Sixers Rumors

Tyrese Maxey Expected To Miss Two Weeks With Hamstring Issue

November 7th, 2024 at 6:15pm CST by Rory Maher

6:15pm: The Sixers officially announced that Maxey had an MRI on his hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in one week, as relayed by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link).

11:20am: Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is expected to miss around two weeks due to a right hamstring injury, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Maxey will receive a full evaluation later on Thursday. Philadelphia plans to take a cautious approach to the soft-tissue injury, per Charania.

Maxey played 32 minutes through three periods in Wednesday’s road loss to the Clippers, but notably struggled in the third quarter, going 0-of-3 from the field and scoring no points in 12 minutes. With the 76ers down by 16 points entering the final frame, head coach Nick Nurse decided to rest Maxey for the remainder of the contest, calling it a “precautionary” move, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports tweets.

Obviously, it’s unfortunate news for both Maxey and the Sixers, who have struggled mightily to open the season in part due to injuries. Marquee free agent addition Paul George just made his season debut on Monday, and 2023 MVP Joel Embiid has yet to play a game — he’s expected to return on Tuesday after serving a three-game suspension following an altercation with a columnist.

Maxey had been carrying a very heavy workload amid injuries to Philadelphia’s other two stars. He was leading the NBA in minutes per game (39.7) and was tied with Luka Doncic for the league lead in field goal attempts per contest at 23.6.

The Sixers, who are currently tied with the Bucks and Jazz for the worst record in the NBA at 1-6, play several games over the next couple weeks. If Maxey is ready in exactly two weeks, he will have missed seven contests, with Nov. 22 vs. Brooklyn a possible return date — that’s obviously very tentative though and subject to change, depending on what the examination reveals.

With Maxey sidelined, fellow guards Kyle Lowry, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon are all candidates for more playing time.

Over the offseason, Maxey signed a five-year, maximum-salary contract with the Sixers as a restricted free agent. He’s under contract through 2029.

Clippers Notes: George, Offseason, Kuminga, Bamba

November 7th, 2024 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

According to team owner Steve Ballmer, the Clippers wanted to retain Paul George over the summer and “made him a big offer,” writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. But with the Clippers unwilling to add a no-trade clause or a fourth year to the three-year offer they put on the table for George, the star forward considered other options and L.A. began envisioning life without him.

“I don’t know when the blueprint changed,” Ballmer told Youngmisuk. “The truth of the matter is our situation was changing just because the guys are getting older anyway. So the way to think about it with Paul or without Paul, it started to morph on us.”

As Youngmisuk writes, the Clippers showed with the three-year, $150MM deal they offered George that they were willing to continue operating above the second tax apron. But the front office certainly wasn’t opposed to the idea of reducing its payroll, with more punitive roster-building restrictions – including a frozen draft pick seven years out – being implemented for teams in second-apron territory.

“Once your pick becomes frozen, (and) if you’re in the second apron for multiple years, you’re really f—ed,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said. “You’re in a situation where you never have cap space and you never have your mid-level exception and you’re just strictly dealing with minimums and trades. Our goal is we want to be a sustainable contender.”

As Ballmer points out, avoiding a $50MM-per-year commitment to George allowed the Clippers to add a handful of defense-first role players who will fit the team’s new identity and should be very movable on the trade market, if necessary.

“The truth is, with Paul not coming back, we were able to upgrade our team,” Ballmer said. “We don’t (sign) Derrick Jones Jr. if Paul comes back. We don’t (sign) Kris Dunn, (or have) our new defensive identity. Might not have (signed) Kevin Porter Jr., Nico (Batum). … You could say, well, they’re not Paul George. No, they’re not Paul George. … (But) we were able to get three guys who are tough, hard-playing guys. And we still have the ability to consistently make ourselves better. So it was the right choice for us.”

Here’s more on the Clippers:

The Clippers were open to making an opt-in-and-trade George deal with the Warriors before he became a free agent and would likely have pulled the trigger if Golden State had been willing to part with Jonathan Kuminga and a first-round pick, says Sam Amick of The Athletic. The two teams briefly discussed Kuminga, but Golden State pulled him off the table, and since he was the only young Warriors the Clippers viewed as a potential star, talks fizzled after that, Amick explains.
Youngmisuk also addressed the George talks between L.A. and Golden State in his ESPN feature, reiterating that the Clippers ultimately decided the assets available to them in that deal wouldn’t have been worth the cost (in tax penalties and roster flexibility) of taking on matching salaries. “Nothing is better than something,” one league source told ESPN in explaining the team’s decision to let George walk.
Ahead of his return to L.A. on Wednesday as a member of the Sixers, George made it clear he has no hard feelings toward Clippers management and that he had a great relationship with Ballmer and Frank. “They were awesome the whole time I was here,” George said, per Youngmisuk. “Kind of the reason why it was such a shocking decision how it played out at the end. But they were awesome.”
George, who heard plenty of boos during Wednesday’s game from the Clippers faithful, told reporters after the Sixers loss that he thought that reaction was “stupid,” according to Youngmisuk. “It wasn’t something that I demanded a trade or went against the team here. I was a free agent,” George said. “The team presented something that was team-friendly, and I did what was best for me in that situation. So there were the cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones that I played hard for. The boos, I didn’t get it.”
Clippers center Mohamed Bamba may be nearing his debut after missing the start of the season due to left knee injury management. A source tells Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Bamba has been cleared for contact and has been involved in recent team shootarounds.

Joel Embiid To Make Season Debut Tuesday

November 6th, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid is set to return to the floor for Philadelphia next Tuesday against the Knicks, per Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link).

Embiid, who had been out all year while managing a knee injury, will serve a three-game suspension handed down after he shoved a reporter, then make his season debut once the suspension is up.

“Joel Embiid is ready,” Charania told Malika Andrews on “NBA Today.” “Sources tell me he will make his season debut next Tuesday at home against the Knicks in the Sixers’ NBA Cup opener. He’ll serve his three-day suspension tonight against the Clippers, Friday against the Lakers, Sunday at home against the Hornets, and then the attention can finally be on basketball for Joel Embiid.”

“We know how great he is when he’s on the court, former league MVP,” Charania continued. “(Sixers head coach) Nick Nurse said it the other day: they need him to re-focus everything about this season on the court, and to play the game of basketball.”

The seven-footer, a seven-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA honoree, won league MVP honors in 2023. Last year, Embiid was healthy for just 39 contests. In those games, he averaged 34.7 points on .529/.388/.883 shooting splits. He also pulled down 11.0 rebounds, handed out 5.6 dimes, blocked 1.7 shots, and had 1.2 steals per night.

Without Embiid, Philadelphia has won just one game. The team is currently 1-5 on the young season.

Sixers Notes: George, Offense, Embiid

November 6th, 2024 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

Paul George wasn’t pleased with how he performed on Monday in his Sixers debut. The star forward committed six turnovers and made just 4-of-14 shots from the field (including 1-of-7 three-pointers) in the loss to the Suns.

After the game, George referred to his outing as “bad” and admitted he was “gassed” at times during his 32 minutes, but said he was encouraged by how his knee felt following his recovery from a bone bruise, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I was able to go out there and compete free of any thoughts of my body not holding up,” George said. “I felt completely fine. That was the positive in it. But all around, it was definitely a rusty game.”

While George is still on the Sixers’ injury report, he’s listed as probable to play on Wednesday and there has been no indication he won’t suit up. The game against the Clippers in Los Angeles will represent a reunion for George and his old team — he left L.A. over the summer after spending five seasons with the Clips.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Although George wasn’t at his best and the Sixers fell to 1-5 with Monday’s loss to Phoenix, the star forward’s debut provided some much-needed hope for Philadelphia, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who notes that the offense looked better with George on the floor than it had for most of the season. “He takes a lot of the pressure off all of us,” guard Tyrese Maxey told Jones. “With him on the floor, you can see it. We’re a lot more balanced. I didn’t have to do as much, so I was a lot more fresh. It just helps all of us, having him back.”
League sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that Joel Embiid‘s left knee “wasn’t a concern, or even a topic of discussion” among Team USA brass during the Olympics, though team sources say they were managing and monitoring the knee on their end. Within his story on Embiid’s status, Amick also suggests the big man wants to avoid a repeat of last season, when he attempted to play through a minor left knee ailment and suffered a more serious injury to that knee when Jonathan Kuminga fell on it during a January 30 game. That’s one reason why he and the team are taking a cautious approach this fall.
Both Amick and Howard Beck of The Ringer write that the 76ers’ lack of transparency regarding Embiid’s knee injury in recent weeks is a result of an attempt to honor the former MVP’s desire to keep his health issues as private as possible. “He doesn’t want his injuries discussed or explained, by anyone,” Beck writes, arguing that being more forthcoming about his condition would help improve Embiid’s public image. “Every Sixers administration has bowed to those wishes, repeatedly obfuscating on his behalf.”
In case you missed it, Embiid will begin serving his three-game suspension for shoving Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes on Wednesday and is on track to make his season debut next Tuesday vs. the Knicks.

NBA Suspends Embiid Three Games For Altercation With Columnist

November 5th, 2024 at 7:26pm CST by Luke Adams

7:26pm: Embiid’s suspension will cover Wednesday’s game against the Clippers, Friday’s contest against the Lakers and Sunday’s game against the Hornets, ESPNs Shams Charania tweets. He’ll be eligible to make his season debut next Tuesday in the NBA Cup opener against the Knicks at Philadelphia.

3:35pm: Sixers center Joel Embiid has been suspended for three games without pay for shoving Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes in the team’s locker room on Saturday, the NBA announced in a press release (Twitter link).

“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA,” the league’s head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement. “While we understand Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter’s column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never turn physical.”

Embiid called out Hayes last week for columns in which he harshly criticized the former MVP and was reportedly particularly upset about one piece in which Hayes said the injured center isn’t providing a good example as a father for his son Arthur, who was named after the 30-year-old’s late brother. Hayes mentioned Embiid’s son and brother by name in the original version of the column before later removing the reference.

Embiid confronted Hayes in the locker room following Saturday’s loss to Memphis and reportedly had a heated discussion with the veteran columnist, directing some profane comments his way before shoving him.

Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer shared more details on the altercation earlier this week, writing that Hayes attempted to apologize to Embiid but “was rebuffed before the confrontation turned physical.” Hayes said he met with Sixers president Daryl Morey and GM Elton Brand and that they apologized, asked for his side of the story, and “agreed that Embiid’s actions were unacceptable,” Mizell relays.

Embiid has yet to make his debut this fall due to left knee injury management and his suspension won’t begin until he’s healthy enough to play. That may happen soon — Sam Amick of The Athletic reported this morning that there was hope within the organization that the star big man could play his first game of the season on Wednesday vs. the Clippers.

That obviously won’t happen now, but if Embiid is medically cleared to return, he could begin serving his suspension that night. In that scenario, he’d also miss Friday’s game vs. the Lakers and Sunday’s matchup with the Hornets before potentially suiting up next Tuesday vs. the Knicks.

The suspension will cost Embiid $1,063,778 of his $51,415,938 salary, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Paul George Expected To Make Sixers Debut On Monday

November 3rd, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George, the most prominent free agent to switch teams this offseason, is expected to make his Sixers debut on Monday, The Athletic’s duo of Sam Amick and Jenna West report.

George has missed the first five regular-season games due to a hyperextended left knee he suffered during a preseason game on Oct. 14. George is officially listed as questionable, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey tweets, while Joel Embiid remains out.

George, 34, averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for the Clippers last season before joining Philadelphia on a four-year, maximum-salary contract. George was the Sixers’ No. 1 target in free agency after they opened up ample cap space to reshape their roster.

The Sixers sorely need a boost after losing four of their first five games, including home losses to Detroit and Memphis this past week. Philadelphia is embarking on a three-game road trip that begins in Phoenix on Monday.

George’s presence in the lineup will take some pressure off Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 29.8 points per night.

Embiid has been held out of action due to left knee injury management, which has been a source of controversy. He had an altercation with a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist in the locker room after the Memphis loss.

Joel Embiid Shoves Columnist In Sixers’ Locker Room

November 2nd, 2024 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Joel Embiid was involved in a scuffle with a columnist after the Sixers lost at home to Memphis tonight, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Embiid made contact with the journalist, but Charania describes the action as a shove rather than a punch. That version of events was supported by Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Recounting the exchange for PHLY Sports (Twitter video link), Kyle Neubeck identifies the columnist as Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer, whom Embiid singled out in public comments earlier this week. Hayes has written multiple columns accusing Embiid of being unprofessional and blasting the Sixers for a lack of transparency about his condition.

Embiid was particularly upset about a piece from Hayes criticizing him for not being ready for the season opener and claiming that he’s not providing a good example as a father.

“Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his career,” Hayes wrote. “He often says that he wants to be great to leave a legacy for the boy named after his little brother. … In order to be great at your job, you first have to show up for work. Embiid has been great at just the opposite.”

Embiid approached Hayes as soon as he became aware that he was in the locker room, Neubeck adds. He directed some profane comments at the writer, and Neubeck said he added something along the lines of “You can say I suck, you can say whatever you want about me as a player. Don’t ever put my dead brother’s name in your mouth. Don’t talk about my family. Don’t bring them into this. You want to talk to me like a man and talk to me about basketball, that’s different, but if you ever talk about my family again we’re going to have real problems.”

The shove occurred after about 90 seconds of the heated discussion, Neubeck adds, and then team security and other players moved in to break it up.

The Sixers are off to a 1-4 start as Embiid has been sidelined with “left knee injury management.” He has reportedly been making progress toward a recovery, but no date has been set for his return.

It’s possible Embiid could face a suspension that will keep him out of action even longer. An NBA spokesman told Charania “We are aware of reports of an incident in the Sixers locker room this evening and are commencing an investigation.” (Twitter link)

Joel Embiid Discusses Knee Issue, Responds To Criticism

November 1st, 2024 at 8:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers star center Joel Embiid, who has missed the first four games of the season and has been ruled out for Saturday’s tilt vs. Memphis due to “left knee injury management,” told reporters on Friday that his goal is to make sure he feels fully comfortable on his surgically repaired knee before making his season debut, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports writes.

“I want to be at my best. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m afraid if I do this I might do something or whatever,” Embiid said. “I mentioned it since the last surgery, I mentioned it so many times, it was probably the toughest mentally. I think mentally I’m just dealing with getting that trust back. In the past, it was just easy. But for some reason, this one is just like, mentally, trusting yourself and trusting your body. And I think that’s really what I’m doing.

“I’m almost there,” he continued. “And then with the team, we’re on the same page. I listen to them, they listen to me, and see how everything reacts. Been doing pretty good, going up and down five-on-five, and today was a great session with the whole team.”

According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link), Embiid experienced some “minor swelling” in his left knee during the preseason, which is one reason why the Sixers have taken a cautious approach with him this fall.

The former MVP has been scrimmaging for a few days, but Friday’s practice represented a big step forward because it was a live-action five-on-five session with teammates, rather than 76ers staffers.

While it sounds as if Embiid’s absence might not extend much further beyond Saturday’s contest, he was reluctant to name a specific target date for his return, as Neubeck relays.

“It’s unpredictable,” the big man said. “You can have good days, you can have bad days, so I think it’d be kind of foolish for me to sit there and be like, ‘Oh, I’m playing on Tuesday,’ when you don’t know. I played today and it reacts, you’re still getting back into game shape, still getting back to yourself.

“You need to feel 100%, because I think over the years, I’ve done a lot and I’ve put myself at risk for the team, which I’m going to continue to do. But right now is the time to make sure everything is great, which is trending that way. It’s pretty good right now, everybody’s trending the right way, and so we can go on and have a long season and a great couple of years.”

Embiid has faced criticism from some corners for his ongoing absence this fall, with Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer writing multiple columns accusing the 30-year-old of a lack of professionalism and ripping the Sixers for their lack of transparency.

Embiid, who said he’s doing what’s best for his body, pointed out that he has played through multiple injuries and come back early from others over the course of his career. He took exception to some of the criticism he has faced, calling out Hayes by name in his comments to reporters.

“When I see people saying, ‘He doesn’t want to play,'” Embiid said. “I’ve done way too much for this city and putting myself at risk for people to be saying that. I do think it’s bulls–t. Like that dude, Marcus whatever his name is, I’ve done way too much for this f—ing city to be treated like this. Done way too f—ing much. I wish I was as lucky as other ones, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not trying, and I’m not doing whatever it takes to be out there, which I’m going to be here pretty soon.”

Like Embiid, Sixers forward Paul George has missed the club’s first four games and will be unavailable on Saturday due to the bone bruise in his left knee. He’s also moving toward a return, telling reporters on Friday that he’s in the final stage of his rehab process.

“I think at this point, it’s more just cardio, getting the conditioning ready to go, so that when I do come back I’m not subject to any injuries because I’m fatigued and tired,” George said, per Neubeck. “I had really good two days of finally being on the court and practicing and running hard, being in live action, so the knee up to this point feels really good.”

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Raptors, Barnes, Queta, Watford

October 31st, 2024 at 10:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers star Joel Embiid has participated in multiple 5-on-5 scrimmages in recent days as he takes steps toward making his season debut, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania.

According to Charania, with the 76ers not in action again until Saturday, the expectation is that Embiid will be evaluated ahead of that game vs. Memphis after working out on Thursday and Friday. The former MVP has missed the first four games of Philadelphia’s season, but hasn’t yet been ruled out for Saturday’s contest against the Grizzlies.

The Sixers were fined $100K this week for inconsistent statements about Embiid’s health status. Pressed on Wednesday about the team’s lack of transparency, head coach Nick Nurse declined to offer any specific details about where things stand for the big man or Embiid’s co-star Paul George, who has yet to make his 76ers debut due to a bone bruise in his knee.

“They are making progress,” Nurse said, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “They’re going to have workouts tomorrow, Friday. We hope to have a better indication where they are by then. I’ll update you then.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca and Eric Koreen of The Athletic write, the orbital fracture that will sideline star forward Scottie Barnes for at least the next few weeks will make it even more difficult for the Raptors to evaluate their core, which has been hit hard by injuries this fall. However, there are some silver linings, Lewenberg and Koreen note. The Raptors will have more minutes available for their younger players and are increasingly unlikely to be on the hook for an extra $45MM for Barnes, who would become ineligible for an All-NBA spot if he misses at least 18 games this season. The five-year rookie scale extension he signed in July would be worth a projected $269MM instead of $224MM if he earns All-NBA honors in 2024/25.
Neemias Queta provided the Celtics with some quality minutes in Wednesday’s loss to Indiana, pulling down nine rebounds as Boston outscored Indiana by 18 points in his 14 minutes of action. While Queta has played sparingly behind Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman so far this season, Brian Robb of MassLive.com makes the case that – with Kristaps Porzingis still out for a while – the time may be right for the Celtics to take a more extended look at Queta, who signed a three-year contract with the team in July and may be better suited for certain matchups and situations than Kornet or Tillman.
Nets forward Trendon Watford, on the shelf since early October due to a left hamstring strain, has been upgraded to probable for Friday’s game vs. Chicago, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. It’s unclear whether Watford will be part of Jordi Fernandez‘s rotation, but he should soon be available to make his season debut if needed.

Harris, Reed Talk About Returning To Philadelphia

October 30th, 2024 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tonight marked a homecoming for a pair of former Sixers who joined the Pistons this summer. Tobias Harris, who signed as a free agent after five-and-a-half years in Philadelphia, wasn’t surprised to get a mixed reaction from the crowd, relays Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “I think the fans here get a bad rep as far as their passion,” he said. “I’ve played in different cities and this is one of the cities where you can get booed by fans, but you’ll be out at a restaurant and they’ll put a baby in your hands for a photo.” Paul Reed, who got claimed by Detroit after the Sixers waived him in July, was happy to be back in Philadelphia for a night, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). “The city gave me a lot, I ain’t gonna lie,” he said. “A lot of trust. A lot of love. A lot of passion. So I really love Philly. I definitely felt some type of way when I left. But it is what it is. That’s the business.”

Load More Posts