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Sixers Notes: Undefeated Start, Maxey, Grimes, McCain

October 28th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers wilted last season under an avalanche of injuries, but there’s reason to believe that may not happen again, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Philadelphia was shorthanded on Monday night as Joel Embiid was rested for left knee injury management and Dominick Barlow missed the game after having a procedure for a laceration on his left elbow. They joined Paul George, Jared McCain and Trendon Watford, who haven’t played yet this season, but the Sixers managed to defeat Orlando to remain one of the league’s four unbeaten teams.

“Last year, I think lineups changed a lot. Guys in and out,” Kelly Oubre Jr. said of 24-58 season. “But this year, I think Tyrese (Maxey) has been hitting it on the head. It’s like no matter who’s out there, we have this constant that we won’t waver from. That goes into our culture and the things that we do on a daily basis. It’s still early. But at the end of the day, man, if we can have the next man step up, or anybody come in there and be an impact to winning, I think that we’ll be better off than we were last year.”

Head coach Nick Nurse was forced to use a makeshift rotation to pull out the win against the Magic. Jabari Walker made his first start of the season and delivered four points, five rebounds and a block in 14 minutes. Veteran guard Eric Gordon and rookie guard Hunter Sallis both saw action for the first time this season.

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The Sixers are getting a historic performance from their young guards, Pompey notes in the same piece. Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have combined for 186 points, which is the highest total for a starting backcourt through three games since the league began tracking starters in 1970/71. Maxey, who had 43 points on Monday and is leading the NBA in scoring at 37 PPG, received MVP chants from the crowd. “I’m just trying to close games out,” he said. “Joel has been on me recently about that, probably since my fourth year, about how I can help close games out and have the ball in my hand and make decisions whether I’m shooting or whether I’m passing.”
Quentin Grimes, who signed his qualifying offer following a summer-long standoff over a new contract, is finding success in a bench role after being the team’s leading scorer late last season, Pompey adds. He contributed 14 points on Monday after scoring 24 against Charlotte on Saturday. “I know I’m going to get starters minutes and everything (despite coming off the bench),” Grimes said. “I’m going to do my thing. I just get the opportunity to go out there and play my game … go out there and help the team win. We got a lot of good guys on the team, a lot of versatility. So it’s all going to play itself out. It’s going to work out for sure.”
McCain is making progress in his recovery from thumb surgery and could be back on the court soon, Pompey states in a separate story. The second-year guard, who’s no longer wearing a splint, put on an impressive shooting display after Monday’s shootaround, according to Pompey. Nurse urged caution, saying McCain still has to go through “a series of days of contact” before being activated. “Inserting him in with the VJ, Tyrese and (Quentin Grimes guard) group is the plan,” Nurse added. “That was sort of the plan going into the season. Again, I think they all can do a variety of things, and give us a chance to have some more depth. Gives us a chance to, again, play some shorter stints so the energy can stay high and all those things. We need him back. We look forward to having him back.”

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Barlow, Drummond, Edwards

October 26th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Joel Embiid will miss the Sixers‘ game against the Magic on Monday due to left knee injury management, reports Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer (via Twitter). It has been reported that Embiid and the Sixers would be cautious with his health, so the move isn’t unexpected after he played in the first two contests of the season.

Embiid scored 20 points in 20 minutes in the Sixers’ most recent game against the Hornets, following a disappointing season debut against the Celtics. Taking advantage of Charlotte’s lack of big man depth, Embiid added four assists and two steals while scoring nine of the team’s first 18 points, writes Pompey.

Embiid, who is currently on a minutes restriction, is still trying to navigate how to be most effective in a more limited role, Pompey writes.

“Longer stints, you’ll actually be able to let the game come to you,” he said. “But then again, longer stints also mean you might be done by halftime. But I can’t sit for too long… being in shape is one thing, but being in basketball shape is another thing. You need to play, and you need to play a lot.”

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Dominick Barlow will miss at least the next two games with a laceration to his right elbow that will require a procedure on Monday to address, reports Pompey (via Twitter). Pompey adds that Barlow will be reevaluated later in the week. Barlow was one of the standouts of the Sixers’ preseason, winning the starting power forward job in Paul George‘s absence despite being on a two-way contract. In his season debut against the Celtics, he scored 13 points and added eight rebounds and five assists. He played just under 16 minutes against the Hornets before leaving the game due to the injury.
Andre Drummond was out of head coach Nick Nurse‘s rotation to open the season, but played arguably his best game as a Sixer against the Hornets, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic (subscriber link). Drummond brought down 13 rebounds in 15 minutes and was instrumental in turning the team’s momentum around, according to Jones. “I’m thrilled that he was able to play so well,” Nurse said. “And now, I’m kind of wondering why I didn’t use him earlier. I knew that I would eventually have to use him again, because Joel was down to just a few minutes in the second half. I was trying to find some spark, and he gave it.“
Justin Edwards was hoping to build off a strong rookie season, but struggled to carve out a role for himself during Summer League or preseason, writes Kyle Neubeck for PHLY Sports (Twitter link). After scoring nine points in the second half against the Hornets, Edwards revealed that Drummond has been an important confidant, having helped keep him confident and ready for his opportunity. “For a guy like Justin who’s young… who is used to playing big minutes off the year he had last year, coming back now and being out of the rotation… I have him sit next to me every game,” Drummond said. “I said bro, don’t lose yourself in this. It’s a game of runs; it’s a game that changes often. Just stay ready, continue to work, and when your number is called, you’re going to be ready to go.“

Injury Notes: Miller, Luka, LaVine, Hawks, Barlow

October 25th, 2025 at 9:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard/forward Brandon Miller, who missed most of last season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, was ruled out for the remainder of Saturday night’s game in Philadelphia due to left shoulder soreness, the Hornets announced (via Twitter).

According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Miller checked out early in the second quarter and “appeared to be in a good amount of pain,” though it wasn’t immediately clear when the injury occurred — or how serious it might be.

Miller, 22, was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 draft and was coming off a solid first game in which he recorded 25 points and seven assists in 31 minutes against Brooklyn.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is questionable for Sunday’s matchup at Sacramento due to a left finger sprain, per the team’s injury report (Twitter link via Jovan Buha). According to Buha, Doncic sustained the injury early in Friday’s victory over Minnesota and had his finger wrapped for the rest of the evening. As we relayed this morning, Doncic broke a franchise record by scoring 92 combined points in the Lakers’ first two games. Jaxson Hayes (left knee soreness) is also questionable for Los Angeles, while Zach LaVine is questionable for the Kings due to an illness, tweets Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento.
The Hawks played without their entire starting frontcourt in Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma City, notes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Center Kristaps Porzingis missed his second straight contest with flu-like symptoms, as did 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, who is battling a right ankle sprain. Forward Jalen Johnson missed his first game with his own right ankle sprain.
Forward Dominick Barlow, who has started the Sixers‘ first two games despite being on a two-way contract, was ruled out for the second half of Saturday’s eventual win over Charlotte after suffering a right elbow laceration, tweets Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Another two-way forward, Jabari Walker, got the starting nod in the second half, as Tony Jones of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).

Sixers Notes: Edgecombe, Maxey, Embiid, Barlow

October 22nd, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

VJ Edgecombe had a historic debut for the Sixers on Wednesday, scoring the most points in a rookie debut since Wilt Chamberlain, writes Kurt Helin for NBC Sports.

After starting the game with 14 first-quarter points, Edgecombe finished with 34 for the game, the third-highest mark ever for a rookie in his first NBA outing. He also added seven rebounds, three assists, and five three-pointers.

“We certainly needed the offense, and he certainly just looked pretty comfortable out there,” head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. “Again, I think that’s probably one thing I’ve noticed the most about him, is he seems to really know what’s going on out there for a young player. You just don’t see him making silly mistakes, or many mistakes. He is just playing the right way. He’s got a very good feel for the game.”

It wasn’t all perfect for the third overall pick. Edgecombe went to the line with a one-point lead and 7.3 seconds on the clock and missed both free throws, but the Celtics were unable to take advantage, allowing the Sixers to escape with the win.

We have more Sixers notes:

Prior to Wednesday’s opener, Tyrese Maxey reflected on his path to becoming a leader with this Philadelphia team. “I used to always smile, but I know that I can’t be that guy anymore,” Maxey said told Tony Jones of The Athletic. “I kind of leave it up to Jared (McCain) and VJ. I want them to be extremely happy and have fun and just focus on playing basketball. That’s what they deserve to do.” One thing Maxey is focused on is letting go of a disaster 2024/25 season. On Wednesday, he took a good first step in that direction, leading the team to a win over Boston with 40 points on 24 shots and six assists to just one turnover.
One of the hardest things for a superstar to do is accept their limitations, but that’s exactly what Joel Embiid has been forced to do, writes Keith Pompey for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid knows he’s perceived differently after the injuries that have caused him to lose so much time. “We got a bunch of athletes,” Embiid said. “We’ve got to release them… They’ve got to run. My job is to find them and, in a way, that also kind of saves me, because if we get early baskets and easy baskets, I won’t have to run up and down. I can just let those guys push the pace, attack. And if we don’t have anything, I’ve always trailed anyway in my career. Then I can come in and get into the offense.” In the season opener, Embiid was limited to four points on 1-of-9 shooting while playing just 20 minutes. Nurse confirmed ahead of the game that Embiid would be on a minutes restriction, Pompey reported (via Twitter).
Two-way big man Dominick Barlow got the start for the Sixers and ended the night with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one block in 34 minutes. After a strong preseason, he continued to impress, causing Jones to predict (via Twitter) that Barlow will have his contract converted to a standard NBA deal at some point this season.

Eastern Notes: Nets, Giannis, Barlow, Sixers, Plumlee

October 12th, 2025 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets owner Joe Tsai raised some eyebrows by stating during a recent panel appearance that his team is prioritizing a good draft pick in 2026 and that, as a result, “You can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season.” Asked on Sunday about that remark, head coach Jordi Fernandez deftly put a positive spin on it, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“He says he wants a good draft pick because no matter where we pick, our front office is so good we’re going to pick a very good player,” Fernandez said. “… So whatever we pick, that’s why he’s excited, because we’re going to pick right.”

Despite Fernandez’s spin, the general consensus is that it will be a challenging season for the Nets, who are incorporating five rookies and traded away second-leading scorer Cameron Johnson over the summer. Still, it’s worth noting that Fernandez’s team outperformed expectations last season by winning 26 games after being widely viewed as the NBA’s worst team entering the year.

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo took part in five-on-five work at Saturday’s practice and the plan is for him to make his preseason debut on Sunday against Chicago, according to head coach Doc Rivers (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). Antetokounmpo got off to a late start this fall due to a case of COVID-19 that forced him to miss the first several days of training camp.
Sixers forward Dominick Barlow is making a strong case for a promotion from his two-way contract to a standard deal with his play this preseason, contends Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. I’d be surprised if Philadelphia is in any rush to fill its 15th roster spot due to the luxury tax implications, but Barlow is well positioned for rotation minutes to open the season. He even has a chance to be the team’s starting power forward until Paul George is ready to suit up, suggests Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Sixers are naming JP Clark the head coach of their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Clark, who has previously worked for the Clippers and Celtics, is being promoted from his role as Blue Coats assistant.
Mason Plumlee is the experienced veteran among a group of Hornets centers that features 23-year-olds Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner, but he said this week that he didn’t sign with Charlotte as a free agent just to be a mentor and leader, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes. “I think I have a lot to offer, especially the young guys in my position,” Plumlee said. “But my understanding is we’re playing to win this year. So, that was my interest in coming here and I want to contribute to that.”

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Edgecombe, Barlow, Bona

October 3rd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Quentin Grimes officially taking the Sixers‘ qualifying offer signified the end of the longest-lasting restricted free agency standoff of the offseason. Despite Grimes possessing a coveted skill set in the league as a defender and shooter, his breakout second half didn’t translate to an offer sheet.

That’s partly due to team president Daryl Morey‘s preferred negotiation strategy and partially due to the financial and roster situation the Sixers find themselves in, according to Keith Pompey for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pompey writes that Morey’s philosophy tends to be to let the open market shape his offers, and with such little spending flexibility available league-wide, there was less incentive to offer a generous deal to the restricted free agent.

Pompey adds that between Paul George and Joel Embiid, the Sixers have two contracts that would be difficult to move, and with Jared McCain and rookie VJ Edgecombe filling the shooting guard depth chart on team-friendly deals, adding Grimes on a more lucrative contract that might need to be moved down the line could have proven burdensome.

Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals over 28 games for the Sixers last season. However, Pompey cites an anonymous executive who believes that because that stretch of play came late in the season, when the team was fully tanking, those gaudy numbers were somewhat meaningless.

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The Sixers had their preseason opener in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, and with Embiid, George, Grimes, and Trendon Watford missing, fans were given a glimpse of what the deeper parts of the bench could offer. One particularly bright spot came from their third overall pick, Edgecombe, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. While still a work in progress, the athletic guard showed that at the very least, he’s already ready to be a rotation player, writes Tony Jones for The Athletic. Jones suggests that Edgecombe could be a starter on opening night and exhibited star potential. In a separate piece for the Inquirer, Pompey adds that the backcourt of Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey showed that they could, in time, be one of the league’s best.
In the same piece, Pompey notes that two-way big man Dominick Barlow has impressed the team over the summer. His strong offseason carried over to Thursday’s preseason game vs. the Knicks, as he posted a stat line of six points, 10 rebounds, and two assists. “Barlow is standing out early on here,” coach Nick Nurse said earlier in the week. “He’s just really on the glass and making some shots and playing extremely hard. He was just involved in a lot of good stuff.” Pompey speculates that Barlow is making a strong argument to be converted into a standard contract sooner or later.
Finally, Pompey notes that second-year big man Adem Bona appears to have taken the lead when it comes to the backup center battle with veteran Andre Drummond. Bona needs to be better as a rebounder, Pompey writes, but his speed and athleticism stand out on a team that is looking to push the pace.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Edgecombe, Maxey, Backup Centers

October 1st, 2025 at 8:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

As always, the Sixers‘ prospects will hinge on the availability of star center Joel Embiid, and coach Nick Nurse sees reasons to be encouraged through the first few days of training camp. Before his team opens the preseason Thursday in Abu Dhabi, Nurse discussed Embiid’s progress and other topics with PHLY Sports (YouTube link, hat tip to ClutchPoints).

“I think the encouraging things are some of the stuff that he’s said that he looks good, right? He’s feeling pretty good,” Nurse said. “He’s got some boxes to tick to get, you know, keep it going, but it looks more encouraging. You know, I think he said he feels a lot better this year at this time of year than he did a year ago. So, that’s got to be a positive step in the right direction. We’re looking forward to getting him back with the group.”

Recurring issues with his surgically repaired left knee limited Embiid to 19 games last season before he was shut down in February. He talked recently about the need to be on the court much more frequently to avoid a repeat of last season’s disaster (Twitter video link).

“Last year, I kind of felt the pressure from the start that we had,” Embiid said. “I was not close to where I wanted to be but I felt like I had to something because I care so much about these guys. I think that’s what it comes down to. Seeing us succeed, the wins adding up.”

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After loading up on veterans last season, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey made an effort to build a younger and more athletic roster over the summer, per Yaron Weitzman of The Ringer. That plan included holding onto the No. 3 pick in the draft, which was used to select VJ Edgecombe, instead of trading it for more immediate help. “We have really good young guys, and they have this open happiness and this spirit that’s just a pureness,” Kyle Lowry said. “They love basketball, they want to work, they get into the gym early, they listen to the coaches.”
Edgecombe changed his conditioning habits to prepare for his first NBA season and added 10 pounds of muscle during the summer, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Fans who watched Edgecombe at Baylor will notice a difference in his three-point shot. “I had a flat shot in college,” he said. “So now my arc was way better than a month ago, or maybe three weeks ago. My arc is way better, and it’s more consistent. It’s crazy now. It’s rare for me to shoot flat. I know when any shot is flat now.”
Tyrese Maxey is focused on becoming a team leader in his sixth NBA season, Pompey adds in a separate story. He was often the number one scoring option last season due to injuries to Embiid and Paul George, and he’s ready to embrace the responsibilities that go along with that role. “I remember the end of my fourth year, maybe, I remember Joel kind of pulling me to the side, telling me my voice is going to be needed,” Maxey said. “You know, people just see how hard I work, see how much I care about winning, how much I care about the franchise. And, you know, Joel is a more reserved guy. Of course he is talented on the court. That’s what he does. But he was just telling me that’s a way for me to step up and lead and be vocal.”
In another piece, Pompey profiles the battle for the backup center spot, with newcomers Johni Broome, Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow joining holdovers Andre Drummond and Adem Bona.

Atlantic Notes: Ingram, Tatum, Lillard, Sixers

July 13th, 2025 at 6:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has yet to suit up for his new team, but he’s confident that Toronto can mount a postseason run in 2025/26, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter video link).

“I think we’re making the playoffs for sure,” Ingram said. “I think we try to build championship habits. I think what I saw in the second half of the season is, they play hard, they play really really hard on the offensive and defensive end.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Six-time Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum has been actively recruiting Damian Lillard in the hopes that the nine-time All-Star guard will sign a multiyear deal with the team, reports Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). Both players suffered Achilles tendon tears during this spring’s playoffs. Lillard was stretched and waived by Milwaukee, and while he could miss most or all of 2025/26, the 6’2″ vet has drawn widespread interest for what he could provide beyond the coming season.
Beyond losing forward Guerschon Yabusele in free agency and selecting guard VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 pick in this summer’s draft, the Sixers‘ roster has barely changed from the 2024/25 season, when the team went just 24-58, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia has also brought in young players Trendon Watford and two-way signings Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow, though none of them appear to be starting-caliber just yet. “We needed to get players in Jabari and Barlow — I’m just going through our later positions — and then Trendon are all sort of part of this, sort of push to get younger and more versatile,” general manager Daryl Morey said. “Trendon can guard multiple positions and he’s fairly unique in his ability to handle the pass, which I do think across the roster that’s a skill that we felt like we needed.”
Morey has a youth movement in his backcourt, led by Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and second-year guard Jared McCain, writes Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (subscriber link). Restricted free agent Quentin Grimes will presumably be back, too. Who will start next to pricey All-Star Maxey next season? “It’s competition, man,” McCain told Neubeck. “That’s how we got to our position. So whatever it is, we’re all going to play. We’re all going to have fun playing, and I’m just excited to get out there with these guys, anybody who’s on our team.” Edgecombe noted that, whatever happens, the guards will support each other. “We’re all teammates at the end of the day, and we want what’s best for each other,” Edgecombe said. “So whoever coach does put in the game, we’re gonna rock with it.”

Sixers Sign Dominick Barlow To Two-Way Deal, Waive Alex Reese

July 9th, 2025 at 3:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

3:12 pm: The Sixers have officially signed Barlow and waived Reese, the team confirmed in a press release.

12:43 pm: The Sixers are waiving two-way forward Alex Reese, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. That will make room for Dominick Barlow, as the Sixers are adding him on a two-way deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Barlow, 22, has 96 games of NBA experience. He made a total of 61 appearances with San Antonio during the 2022/23 and ’23/24 seasons. Last year, Barlow appeared in 35 games with the Hawks, including four starts. He averaged 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per night.

Atlanta declined its option on Barlow’s $2.2MM contract in late June, making him an unrestricted free agent. He had been promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract in early March.

Reese appeared in 14 games with Philadelphia last season, averaging 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. The 6’9″ forward was signed to a two-year, two-way deal in late February. He’s currently on the team’s Summer League roster but has recently been experiencing Achilles soreness.

Reese also spent extended time in the G League last season. He averaged 16.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game for the Delaware Blue Coats and Rip City Remix, making 45.1% of his shots from the field and 39.3% from three-point range.

Reese played four seasons of college basketball for Alabama from 2017-21 prior to going undrafted. He initially spent a year away from the sport, then signed in Luxembourg during the 2022/23 campaign. He spent the 2023/24 season with the Rip City Remix.

Hunter Sallis and Jabari Walker hold the other two-way spots.

Hawks To Decline Option On Dominick Barlow

June 29th, 2025 at 4:13pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Hawks are declining their team option on center Dominick Barlow, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

Barlow’s option was for $2.2MM. The 22-year-old 6’9″ big man will become an unrestricted free agent with the move.

Barlow played 35 games with the Hawks this season after spending his first two years with the Spurs. He averaged 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds for the Hawks in 10.7 minutes a night, numbers that are basically in line with his career averages, but he failed to carve out a real role for himself.

The Overtime Elite alumnus has performed well in the G League, but is still searching for a long-term NBA spot after the Spurs opted not to keep him last summer.