Sixers Rumors

Atlantic Notes: McCain, Barlow, Walsh, Minott, Ingram

November 13th, 2025 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing nearly 11 months of action due to knee and thumb injuries, Sixers guard Jared McCain has looked shaky in his first three games back. Playing just 31 total minutes across those three outings, McCain has gone scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting.

In the hopes of getting McCain more comfortable on the court and getting him more full-speed reps, the 76ers assigned the second-year guard to the G League on Thursday, as Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports relays (Twitter links). The expectation is that he’ll suit up for the Delaware Blue Coats tonight and again on Saturday before being recalled to the NBA.

“I just really want him to get some trips up and down the court,” Nurse said (Twitter video link). “I think that’s a good little window for him, a couple home games for them. Then he’ll be right back in the swing of things. … Just get him up and down and get some conditioning. (He’s had) three really short stints in the last 11 months. This is maybe a couple of chances to have some longer stints.”

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Atlantic:

Sixers forward Dominick Barlow, who has been out since October 25 due to a right elbow injury, has been cleared to return, Nurse told reporters today (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). Barlow was Philadelphia’s starting power forward in the two games he played, but Trendon Watford has been handling that role as of late.
After playing crunch-time minutes in the Celtics‘ previous two games, Jordan Walsh was inserted into the starting five on Wednesday for the first time this season, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Walsh had seven points, six rebounds, and two blocks with a +19 plus/minus mark in 18 minutes of action as Boston blew out the Grizzlies. “Honestly, I just think he’s been more professional and maturing,” teammate Payton Pritchard said of Walsh, who played a limited role in each of his first two seasons. “Now, he’s ready for the moment. Just stressing him to like don’t take it for granted. Come hungry still every day and keep pushing.”
Walsh’s promotion has come largely at the expense of Josh Minott, who played a season-low eight minutes on Tuesday and didn’t appear in the second half, then came off the bench on Wednesday after having made nine straight starts. Minott is struggling with his consistency, Robb writes, though the 6’8″ forward ended up seeing plenty of action in Wednesday’s one-sided victory, registering nine points, five rebounds, and four assists in 22 minutes.
Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, who was fined $25K for throwing a water bottle that ricocheted off the court and hit a game attendant, apologized for that incident, according to Danielle Michaud of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). “It was just the emotions of the game came out then,” Ingram said. “Like, how I was playing offensively and defensively, just frustration. I wish I wouldn’t have had anybody else involved when I did that. I apologized a bunch of times to the kid that got hit in the face with the water bottle — it wasn’t my intention at all. I was just frustrated in the midst of the game.”

And-Ones: NBA Europe, Oladipo, Contract Year All-Stars, More

November 12th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is targeting October 2027 for the launch of its new European league, according to NBA Europe managing director George Aivazoglou, who recently spoke at a conference in Milan about the league’s plans.

As Daniella Matar and Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press write, while the NBA envisions a 16-team league, it’s possible that not all of those slots will be filled during the first season. The tentative plan is for NBA Europe to feature 12 permanent teams, with the other four slots rotating based on the results of FIBA’s Basketball Champions League or certain European domestic leagues.

While no agreements with specific teams have been announced so far, the NBA has a number of countries and cities on its radar, per Aivazoglou, including Britain (London and Manchester), France (Paris and Lyon), Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), Italy (Rome and Milan), Germany (Berlin and Munich), Greece (Athens), and Turkey (Istanbul).

Matar and Reynolds speculate that there could be a more concrete update from the NBA in January, when a pair of regular season games are scheduled to be played in London and Berlin.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Having recently joined the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, former NBA star Victor Oladipo spoke to Jared Weiss of The Athletic about his ongoing attempts to make it back to the league for the first time since the 2022/23 season. “Even though I was at the top and I got to work my way back up. I’m willing to do that,” Oladipo said. “So, I’m looking forward to it. I think, like I said, I think my greatest years are ahead of me and I’m looking forward to see where it goes.”
Lakers teammates Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are among the headliners on ESPN’s Bobby Marks’ list of 12 “contract year All-Stars” — players who are in position to earn lucrative new deals with big contract years in 2025/26. Pistons center Jalen Duren, Heat guard Norman Powell, and Sixers teammates Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. are among the others singled out by Marks.
Which NBA star duos could be headed for a split? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a closer look at several around the league, including Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Grizzlies, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner of the Magic, and Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland of the Cavaliers, and weighs whether or not each pairing is likely to have a long-term future.
As part of a series revisiting the NBA over the past quarter-century, The Athletic has published its list of the top 25 players of the last 25 years, along with the top 25 transactions of the last 25 years. LeBron James holds the top spot on both lists, with his decision to take his “talents to South Beach” ranking first among the most impactful transactions of the 21st century. The Warriors are at No. 2 on both lists, with Stephen Curry placing second among players, while Kevin Durant signing with Golden State comes in second among transactions.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, George, Close Games, Edwards

November 12th, 2025 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

There are no structural issues with Joel Embiid‘s right knee, head coach Nick Nurse told reporters during his post-game media session on Tuesday, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

While Embiid has primarily dealt with left knee issues over the last couple seasons, he was held out of Tuesday’s game vs. Boston due to soreness in his other knee and underwent further evaluation to assess the severity of the injury.

However, as Bontemps details, it doesn’t like it’s considered a serious problem, with the team announcing the star center’s status as day-to-day. Prior to Tuesday’s tip-off, Nurse said there were “no expectations” that Embiid’s latest knee issue would result in an extended absence.

“No expectation at all,” Nurse said. “He just reported a little soreness in his right knee. He’s had some imaging on that this afternoon, and the doctors are here tonight to go over that with him.”

Here’s more on the 76ers:

Veteran forward Paul George also met with team doctors on Tuesday and the club provided a minor update on his status, announcing that he’s in the “final stage” of his return-to-play process as he continues strengthening his left quad following offseason knee surgery. With George moving closer to making his season debut, his status will be updated again later this week, according to the Sixers.
Through their first 11 contests, the 76ers have played in nine games defined as “clutch” (within five points in the final five minutes), including five that have come down to one possession. While Philadelphia has performed well in those clutch games (6-3), the team doesn’t want to make a habit of having to erase deficits and win 50/50 games, notes Tony Jones of The Athletic. “I think it’s a good habit that we are resilient and we show the ability to fight and claw and scratch and get the lead back,” Sixers wing Quentin Grimes said. “But, we don’t want to keep having to play like this. We don’t want to have to be in position to have to keep trying to get back into these games.”
A revelation last season as an undrafted free agent, second-year forward Justin Edwards had a mediocre Summer League and played a limited role through the Sixers’ first 10 games, averaging 4.0 PPG in 11.3 MPG on 38.7% shooting. However, he showed in Tuesday’s victory that he remains capable of making positive contributions in Philadelphia’s rotation, as he racked up 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting in 27 minutes of action. “I think I said this to you guys before, like, I love him,” Nurse said of Edwards, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “I don’t worry about him. Works extremely hard. He really worked on his shooting. He goes out there and tries extremely hard on defense every time. He’s not perfect. But he’s a really good developing young player that I love. If he has a bad game, it doesn’t even phase me, because I love him.”

Sixers Notes: Broome, 10-Game Start, Grimes, Barlow

November 11th, 2025 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers rookie power forward Johni Broome has only made two cameo appearances this season. He’s trying to adjust to his NBA reality as a second-round pick, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I’m just kind of trusting my work and my faith,” Broome said. “Obviously, it’s a little difficult at times because it’s kind of something I’m getting used to. But I understand what comes with it. So I’m taking it day by day. I’m not getting frustrated. I know I just have to keep working, keep staying ready. When Coach (Nick Nurse) feels like he’s ready to put me in, he’s going to put me in. Until then, like I say, I’m going to keep working and keep earning his trust however I can.”

Broome sprained his right ankle while playing with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats over the weekend. When he returns to action, he’ll likely spend most of the season with the Blue Coats.

“Wherever I’m at, I’m going to try to compete and get my work in,” Broome said. “If they want me to go down to the G League and play, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Here’s more on the Sixers:

They are off to a decent start at 6-4 but they could have won a couple more games with better crunch time execution, Tony Jones of The Athletic notes. All but one of their games has come down to clutch time, which is defined as a game being within five points or less with five minutes remaining. In three of their losses, they missed a shot on the final possession of the game. Guard Tyrese Maxey has seen a lot of positives. “I like that we can do a lot of different things, and I like that we can play a lot of different ways,” Maxey said. “We can play fast and we can play slow. We can play in the halfcourt, and we can play in transition. There are a lot of different things that we can do to win games.”
Quentin Grimes has switched agents. Grimes will now be represented by CAA Basketball, Brett Siegel of Clutch Points tweets. Grimes, who was previously repped by agent David Bauman, went through a lengthy restricted free agency process over the summer and ultimately signed his $8.74MM qualifying offer. Grimes will be an unrestricted free agent next summer and also has the ability to veto any trade this season.
Dominick Barlow worked out on the court before the Sixers faced the Celtics on Tuesday, Pompey tweets. Barlow will miss his seventh straight game due to a right elbow laceration.
In case you missed it, center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of Tuesday’s contest due to right knee soreness. It’s the first non-scheduled absence so far this season for Embiid, who had an MRI on his knee on Tuesday.

Eastern Notes: Hawks, Embiid, McConnell, Robinson, Ball

November 11th, 2025 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Trae Young is currently on the shelf with a strained MCL, while Kristaps Porzingis isn’t yet producing at his usual level, but the Hawks have picked up back-to-back wins due in large part to big games from unlikely sources.

As Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, third-year forward Mouhamed Gueye came up big in Saturday’s victory over the Lakers, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting while also contributing seven rebounds and seven assists. It was a career night for Gueye, who was making his second start of the season with several regulars – including Porzingis and Jalen Johnson – sidelined.

“He’s been hungry,” head coach Quin Snyder said after the game. “He wants to get better. He’s putting the time in games, like tonight, he gets even more opportunity to do that, obviously, on the floor.”

Gueye had a quiet night off the bench on Monday vs. the Clippers, but fellow reserve Vit Krejci set his own career high in points (28), as well as three-pointers, knocking down 8-of-10 tries from beyond the arc. As Williams details, Krejci’s hot shooting helped fuel Atlanta’s comeback, and his banked-in three-pointer to beat the shot clock with 36 seconds left in the fourth quarter helped seal the win (video link).

Both Gueye and Krejci are on multiyear minimum-salary contracts, so the Hawks have the ability to retain them on team-friendly deals beyond this season.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Sixers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of Tuesday’s contest vs. Boston due to right knee soreness, the team announced today (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). It’s Embiid’s first non-scheduled absence so far this season, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. It’s also worth noting that it’s not the knee that has been a recurring issue for the big man in recent years — Embiid underwent surgery on his left knee in the spring. He’s being evaluated further by team doctors, per the Sixers.
Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell, who was said over the weekend to be “getting closer” to making his season debut, has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game in Utah, according to the team (Twitter link). McConnell has yet to play this fall due to a left hamstring strain, but his return appears to be imminent — if he’s unable to suit up against the Jazz, the veteran’s next opportunity to play would be on Thursday in Phoenix.
Mitchell Robinson has played sparingly so far this season, suiting up for just four of the Knicks‘ first nine games as the team carefully manages his workload. However, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Robinson has made the most of his limited role, grabbing nine offensive rebounds in 16 minutes vs. Minnesota last Wednesday, then finishing as a remarkable +40 in less than 17 minutes of action against Brooklyn on Sunday. “I don’t really fall into the plus-minus stuff a ton, but it’s another amazing stat,” head coach Mike Brown said. “He keeps throwing up these stats that are amazing. … To impact the game that way — again, not a huge believer in it — but to see a number like that in the short amount of time he was playing, was just amazing.”
Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was assigned to the G League on Tuesday to practice with the Greensboro Swarm (Twitter link). Ball has missed Charlotte’s past four games due to a right ankle impingement, but head coach Charles Lee expressed enthusiasm on Monday about the progress the 24-year-old has made in his recovery (Twitter video link via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer).

Sixers Notes: Watford, Oubre, Embiid, Edgecombe

November 9th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Trendon Watford posted a triple-double while making his first start for the Sixers on Saturday and earned a comparison to peak Ben Simmons from teammate Joel Embiid, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Watford finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, all season highs, in a victory over Toronto.

“He’s kind of what you call a hooper,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters. “He really, really knows how to play, and he can do a lot of different things that we talked about.”

According to Pompey, Nurse was hoping to acquire Watford from Brooklyn last season, but a deal couldn’t be worked out. He pushed to sign Watford in free agency, and it’s looking like a great investment. The 25-year-old forward is averaging 10.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists through six games and has become a valuable member of the rotation. He’s making $2.5MM this season, and the team holds a $2.8MM option for 2026/27.

A hamstring injury prevented Watford from participating in training camp or the preseason and forced him to miss the first three games of the regular season. He tells Tony Jones of The Athletic that he’s glad that experience is behind him.

“I hope it’s something that I don’t have to deal with going forward,” Watford said. “Hamstrings are difficult because you can’t do anything when you have that injury. All you can do is kind of sit around and get out of shape.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

Nurse will be facing a difficult lineup decision with Paul George potentially returning soon, Pompey adds in the same piece. There’s been an assumption that George would replace Kelly Oubre Jr. in the starting lineup, but Pompey states that Oubre has been playing too well to demote. He’s been an important contributor on both ends of the court, averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in nine games. “I think Kelly has been really outstanding,” Nurse said. “You saw him. he was fighting (Brandon) Ingram most of the night. He’s done that consistently, where he’s got one of the better scorers in the league or the other team and keeps working and working. He’s been really good and done a good job of playing physical.”
Embiid scored a season-high 29 points on Saturday, but he didn’t force any shots and made an effort to get his teammates involved in the offense, Pompey observes in a separate story. “It’s just about moving the ball,” he said. “Passing to the open guy. Like I said, I’m not too worried about the offense. I think we know what we have to do, especially sharing the ball.”
The Sixers’ good fortune in keeping their first-round pick at the lottery and their decision to select VJ Edgecombe when there was no consensus on the third-best draft prospect have changed the trajectory of the franchise for the future, Yossi Gozlan states in his Third Apron column (subscription required).

Sixers Notes: George, Barlow, McCain, Grimes

November 7th, 2025 at 6:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers forward Paul George will meet with doctors this weekend, according to head coach Nick Nurse, and if this “final hurdle” goes well, the nine-time All-Star could make his season debut in the near future, as Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports relays (Twitter links).

George, who is in the second season of a four-year, maximum-salary contract, has been a full practice participant for two-plus weeks, but has yet to play in 2025/26 after undergoing offseason knee surgery.

Two-way forward Dominick Barlow, who has missed the past six games after suffering a right elbow laceration that required a procedure to address, will miss this weekend’s back-to-back and has a follow-up meeting with his surgeon on Monday, Bodner adds.

We have more from Philadelphia:

Nurse also provided an update on Jared McCain, who will miss one of the games this weekend and will remain on a minutes restriction for now (Twitter link via Bodner). The second-year guard’s season debut was delayed after he underwent thumb surgery. McCain, a 2024 first-round pick, missed most of his rookie season after undergoing season-ending surgery to deal with a torn meniscus. He wore a knee brace in his first game on Tuesday and will continue to do so for at least a month, which is when he’ll be reexamined (Twitter video link courtesy of PHLY Sixers). “It feels like …. unbalanced,” McCain said of the brace. “It just feels like it’s super heavy, like you’re lugging a whole leg, another leg, on top of your leg. It’s just hard to move.”
Although McCain didn’t play well in Tuesday’s loss at Chicago, finishing with no points (on 0-of-4 shooting), two assists and one rebound in 15 minutes, the 21-year-old was grateful to return to action after last suiting up nearly 11 months ago, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. “There will be a lot of emotion,” McCain said. “It hasn’t really hit me yet. But I’m thankful for the medical staff, and I’m thankful to my support system. Conditioning-wise, I felt fine. I just have to get used to contact. It takes a minute. But hopefully it doesn’t take too long.”
Quentin Grimes will be heading for unrestricted free agency next summer after signing his one-year, $8.7MM qualifying offer as a RFA over the offseason. The 25-year-old guard has boosted his stock in the early going due to his strong play as the team’s sixth man, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link). “The opportunity that coach is giving me provides a lot of freedom out there on the court,” Grimes said. “The minutes he gave me are starter minutes to come off the bench at this point.” Through eight games (31.6 minutes per contest), Grimes is averaging 18.3 points, 4.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals on .465/.385/.791 shooting.

Sixers’ Jared McCain To Make Season Debut On Tuesday

November 4th, 2025 at 11:55am CST by Rory Maher

November 4: McCain will be available for Tuesday’s game vs. the Bulls, the Sixers confirmed today (via Twitter).

November 3: Jared McCain is on track to make his season debut tomorrow, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the Sixers guard will be listed as probable for Tuesday’s game in Chicago.

The 16th overall pick in last year’s draft, McCain sustained a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right thumb during an offseason workout just before training camp began. He subsequently underwent surgery to address the injury.

McCain was no longer wearing a splint early last week and then was able to practice on Thursday.

McCain, 21, was one of the early Rookie of the Year frontrunners in 2024/25, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds on .460/.383/.875 shooting in 23 games (25.7 MPG). However, he suffered a season-ending injury — a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, which required surgery — last December.

After a disastrous 2-12 start to open last season, the 76ers have been one of the NBA’s pleasant surprises early on in ’25/26 — they’re currently 5-1. McCain will slot into a strong backcourt rotation featuring Tyrese Maxey (who was just named Eastern Conference Player of the Week), VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes.

Forwards Paul George (left knee surgery) and Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) will remain sidelined for Tuesday’s contest, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports.

Sixers Notes: Oubre, Lowry, Edgecombe, Embiid

November 3rd, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Maher

While the Sixers‘ backcourt play has understandably garnered most of the attention during the team’s 5-1 start, veteran forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has been a key contributor as well, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link).

In Sunday’s matchup with Brooklyn, Oubre was tasked with slowing down Michael Porter Jr., who had a season-high 32-points in his previous game against Atlanta. Not only did Oubre limit Porter to two first-half points, he scored 24 of his own, including a career-best 22 in the first quarter alone.

“So [Kelly] set the tone big-time on that,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “And, again, I really believe this to be true: When you start the game super focused on D, that really usually translates to the other end, too. It really does.”

Oubre, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, is averaging 19.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 38.0 minutes per contest on .526/.416/.800 shooting through six games.

Here’s more on the 76ers:

Kyle Lowry officially became the 12th player in NBA history to play 20 seasons when he checked in for garbage-time minutes at the end of Sunday’s win against the Nets, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The six-time All-Star, who was born in Philadelphia and played his college ball at Villanova, is a leader in the 76ers’ locker room. “That’s a Hall of Famer we’re talking about,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Jersey’s probably getting retired in Toronto. And he’s up cheering for everybody, motivating people, talking in the locker room. I’ve got nothing but love and respect for K-Low and we appreciate having him.”
In a column for The Inquirer, Pompey (subscription required), Pompey wonders whether VJ Edgecombe will be able to reach his full potential offensively playing alongside a ball-dominant center in Joel Embiid. Edgecombe has been the league’s top rookie in the early going, averaging 20.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.0 APG and 1.5 SPG on .495/.421/.824 shooting in six games (39.0 MPG), but has often ceded touches to Embiid when they share the court, Pompey explains.
Embiid’s defensive mobility has been limited in his four appearances this season after he underwent another knee surgery in April. In a subscriber-only mailbag, Pompey speculates that the former league MVP may have lingering issues with the knee, though he acknowledges it will probably take another month or so to determine if Embiid will look like this going forward or if he’s just trying to work himself back into playing shape. Pompey also tackles questions about Paul George‘s play-making and how the nine-time All-Star forward might impact the team’s defense when he makes his season debut.
In case you missed it, second-year guard Jared McCain is expected to make his season debut on Tuesday in Chicago.

SGA, Maxey Named NBA’s Players Of The Week

November 3rd, 2025 at 2:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links).

Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City to a 4-0 record during the week of October 27 to November 2, averaging 28.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. He was especially effective over the course of a three-game stretch vs. the Kings, Wizards, and Pelicans, scoring at least 30 points in all three contests and committing just four total turnovers.

Maxey carried the Sixers to a 3-1 record by averaging 33.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game this past week. The sixth-year guard, who will celebrate his 25th birthday on Tuesday, began the week by scoring a season-high 43 points against Orlando, then had 39 points and 10 assists in an overtime win over Washington.

The Trail Blazers’ duo of Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday, the Suns’ Devin Booker, the Lakers’ duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun were the other Western Conference nominees.

The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown, the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, the Bulls’ Josh Giddey, the Hawks’ Jalen Johnson and the Bucks’ Ryan Rollins were also nominated in the East.

Load More Posts