we approach the end of a cataclysmic Philadelphia 76ers season, the only hope lies in the future. Beyond what happens with the now protagonistic lottery balls, a big part of that future will be the backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes.

In just 11 games with the team, and 10 with Maxey, Grimes has shone. He’s blown past all expectations on offense, and has lived up to his defensive reputation. Therefore, if the Sixers re-sign him this offseason, Grimes should undoubtedly start next to Tyrese Maxey next season.

First things first, the numbers are putrid. Maxey and him have accrued a -17.19 Net Rating in their 213 minutes together. Per Cleaning The Glass, the duo has allowed 130.8 points per 100 possessions when they’ve played together. That’s in the 0th percentile. It literally cannot get worse than that.

PBP Stats
Quentin Grimes and Tyrese Maxey on/off stats this season.

But it’s not their fault. The numbers lie. The team is courting a mangled roster and seems to be intentionally losing games to maintain their top-six protected lottery pick. In their time on the court, it’s become obvious how complementary their games are. Their strengths hide the others weaknesses. They don’t get in each other’s way.

Both are great shooters. This means actions with the two of them, like actions with McCain and Maxey, create oodles of space for them or their teammates. In the below clip, neither Grimes nor Maxey’s defender wants to leave them, so they stay high as Grimes cuts up and Drummond rolls down. Maxey’s shooting threat forces Drummond’s defender to briefly step up. This allows Drummond to get a deep paint seal for an easy bucket.

In a similar action but with Grimes handling the ball off a curl screen, Maxey runs up as Drummond rolls to the rim. Maxey’s defender stays on him, leaving an open lane for Grimes to cut through. He does that and gets an easy layup.

Against the Brooklyn Nets a few games ago, Maxey got his first bucket of the game coming off a dribble handoff at the top of arc. Grimes was in the near corner, one pass away. Because he’s a shooter, his defender stayed. This, again, left the lane open for Maxey.

And, in the simplest of plays, Grimes can hit the three when they leave him to double Maxey.

This is a very simple and common concept across the NBA. But it’s vitally important. You have to demand attention on offense. Grimes and Maxey do that, as does sharpshooting rookie Jared McCain. It’s not that it makes everything easy, but it stops things from being difficult.

The above plays were the obvious ones to make: a pass to a big man right under the rim, a drive into the lane, and an open jumper.

When it hasn’t been obvious, when the defense has committed to stopping Maxey but also scrambled correctly or rotated on a string, Grimes has shown he can stay patient. He knows how an offense should flow and has the skill and confidence to manifest that vision. This is where he’s played beyond expectation.

In the clip below, after the Warriors double Maxey, they rotate well to get to Grimes on the opposite wing. Grimes’ shooting threat means Brandin Podziemski closes out hard on him. Grimes attacks the closeout and gets by Podz.

In the paint awaits Draymond Green, fresh off doubling Maxey. Grimes goes right at him, gets by him, and, just as Green commits to defending his shot, delivers a no-look bounce pass to Drummond. Green admits defeat by fouling Drummond.

That’s quick thinking and perfect execution. He could have thrown the pass to Drummond as Podz closed out, but Draymond was lurking. Instead, Grimes saw how fast Podz was closing out and realized that would allow for a two-on-one at the rim.

For a clutch bucket in the same game, Grimes has the ball at the break. Maxey is one pass away at the top of the key, and Guerschon Yabusele is one pass away in the corner. Maxey’s defender is hugging him tightly, as is Yabusele’s. Realizing those defenders won’t leave his teammates, Grimes puts his head down and drives through the open lane where Maxey’s defender should be, hits a behind-the-back dribble, and then a layup in the space where the help defender would be.

In this next clip, Maxey times the pass to Grimes perfectly, just as Grimes’ defender takes one step towards Maxey. Grimes again attacks the open space, occupies the rim protector by going right at him, and dishes off to Drummond for the easiest two points of the night.

It takes skill to do this, but Grimes’ life is made easier because Maxey will always draw the opposing team’s best perimeter defender. Against Portland, it was Toumani Camara on Maxey, leaving Anfernee Simons on Grimes. When Grimes recognized this, he’d attack, consistently getting in the paint to create an advantage.

While Grimes’ playmaking and offensive decision making have been most welcome alongside Maxey, it’s not out of the realm that Jared McCain could’ve done those things. It seems a lifetime ago, but McCain showed serious playmaking chops.

I think the biggest argument for Grimes as the starting two-guard, then, is on the defensive end. As threatening of a shooter and playmaker McCain is, and he is really, really threatening, he’s too similar in stature to Maxey for them to be effective defensively when they play together.

They are not absolute sieves, and Maxey has improved a lot this season, but Grimes is already a far better defender than Maxey and McCain ever will be.

Unlike the other two, as well as guarding like-sized guards, he can also switch onto bigger ball-handling wings and make driving difficult for them. He’s great at poking the ball away while staying in front of them and making them uncomfortable as they get right up to the rim. If they do overpower him or get a solid position off the ball, he can use those quick hands and instincts to turn the ball over.

Grimes isn’t an all-NBA level defender (at least, not yet), but he is good enough to allow Maxey to take plays off by guarding a shooter in the corner. However, that’s not all Maxey should be resorted to. When he and Grimes are off-ball, they are insanely active, very quick at closing out on shooters, and elite at shutting down space before the offense sees it.

Watch how they both teleport to help position after Yabusele bites on the pump-fake. Then, Maxey beats the ball to the open-corner shooter and Grimes helps on the Chicago dunk attempt.

In the next clip, Grimes stays attached to his assignment, discouraging Kevon Looney from even attempting a screen (Yabu’s physicality also helped). After that, Maxey’s speed chasing Buddy Hield gets Looney called for the illegal off-ball screen.

Below, Grimes floats between Payton in the dunker’s spot and Draymond beyond the arc. In the last second, he commits to Payton. The driving Podz recognizes this, so passes it out to Draymond. As soon as he does, Maxey flies from the top of the arc to contest the shot and force a miss.

It’s rocket-powered defensive movement and disruption that is self-perpetuating. Because they have the speed to correct defensive mistakes, they can take more risks. If the risk goes wrong, the other can correct their potential mistake and let the mistake maker fly into the right position.

Let me throw some rose-tinted glasses on, hop in the DeLorean, and drink a bit of delusional optimism juice. Next season, the defensive energy and diverse playmaking of a Maxey and Grimes backcourt complements an aging frontcourt of Paul George, Joel Embiid, and whoever the team re-signs out of Yabusele and Kelly Oubre Jr. (a choice they’ll likely have to make because of Grimes’ play) more than a McCain and Maxey backcourt does.

McCain can then come off the bench and play with either Maxey or Grimes. Hell, I’m sure there’ll be occasions where all three of them will close quarters or games. Putting Grimes in that bench spot would make life harder on everyone. Embiid and George would have to expend more energy on defense, there’d be less shots for Maxey and McCain as they’d have to share them, and Grimes would face a stronger defense with lesser offensive options around him (if George and Embiid were on the bench while he shares the court with one of McCain or Maxey).

Whatever happens, at least it’s a good problem to have after a season full of horrible ones.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ed-mccain-nick-nurse-76ers-starters-backcourt

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Paul George out next two games as Sixers still taking things day-to-day

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

The Sixers are still hoping their injured stars can return soon for a Play-In push.

It’s Groundhog Day, again.

The Sixers returned to practice Saturday and with that came more updates on their two injured stars they are still hoping can come back and lead this team back to the playoffs. They announced that Paul George will miss his third out of the last four game against the Utah Jazz with groin soreness.

Tyrese Maxey, who’s missed the last two games with a back contusion, is expected to be listed as questionable. Andre Drummond was also unable to practice due to an illness.

Tyrese Maxey did some individual workouts at Sixers practice today and is unlikely to play tomorrow, per team official.

Paul George is out tomorrow and did not practice today. Andre Drummond also didn’t practice due to illness

— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) March 8, 2025​

Nick Nurse briefly expanded on this when he addressed reporters, saying that George will miss Monday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks as well. Nurse doesn’t believe Maxey’s back is “too bad,” but also noted that his hand sprain hasn’t necessarily gotten any better.

Nurse says Tyrese Maxey’s hand sprained is still bothering him as well as the back contusion

— Josh Grieb (@JGrieb10) March 8, 2025​

Why George is still trying to fight through this, an injury that’s lingered since January, as a 21-41 team continues to spiral down the lottery standings, is baffling. This was an injury he was reportedly getting pain injections to play through around the All-Star break, something guys do not typically do until the playoffs, and it clearly hasn’t gone away.

It doesn’t sound like Maxey will have an easier time using his right hand either if he does return soon.

Nurse says they are expecting results on a further evaluation on George in the hours following practice, though the team clarified that necessarily doesn’t mean an update is in the works.

Despite most of the fanbase having pivoted to daily Tankathon simulations, the Sixers don’t intend on letting anyone off this ride any time soon.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...next-two-games-sixers-tyrese-maxey-nick-nurse

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Why Guerschon Yabusele could decide the Sixers’ direction this offseason

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

If the Sixers have to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Guerschom Yabusele, it could cost them Quentin Grimes or Kelly Oubre Jr.

There have been few silver linings for the Sixers in this injury-ravaged season from hell, but Guerschon Yabusele is one of the rare exceptions. He’s made the best of his second chance in the NBA by averaging 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in only 26.6 minutes per game while shooting 50.9 percent overall and 40.0 percent from three-point range.

When the Sixers signed Yabusele to a one-year, veteran-minimum contract this offseason after his impressive run in the 2024 Olympics, he seemed like an obvious solution to their hole at the 4. But given how much time Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond have missed this year, he’s played a surprising amount of time as a small-ball 5 as well.

Given Yabusele’s standout play and ability to play both frontcourt positions, the Sixers should prioritize re-signing him in free agency this summer. However, since he’s on a one-year deal, they only have non-Bird rights on him. That means they can offer Yabusele no more than 120 percent of his previous salary as the starting salary on a new contract unless they use a different exception to sign him.

That’s where things could get complicated, particularly since they also have Quentin Grimes’ upcoming foray into restricted free agency to consider.

The Sixers already have $149.1 million committed next season just to Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain. The salary cap is projected to be $154.6 million, which is the full 10 percent that it’s allowed to increase year-over-year. More importantly for the Sixers’ purposes, the first apron is projected to be $195.9 million, while the second apron is projected to be $207.8 million.

If the Sixers used the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception to re-sign Yabusele, they’d be hard-capped at the $207.8 million second apron. If they used the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to re-sign Yabusele, they’d be hard-capped at the $195.9 million first apron. Either way, the Sixers wouldn’t be allowed to exceed those respective thresholds at any point during the 2025-26 season. That could complicate their ability to retain all three of Yabusele, Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. (if he declines his $8.4 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent).

Let’s walk through both scenarios to demonstrate why.

The non-taxpayer MLE route​

The Sixers’ Big 3 are combining to make nearly $145 million next season. Add in McCain, and they’re already at $149.1 million in salary commitments for four players. If the Sixers had to use the full $14.1 million non-taxpayer MLE to re-sign Yabusele, they’d be up to nearly $163.2 million in salary for Embiid, Maxey, George, McCain and Yabusele.

Again, the first apron is projected to be $195.9 million next season. The Sixers would be roughly $32.7 million below it with 10 roster spots to fill, and they could not exceed the first apron under any circumstance if they use the non-taxpayer MLE.

The Sixers figure to pick up their team options on Ricky Council IV ($2.2 million), Adem Bona ($2.0 million) and Justin Edwards ($2.0 million) since all three will be cheaper than a minimum contract for anyone with two or more years of NBA experience. Add those three to the Big 3, McCain and Yabusele on the NTMLE, and the Sixers would be up to $169.3 million in salary for eight players. They’d be less than $26.7 million below the first apron with seven roster spots to fill.

Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon can further cut into that wiggle room by picking up their respective $5.0 million and $3.4 million player options. That alone would push the Sixers within $18.2 million of the first apron. Unless Oubre and/or Grimes’ free-agent market is far chillier than expected, the Sixers likely wouldn’t be able to sign both and stay under the first apron.

The math gets a bit easier to manipulate if the Sixers can convince Yabusele to take the taxpayer MLE instead, though.

The taxpayer MLE route​

Again, the Big 3 plus McCain add up to nearly $149.1 million next season. If the Sixers re-signed Yabusele with the $5.7 million taxpayer MLE, they’d be up to roughly $154.8 million between those five players.

The second apron is projected to be nearly $12 million higher than the first apron at $207.8 million, while the taxpayer MLE is projected to be more than $8 million cheaper. That’s a $20 million swing between the non-taxpayer MLE and the taxpayer MLE, which could help the Sixers keep all three of Grimes, Yabusele and Oubre.

With Embiid, George, Maxey, McCain, Bona, RC4 and Edwards under contract, the Sixers would be at $155.2 million in total salary. Add in Yabusele on the taxpayer MLE, and they’d be at $160.9 million with eight players under contract. That would leave them with nearly $47 million in wiggle room under the second apron to spend on their remaining seven roster spots.

Even if Drummond and Gordon picked up their player options, the Sixers would still be roughly $38.5 million below the second apron with 10 players under contract. Barring an unexpectedly massive offer sheet for Grimes, the Sixers should have enough wiggle room under the second apron to retain both him and Oubre.

Granted, it might not be easy to convince Yabusele to take the taxpayer MLE. While the free-agent market was largely rough on the NBA’s middle class last offseason, that might have been a byproduct of a relatively small salary-cap increase. With the cap expected to jump by a full 10 percent this offseason, teams could be more open to spending.

The Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons are the only teams currently projected to have more than the non-taxpayer MLE to offer, which could be the Sixers’ saving grace. Now that teams can use their MLEs as trade exceptions, some might choose not to spend it in free agency to give themselves more flexibility at the trade deadline. However, it only takes one team to ruin the Sixers’ best-laid plans.

Yabusele recently told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that he “didn’t want to leave” the Sixers at the trade deadline, as he believes that he’s “in a good role and situation here.”

“I’ve enjoyed being here, and I’m always thankful to the franchise for giving me my second chance to come back to the NBA,” Yabusele added. “It was really important for me to try to stay here and achieve our goals. This was really important for me.”

However, Yabusele also said he’s “pretty excited to see the summer coming and see what we’ll have on the table.” He told Scotto that “it’s going to be a long conversation” and “not something I’m going to think about overnight.” He plans to “take my time and see what the options are,” although he’s open to returning to the Sixers next season.

If another team offers Yabusele most or all of the non-taxpayer MLE (if not more), the Sixers will have a major dilemma on their hands. Re-signing him at that price would likely cost them one of Grimes or Oubre. But if they’re able to talk him into taking the taxpayer MLE — perhaps they can sell him on the Early Bird rights pitch that seemingly worked on Oubre last offseason — they’ll have a far better chance of keeping all three of Yabusele, Oubre and Grimes.

Either way, Yabusele could help determine what happens with Oubre and Grimes this offseason.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ncy-quentin-grimes-kelly-oubre-jr-daryl-morey

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers host Jazz to see who can lose more effectively

Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

The Sixers have 20 games left in this mess of a season. The final crawl continues Sunday night when the Sixers host the Jazz, with both teams benefitting more from a hypothetical loss than a win.

Twenty games stand between the Philadelphia 76ers and a merciful end to this absolute catastrophe of a season.

The crawl to the finish line continues Sunday evening when the Sixers host the Utah Jazz, with neither team coming into this one under the best of circumstances.

Let’s start with the injury report... it’s a doozy.

As of Sunday morning, the Sixers will be without Paul George (groin), Tyrese Maxey (back, finger), Eric Gordon (wrist) and Kyle Lowry (hip) in addition to Joel Embiid and Jared McCain, both done for the season. Jalen Hood-Schifino is also out (G League, two-way).

It’s not any better for the Jazz side of things. Utah will be without Lauri Markkanen (back), Walker Kessler (rest), Collin Sexton (ankle), Jordan Clarkson (plantar fasciitis), Taylor Hendricks (fibula fracture) and John Collins (back). Elijah Harkless is also out (G League, two-way). Former Sixer Jaden Springer (back) and Oscar Tschiebwe (G League, two-way) are both questionable.

So, that’ll be fun! As if that wasn’t enough, the real fact of the matter is that neither team in this one exactly wants to win. Both squads benefit more from a loss at this point in their campaigns.

With the Chicago Bulls winning Saturday night, the Sixers have fallen to four games behind them for the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference, so any Play-In Tournament prospects are mercifully slipping out of reach.

Tankathon, it is! As of Sunday morning, the lottery standings are as follows:

The Sixers are seventh in the lottery this morning. The main teams worth focusing on right now are the ones right ahead of Philadelphia: the Brooklyn Nets, fifth, and the Toronto Raptors, sixth. Both lost last night and are off today, so the Sixers have a chance to make up some ground. Philadelphia has played less games than those surrounding teams, it’s worth noting. Sunday’s contest will be the Sixers’ 63rd game of the campaign — Brooklyn has played 63 already while Toronto and Chicago have played 64.

But, as it stands, the Nets are now one loss ahead of the Sixers for sixth lottery position after dropping their Saturday game to the Charlotte Hornets. They led the game by as much as 14 in the fourth before blowing it. Thanks for nothing, Brooklyn. The Raptors are two losses ahead of the Sixers for fifth. Those two teams are the key for the Sixers right now if they want to keep their first round pick (protected for picks 1 through 6).

Here’s how the odds for Philadelphia look at each lottery position:

5 - 63.9% to keep pick, 10.5% for first overall

6 - 45.8% to keep pick, 9.0% for first overall

7 - 31.9% to keep pick, 7.5% for first overall

Clearly, moving to that fifth spot is paramount, effectively doubling their odds at holding onto that pick compared to here in seventh.

But the Jazz have plenty of motives of their own to take a loss.

Utah is currently holding on with all their might to the No. 2 lottery position, which would guarantee them a pick in the top six and a 14% shot at first overall assuming no ties in the final standings. Right now, the Hornets are right there with them, tied for second lottery position at 15-48 as well — the Jazz are very likely not looking to concede any ground to Charlotte in the race to the top (or, the bottom in this case).

(At least they don’t have to pretend to be still trying for the Play-In...)

So, this might end up being one of the most dysfunctional games of basketball we’ve seen so far, and that’s saying something! Might as well try to find some sort of joy in the chaos — they’re going to play these last 20 games whether we like it or not.

The Sixers and Jazz squads — well, what’s left of them — will tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Wells Fargo Center.

Game Details​

When: Sunday, March 9, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: The Center, Philadelphia, PA

Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...markkanen-tyrese-maxey-paul-george-nick-nurse

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Walker, Grimes lead Sixers over what’s left of the Jazz

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Lonnie Walker IV and Quentin Grimes put up 25 points each on Sunday for the Sixers, lifting Philadelphia over the Utah Jazz.

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey - 16
Joel Embiid - 8
Jared McCain - 8
Paul George - 7
Kelly Oubre Jr. - 5
Guerschon Yabusele - 4
Quentin Grimes - 4
Ricky Council IV - 2
Justin Edwards - 2
KJ Martin - 2
Adem Bona - 1
Jared Butler - 1
Andre Drummond - 1
No One - 1

---

The Philadelphia 76ers won a basketball game, for better or worse.

Both the Sixers and the Jazz had laundry list injury reports for this one. Philly was without Paul George (groin), Tyrese Maxey (back, finger), Eric Gordon (wrist) and Kyle Lowry (hip) in addition to Joel Embiid and Jared McCain, both done for the season. Jalen Hood-Schifino is also out (G League, two-way). Utah was without Lauri Markkanen (back), Walker Kessler (rest), Collin Sexton (ankle), Jordan Clarkson (plantar fasciitis), Taylor Hendricks (fibula fracture) John Collins (back), Jaden Springer (back), Elijah Harkless (G League, two-way) and Oscar Tschiebwe (G League, two-way).

So, that should give you an idea of what kind of NBA game we were dealing with.

After a slow start put the Sixers in an early hole, Philadelphia’s shooting and offensive production started to kick into gear. They outscored the Jazz 38-26 in the second frame and held a seven-point lead going into the break. Sixteen third-period points from Lonnie Walker IV extended the Sixers’ advantage to nearly 20 by the start of the final frame. Utah staged a late comeback, pulling within a few points in the final seconds, but Philadelphia held on.

Jazz win the tank-off, Sixers win the game 126-122.

The Sixers are now 22-41. They are now seventh in lottery position, one game behind the Brooklyn Nets for the sixth.

No rests for the weary here — the Sixers play again Monday night, visiting the Atlanta Hawks. Nineteen to go.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer. We actually have a handful of choices to pick from tonight.

Quentin Grimes: 25 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 2 steal, 1 block

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Quentin Grimes continues to be the brightest spot of this (admittedly-depleted) Sixers’ lineup. He creates numerous good looks not only for himself but for his teammates as well and he’s been a key to the Sixers’ offensive production any time he’s on the floor. That was the case again tonight against the Jazz. Grimes led the way for the Sixers’ in the first half with 16 points (4-for-6 FG, 3-for-5 3PT, 5-for-5 FT) with three assists and two steals. He had a bit less work to do in the second half with other players getting into gear (one being Lonnie Walker IV, who we will talk about in a minute). Grimes finished the night with 25 points.

Lonnie Walker IV: 25 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Lonnie Walker IV put up another solid night against the Jazz after putting up 17 against the Boston Celtics in the Sixers’ last contest. On Sunday, Walker entered the second half with just five points on 1-for-5 field goal shooting before deciding to take over in the third period. He put up 16 points in the third frame itself, shooting 6-for-9 from the floor with two triples in that stint. He notched his first career double-double in the contest with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

Jared Butler: 15 points, 9 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Butler has been relatively under-utilized by Nick Nurse so far but he got a decent chunk of time on the floor Sunday night — he took advantage. Butler put up 15 points on 5-for-8 field goal shooting with three triples, which is good in itself. More impressively, though, is the team-leading nine assists he notched. There were a number of really good looks from Butler throughout this one and it’s certainly a skill to watch for further development in these last 19 games.

With Nurse mentioning pregame to the media that they will be starting to monitor the minutes of some main players in the rotation, Butler may find himself with more opportunities like tonight as the season comes down this final stretch.

Adem Bona: 14 points, 14 rebounds (7 offensive), 1 assist, 2 steals, 5 blocks

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Another career-first double-double! Adem Bona notched his first such game on Sunday with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Bona came in off the bench for starter Andre Drummond and immediately looked like the stronger of the two for the evening. Active and energetic on both ends of the floor, Bona’s boards were split down the middle, with seven on the offensive end and seven on defense. He also had five blocks and two steals.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...in-grimes-jared-butler-jeff-dowtin-nick-nurse

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers-Hawks: First Half Thread

The Sixers get another crack at improving their lottery odds as they fly south to take on Atlanta.

Game Details​

When: Monday, March 10, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...awks-first-half-thread-philadelphia-76ers-nba

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Quentin Grimes shines again as Sixers fall to Hawks

Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images

The Philadelphia 76ers fell 132-123 on Monday night to the Atlanta Hawks, through no fault of Quentin Grimes, who led the floor with 35 points in the contest.

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey - 16
Joel Embiid - 8
Jared McCain - 8
Paul George - 7
Kelly Oubre Jr. - 5
Guerschon Yabusele - 4
Quentin Grimes - 4
Adem Bona - 2
Ricky Council IV - 2
Justin Edwards - 2
KJ Martin - 2
Jared Butler - 1
Andre Drummond - 1
No One - 1

---

The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves back in the loss column on Monday night, falling 132-123 to the hosting Atlanta Hawks less than 24 hours after defeating the Utah Jazz back in South Philly.

With just nine players available and slogging through the second leg of a back-to-back, the Sixers looked gassed and outmatched relatively quickly by the Hawks. After a back-and-forth first period had the teams close to level after one, the fatigue and shorthandedness of the Sixers seemingly kicked in and Atlanta began to build their lead — up to 16 at one point in the second period before it was trimmed to nine by halftime, though the game hardly felt that close.

The Sixers continued to struggle and lag behind the Hawks, allowing Atlanta to extend their lead to 17 points by the end of the third and over 20 early in the fourth. Quentin Grimes tried to single-handedly pull the Sixers back in this one with 17 points in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough. Philadelphia falls 132-123 to Atlanta.

Eighteen games to go. The Sixers are now 22-42. Next up, the team heads north to visit the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer. We know these games can be tough to watch overall and feel like there’s not much to celebrate, but we’re still going to shoutout the individual players on the floor that do well through these last weeks of Sixers’ games.

Quentin Grimes: 35 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 block

Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Quentin Grimes was just about the only Sixer to look decent throughout this one — scoring 25 points last night against the Utah Jazz clearly didn’t tire him too much. It’s been hard to judge performances of Sixers players recently because they haven’t been playing against full-strength teams, but it certainly seems like Grimes is the real deal. In its current state, the Sixers’ offense is operating through Grimes when he’s on the floor, and he is finding ways to create good opportunities for himself and his teammates to produce, notching six assists to go with his 35 points.

He is also showing his ability to completely take over a game all by himself, as evidenced by his 17-point fourth period. Grimes shot 6-for-8 from the floor and was 3-for-4 from three in the final frame in which he nearly single-handedly pulled the Sixers back into the game. If you’re a pro-tanking Philly fan, you probably hate this guy because he never gives up.

Grimes finished Monday night with 35 points on 14-for-25 field goal shooting and sinking 5-of-11 from long range along with seven rebounds and six assists. Oh, he also had three steals and one block on defense.

Jeff Dowtin Jr.: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

With the Sixers’ situation being... well, a mess... Jeff Dowtin Jr. has started to get some opportunities on the floor these past few games and has been productive throughout. Against Utah on Sunday, Dowtin put up 10 points on 4-for-5 field goal shooting in a five and a half minute stint during the second frame. Against the Hawks tonight, the third quarter provided his biggest burst — nine points on 3-for-4 three-point shooting. Dowtin shot well from long range throughout this contest, hitting 4 of 6 attempts Monday night after going 2-for-3 from three-point territory on Sunday. He still has a long way to go in terms of overall development, but the last two nights have been good ones from Dowtin.

Dowtin ended Monday night with 17 points on 6-for-9 field goal shooting with three rebounds, three assists and one steal.

As impressive as Grimes? No, not realistically. But worthy of a shoutout nonetheless.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...es-jeff-dowtin-jr-nick-nurse-philadelphia-nba

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Colangelos, flattening odds, play-in games — no matter what NBA does, teams will tank

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Process Sixers may have tanked in the most blatant fashion. But even that claim is becoming questionable.

With the team having returned to the bottom of the NBA, many emotions from yesteryear are coming back for Sixers fans. Sunday night’s win against Utah probably brought up some strong feelings for a lot of Process loyalists. With the loss, the Jazz dropped to 15-49. After losing to the Celtics Monday, they’re 15-50. It’s the second-worst record in the NBA. Charlotte is one game better in the win column at 16-48 and New Orleans holds the fourth-worst record at 17-48. While Sixers fans are preoccupied with their own race for the fifth lottery slot, Washington, Utah and Charlotte have their own incentives to remain with one of the league’s three worst records — and New Orleans would probably love to crash the party.

Since it’s been nearly a decade since the Sixers participated in the lottery, you might have missed a change that happened after the 2017 lottery which was the last one Philadelphia was involved in. Ahead of the 2019 draft lottery, the odds were smoothed out amongst the non-playoff teams making it less likely for the worst teams to pick in the top three. At the top of the lottery, there is now no difference between the worst record and the third-worst record. The first, second and third-worst records all come with a 14% chance of acquiring the No. 1 overall selection.

To create further chaos at the top of the draft, the NBA added a lottery drawing for the fourth overall selection. Previously, lottery drawings were conducted for the first three picks meaning the team with the worst record could pick no worse than fourth. The odds were also weighted more heavily towards the teams with the worst records so a team that finished as the league’s worst not only held a 25% chance to win the first pick, but also held a 64% chance to win one of the three lottery drawings and stay in the top three. Now? Not only have the odds for the worst team to secure the first pick plummeted by 11%, but with the fourth lottery drawing in place, each team with one of the three worst records in the NBA holds just a 52% chance of winning one of the four drawings and drafting in the top four. Detroit bore the brunt of this in last year’s lottery as the 14-68 Pistons held the league’s worst record, but did not win any of the four lottery drawings, and went on to draft fifth.

Now that we’ve explained all that, it’s easy to see why this came into play this past Sunday when Utah visited Wells Fargo Center. With the first, second and third-worst records all meaning the same for lottery, the Jazz are best served not to win too many games in the season’s final quarter and risk falling to the fourth slot in the lottery, which is where the odds begin to drop off. The Jazz and Hornets are both only two wins clear of the Pelicans and even though things are less certain for the teams at the top of the lottery, it sure seems as if obtaining the most lottery combinations is the only thing that matters to the Jazz. Take a look at Utah’s injury report entering Sunday night in what was a rare opportunity for Utah to win a game.

The Utah Jazz have issued an injury report for tomorrow’s game. It is impressive.

— Austin Krell (@austinkrell.bsky.social) 2025-03-08T22:48:34.349Z

Sure enough, the Jazz lost by just four points to Philly. It’s not at all hyperbolic to suggest that had Utah been “healthier,” it could have improved by more than four points against the Sixers and won the game. New Orleans lost again on Sunday night therefore if Utah had defeated Philadelphia, the Jazz would have been hanging on to one of the top three lottery slots by just one game. Instead, Utah continues to hold a two-game cushion for one of the coveted top three spots.

The point we’re really trying to make here is that tanking wars are always going to happen in a league in which teams are so reliant on star-level talent like the NBA. You simply do not have a chance to win the title absent at least one, and probably two, superstars on your roster. If Adam Silver and the rest of the NBA league office thought that changing the lottery odds was going to curb tanking, they are sorely mistaken. Sure, the randomness come lottery night has increased, but that’s not stopping teams from seeking out the most ping-pong ball combinations they can obtain and pressing their luck from there.

Sixers fans have likely spent months tracking the lottery odds now with hopes of getting to the fifth slot by season’s end. That race appears to be a three-team race involving the Sixers, Nets and Raptors. Couple that one with what we’ve already discussed now as Utah and the rest of the bottom four teams in the league vie for one of the three worst records, and you have at least seven teams who are better off losing on a nightly basis. Even extending beyond the seventh slot in the lottery standings, you’ll find Chicago and San Antonio. Up until recently when they came to Philly and crushed the Sixers, the Bulls were a team many Sixers fans were tracking and hoping would win some more games to keep them out of the race of the fifth slot. It’s looking increasingly likely that Chicago is going to back its way into the 10 seed in the play-in tournament, a spot that no one wanted in the East. When Victor Wembanyama was lost for the season with a blood clot, San Antonio and its fans probably wanted to lose a ton of games for the rest of the season as well. But it seems like it’s simply too tough for the Spurs to out tank all the teams that had been committed to losing games much longer than they had.

Portland is 10th in the lottery standings and is the first team you can confidently say is rebuilding but not tanking this season. The Trail Blazers appear intent on having their young nucleus grow and win together as they have gone 17-17 in 34 games in the 2025 portion of the season. I’m sure Silver and company would like all of their non-playoff teams to be like Portland, but as you can see, there’s a long way to go to get to that point. Frankly, we probably never will. Back in January, Nets GM Sean Marks slyly admitted the team was tanking and Brooklyn has never been in the race Utah is in to secure one of the three worst records in the NBA.

It’s also worth mentioning that during the three seasons Sam Hinkie ran the Sixers, they only had the worst record in the league in one of the three seasons. In 2013-14, the Sixers finished with the second-worst record to Milwaukee’s worst record. The following season, Philadelphia was the NBA’s third-worst team, behind Minnesota and New York. It took until 2015-16 for the Sixers to be the worst team in the NBA. That’s right. The supposed most clear-cut tank job in the history of sports that saw its architect get forced out by the NBA for the Colangelos also saw three franchises manage to have worse records in the first two seasons of such an awful display of integrity in Philadelphia.

In between Hinkie’s exit and the current tank wars that are going on in the NBA, surely there were plenty of other battles for more ping-pong ball combinations. After all, it took a full three years after Hinkie left the Sixers in 2016 before the NBA altered the lottery odds in 2019. In other words, the league realized tanking wasn’t something that only the Sixers did, knew it couldn’t punish the abundance of teams that preferred to lose games, and made a systemic change to how the top draft picks are rewarded.

This spring’s draft lottery will be the seventh lottery with the new odds. Yet here we are talking about two different tank races amongst the league’s bottom seven teams while also acknowledging the eighth and ninth-worst teams would love to be involved in one of these races but just aren’t as good at tanking. Here’s a look at who has claimed the top pick in the NBA Draft since the 2019 lottery reform and where that team was positioned entering the lottery.

2019: New Orleans (T-7th worst record)

2020: Minnesota (3rd worst record)

2021: Detroit (2nd worst record)

2022: Orlando (2nd worst record)

2023: San Antonio (T-2nd worst record)

2024: Atlanta (10th worst record – lost in play-in tournament)

Perhaps these results are the perfect encapsulation of the point we’re making that multiple tanking races are always going to take place. Under the current system, never has the team with the worst record gotten the first pick, but four out of six times the lottery was won by one of the teams with one of the NBA’s three-worst records lending credence to being in that top three where the odds are the same. The jump by New Orleans from the seventh slot up to the first pick in 2019 is a jump that can more commonly occur under the current odds which would give teams reason to partake in the second tanking race that the Sixers are in this year. Heck, it’s not even entirely a joking manner to suggest teams will tank in the play-in tournament after seeing Atlanta’s jump last year.

The NBA can make an example out of the Sixers and force the Colangelos on us. It can change the lottery odds. It can privately address certain injury reports with various lottery teams. But it seems like it will never be able to do away with the league’s endless tank wars which appear to be growing and not shrinking.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...dds-2025-tanking-sixers-raptors-nets-pelicans

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Somebody’s gotta win as Sixers head to Toronto

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Two tanking teams enter. One comes away with an undesired tally in the win column.

You’ve heard of an unstoppable force going up against an immovable object. We have something of the polar opposite in store tonight as the Philadelphia 76ers head north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors in a game neither club has any desire to win. Both squads have shifted firmly into tank mode, with Toronto currently tied for fifth in the lottery odds and the Sixers one-half game back in seventh. Accordingy, look at this absolute tanking masterpiece of an injury report from the Raptors:

Toronto’s injury report is PACKED for tomorrow’s game against the Sixers#WeTheNorth

: Dan Hamilton, Jesse Johnson

H/T: Josh Lewenberg pic.twitter.com/aFUVOMgTE7

— Raptors Republic (@raptorsrepublic) March 12, 2025​

Chef’s kiss to 25-year-old Immanuel Quickley getting the rest designation when this game is not a part of any back-to-back for Toronto. The Raptors are certainly not risking Ja’Kobe Walter hitting another game-wining shot like we saw a week ago over Orlando. Something also tells me Scottie Barnes’ knuckle isn’t going to recover in time to take the floor tonight.

The Sixers’ injury report looks tame by comparison:

The Sixers have an injury report for tomorrow’s game @ Toronto.

Tyrese Maxey (back/finger): OUT

Kelly Oubre Jr. (ankle): QUESTIONABLE

Andre Drummond (illness): QUESTIONABLE

Also listed OUT: Paul George, Kyle Lowry and the three players ruled out for the season.

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) March 11, 2025​

Yes, the Big Three are out in addition to some others, and another starter in Kelly Oubre Jr. likely won’t play, but these are legitimate injuries. We are still over a month from the end of the season and teams like Toronto and Utah have been pulling these shenanigans for a while already. I hate to be the old man yells at cloud meme, but it’s really a gross situation for the league when 20 percent of the league spends months trying to lose. That’s the beauty of the relegation system in European football (soccer), but I don’t know the solution here. Let’s just give all 30 teams equal lottery odds, to heck with parity.

In actual on-the-floor stuff, Quentin Grimes will likely be the driving force again for the Sixers. He is averaging 25.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.0 steals in the month of March, as his agent’s eyeballs are slot machining into dollar signs like a cartoon character. The Sixers can match any offer with Grimes’ restricted free agent status, so I just hope Josh Harris is OK ponying up the dough now that the Commanders brought in Laremy Tunsil. Jared Butler moved into the starting lineup last game and has 15 assists across his last two appearances. Somebody like Lonnie Walker, Justin Edwards, or Adem Bona could pop off again. Who knows? We’re truly in silly season, as they say in fantasy basketball circles.

Ultimately, basketball is basketball and I remind myself that I’ll be watching lower quality stuff during the summer just because I want to scratch the itch so don’t take even this sort of game for granted. Still, some of these contests lately have made for rough watches. If you’re still tuning in and following along with us here, I see you and appreciate you. Let’s get some lottery combinations.

Game Details​

When: Wednesday, March 11, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, Canada
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ead-to-toronto-raptors-philadelphia-76ers-nba

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers-Raptors: First Half Thread

The Philadelphia 76ers head north to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night with both teams looking to improve their draft lottery position.

Game Details​

When: Wednesday, March 11, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, Canada
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ba-draft-discussion-thread-lottery-first-half

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers fall to Raptors despite Toronto’s remarkably brazen tanking attempt

Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images

The Raptors’ injury list was plentiful and they sat two starters in the second half, but a hot shooting second quarter carried them to an undesired win vs. the Sixers.

It was a nice try, but some things are left better to the masters.

The Sixers dropped one of the most important tanking matchups of the season 118-105 to the Toronto Raptors Wednesday night. They are 22-43.

That loss came despite the best effort of Quentin Grimes, who once again led all scorers with 29 points. He shot 11-of-23 from the field and also had three steals and two blocks.

Jeff Dowtin Jr. shot 9-of-14 from the floor for a career-high 20 points. A.J. Lawson led the Raptors with 28 while Jared Rhoden had 25 — both of them are on two-way contracts.

Guerschon Yabusele was out due to knee soreness. Tyrese Maxey and Paul George remained out as well. Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and R.J. Barrett were amongst several Raptors unable to suit up.

First Quarter ​

• After a quick 8-0 run to open the game, the Sixers begun to play how most fans would like them to at this point. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond took turns creating for themselves. Justin Edwards put on a nice spin move in transition but his attempt rimmed out.
• Not even halfway through the quarter though the Sixers had someone go down with a scary looking injury. Fighting for a rebound, Lonnie Walker IV fell down and hit his head pretty hard, not able to brace his fall. He stayed down for a bit before heading to the locker room. Gina Mizell of The Inquirer provided an update at halftime.

Unsurprisingly, Walker will not return tonight after hitting his head on the court. Source says he passed initial concussion testing but will continue to be reevaluated after the game.

— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell.bsky.social) 2025-03-13T00:44:02.915Z

• Since he’s been playing more consistently, Jared Butler seems to have settled in. He knocked down the team’s first three of the night. He also drove to the elbow to find a wide open Oubre baseline, but there wasn’t much else going on as the Sixers fell into a 4-of-16 start from the field.

start us off, @J_Hooper11! pic.twitter.com/72tBrcGAoT

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 12, 2025​

• Even a late-quarter heater from Grimes wasn’t enough for a masked up Jamison Battle, who got on the board with a couple of jump shots. The Raptors led by six at the end of one after one of their threes was reviewed and changed to a long two.

Second Quarter​

• It was another exciting start for the Sixers as Butler found Adem Bona for a lob — Bona shortly after had a big swat that Ricky Council IV was able to pick up and slam home the other way. They shortly went into another three minute field goal drought riddled with four turnovers. Grimes had four on his own as he kept getting the ball poked away from him in the paint.

Ricky dunks are BACK pic.twitter.com/ptb1YXvX4b

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 13, 2025​

• Toronto took full advantage of the Sixers’ offensive struggles, quickly running out to a 20-point lead. Their 11-of-21 start from three almost matched the Sixers in attempts at the time with 12. Two-way Jared Rhoden, who got the start tonight, went for 17 in the first half with 12 in the quarter.
• Nothing quite sums up the quality of this game like Grimes getting almost the exact same steal on back-to-back plays. A small push from him, a couple more buckets from Butler, and a deep three from Jeff Dowtin Jr. cut the lead to 14 at the break.

Third Quarter ​

• More strong play from Grimes as he opened the half with a blindside block on Rhoden, then was able to finish the fast break with a layup. He hit a couple more baskets and hit Edwards for a strong drive to get the lead briefly under single digits.
• The Raptors were shortly able to push that back up though — thanks in part to some second chance points, and also due to more than one of them being able to make a three. The turnover-hunting style put the Sixers in a bit of foul trouble. Butler had to sit with his fourth while Edwards had picked up three himself.
• The Sixers kept coming up with steals, and they finally saw some shots fall as well. They weren’t even doing a horrendous job of protecting the rim, especially with Bona in the game, they had 11 blocks through three. Dowtin remained hot, hitting a couple jumpers and weaving his way in for a floater. Council knocked one down too and for better or worse, the Sixers only trailed by thee after the third.

Council is in session. pic.twitter.com/JTer5xa1su

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 13, 2025​

Fourth Quarter​

• Council had more opportunity to cook to start the quarter but both of his drives ended in unsuccessful runner attempts. The Sixers weren’t engaging in “gamesmanship” as Grimes did check back in after the quarter’s first timeout. (It is pretty much impossible to sit a guy playing for a contract.)
• As if this season wasn’t bad enough, the Sixers lost a challenge, but the broadcast wasn’t even able to catch Bill Kennedy’s explanation. It’s truly the only enjoyable experience left for this season.
• Grimes continued to chip into the lead, and he had a running mate on the night in Dowtin. The outside shot falling seemed to help his confidence as he begun to look for his floater more as well.

new career-high points for Jeff Dowtin Jr! pic.twitter.com/jjHUfWGClI

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 13, 2025​

89-86 Raptors entering the 4th.

Jeff Dowtin has more made threes in the last four games (10) than he had in 28 previous appearances (8) this season

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) March 13, 2025​

• They probably made it closer than anyone would have liked, but the best the Sixers were able to cut the lead to was nine. It’s crazy that we’re here, but this was an enormous loss now that the Raptors have clinched the tiebreaker.
• The Sixers will briefly return home just before their final extended road trip of the season. They’ll host the Indiana Pacers Friday night at 7 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...nal-score-game-recap-quentin-grimes-adem-bona