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Pelicans Notes: Redick, Bledsoe, Williamson, Ball

March 20th, 2021 at 3:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran reserve guard J.J. Redick is expected to be traded or bought out this month. If he’s dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline, the Sixers make the most sense, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Redick’s $13MM salary could be matched with some of Philadelphia’s expiring contracts (Mike Scott, Tony Bradley, Vincent Poirier). The Sixers could also throw in a second-round pick and they have a couple of extra ones, including the Knicks’ 2021 second-rounder, Hollinger notes.

We have more on the Pelicans:

In the same Athletic story, William Guillory expresses doubt that the front office could move Eric Bledsoe. Acquired from the Bucks in the Jrue Holiday deal, Bledsoe is averaging 11.7 PPG and 3.8 APG — his lowest totals since the 2012/13 season — and has been a liability on defense. He’s owed $18.1MM next season, though his $19.4MM salary in 2022/23 is non-guaranteed.
The team should run more of its offense though Zion Williamson, Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Times Picayune argues. New Orleans has struggled to put opponents away due in part to a lack of crunch time touches for Williamson, Kushner notes. Coach Stan Van Gundy needs to make adjustments to ensure the ball gets in the hands of his top offensive threat when the Pelicans need a basket, Kushner adds.
Redick, Bledsoe and Lonzo Ball are the players that could possibly be moved prior to the trade deadline, according to Christian Clark of the Times Picayune. The franchise is in a tough spot with Ball, since they already have approximately $88MM committed to seven other players next season. Re-signing Ball as a restricted free agent would force the Pelicans to take a piecemeal approach to the remainder of the rest of the roster.

Ankle Sprain Sidelines Seth Curry

March 19th, 2021 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers guard Seth Curry will miss at least two games due to a sprained left ankle, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets. He’ll be re-evaluated after Sunday’s game against New York. Philadelphia plays Sacramento on Saturday.

Assessing Which Sixers Could Be Dealt

March 17th, 2021 at 8:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

As the Sixers head toward the NBA trade deadline, Derek Bodner and Rich Hoffman of The Athletic catalogue just which players Philadelphia’s revamped front office might be willing to move. Unsurprisingly, Bodner and Hoffman do not think the 28-12 Sixers will be willing to trade All-Stars Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons this season.

Conversely, Danny Green, Mike Scott, Terrance Ferguson, and Vincent Poirier are all earmarked as possible trade candidates for salary-matching purposes in hypothetical outgoing deals. Bodner and Hoffman think that the Sixers will be reluctant to move Shake Milton, Tobias Harris and Seth Curry, as those players probably have more value to Philadelphia than they would in a trade.

Paul Reed Expected To Eventually Be Promoted To 15-Man Roster

March 16th, 2021 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming off an impressive performance in the G League bubble, Sixers rookie forward Paul Reed is expected to have his two-way contract turned into a standard deal at some point, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Charania doesn’t make it clear whether that will happen during the season or in the summer, but I imagine the 76ers would prefer to get it done sooner rather than later — Reed would be a restricted free agent if he finishes the season on his current deal, opening the door for a rival team to give him an offer sheet.

How The Sixers Can Weather Embiid's Absence

March 14th, 2021 at 1:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Sixers will be without All-Star center Joel Embiid, out multiple weeks with a bone bruise, prompting Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer to assess how the 76ers can adjust to temporary life on the floor without the big man. The team will have to lean on the scoring output of forward Tobias Harris and the passing and defensive acumen of All-Star guard Ben Simmons more than ever.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Morey, Trade Deadline, Harris

March 13th, 2021 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers got good news this morning about Joel Embiid‘s left knee, but there’s more to the story than the MRI results, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Embiid is projected to miss two to three weeks with a bone bruise after a scary fall in Friday’s game.

Bodner estimates that April 3 is probably the earliest realistic date for Embiid to return, which will affect Philadelphia’s hopes for the top seed in the East. That would mean a 10-game absence, with eight of those games against teams with records of .500 or better. Losing Embiid could affect not only the playoff seedings, but also the MVP race and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey’s desire to make a major trade by the March 25 deadline.

An extended absence could affect Embiid’s next contract as well, Bodner adds. If Embiid makes an All-NBA team this season or in 2021/22, he will be eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension, which means his salary could start at 35% of the salary cap, rather than 30%.

There’s more on the Sixers:

Morey gained a reputation for being aggressive at the trade deadline in Houston, but he’s cautioning Sixers fans not to count on a major deal this year, according to Dan Gelston of The Associated Press. Morey likes the cohesiveness of his current players, who are off to a 26-12 start. “We have a great group, a great chemistry, they’re playing at a high level, they play even better against very good teams,” he said. “That’s something fragile and we need to respect it. Long story short, everyone expecting some big thing, I would ask them to be excited about who we have more than what’s possible.”
The Sixers are “loaded with assets” as they approach the trade deadline, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says in an Instagram video. They have an $8.29MM trade exception and seven players with expiring contracts. Marks expects Philadelphia to be in the mix for Andre Drummond, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kyle Lowry.
Tobias Harris feels like he has something to prove after being overlooked for the All-Star Game, writes Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Harris wasn’t selected as a reserve even though he averaged 20.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in the first half of the season. “When me and (head coach Doc Rivers) talk about it, I just tell him, ‘Look, I’ve got a bounty out for all the coaches that didn’t vote for me, all the national media that skipped over me,’” Harris said. “It is what it is, but me and Doc discuss that you make your name known in the playoffs and leading this team, and being solid and what you do day in and day out. And that was my mentality.”

Joel Embiid To Miss 2-3 Weeks With Bone Bruise In Knee

March 13th, 2021 at 8:44am CST by marksuleymanov

Sixers MVP candidate Joel Embiid is expected to miss 2-to-3 weeks after an MRI revealed a bone bruise in his left knee, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Embiid’s MRI revealed no structural damage to his knee and there is a feeling of relief within the Philadelphia organization that the superstar’s injury isn’t worse, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old suffered the injury on Friday night during the Sixers’ tilt against the Wizards. Embiid hyperextended his left knee after landing awkwardly following a dunk in the third quarter. Embiid stayed down for several minutes before exiting under his own power, albeit with a noticeable limp.

Friday’s contest was Embiid’s first action since before the All-Star break as he – along with teammate Ben Simmons – was forced to sit out the star-studded contest due to contact tracing. Simmons and Embiid saw the same barber who later tested positive for COVID-19 and had to isolate.

While the injury might impact his MVP odds, Embiid has played like one all season for Philadelphia. In 31 games, he is averaging 29.9 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.4 BPG and is shooting 52.5% from the field.

Sixers' Affiliate Loses G League Final; Reed, Joe Back To NBA

March 12th, 2021 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking of the G League, the brief 2020/21 season came to an end on Thursday when the Lakeland Magic defeated the Delaware Blue Coats for this year’s NBAGL championship (link via The Associated Press). All the players under NBA contract who had been assigned to the G League bubble should now be headed back to their NBA teams, if they haven’t already rejoined them. That includes Lakeland’s Karim Mane (to the Magic) and Delaware’s Paul Reed and Isaiah Joe (to the Sixers).

And-Ones: Trade Market, Olympics, Draft

March 11th, 2021 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Executives and scouts around the NBA view Rockets forward P.J. Tucker as a logical trade target for the Bucks, whose typically stout defense has fallen off a little this season, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report. Tucker’s versatility and defensive ability make him a good fit in just about any system, which would make him an ideal option for a team looking to make a deep playoff run.

The execs and scouts who spoke to Blakely also think that the Nuggets will target a versatile frontcourt player and could see the Suns making a run at Andre Drummond if he reaches the buyout market.

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

There’s still an expectation that the Tokyo Olympics will move forward as planned this summer, but a report from the Kyodo news agency suggested this week that foreign spectators won’t be permitted to attend (link via CBSNews.com). Team USA announced a list of 57 finalists for its men’s basketball squad today, which will need to be pared down to 12 for the Olympics.
In his redraft of the 2019 class, John Hollinger of The Athletic leaves the first four picks (Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, RJ Barrett, and De’Andre Hunter) unchanged, but bumps Spurs forward Keldon Johnson all the way up from No. 29 to No. 5. Brandon Clarke (23rd to seventh), Talen Horton-Tucker (45th to 13th), and Luguentz Dort (undrafted to 15th) are among the other big risers, while Jarrett Culver (No. 6) and Jaxson Hayes (No. 8) would fall out of Hollinger’s top 20.
In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Jonathan Givony takes a closer look at the NBA players who looked best on their G League assignments, including Raptors rookie Malachi Flynn, Sixers forward Paul Reed, and a pair of Rockets (Kevin Porter and KJ Martin). In a separate Insider-only piece, Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN take a closer look at which players in the 2021 draft class are the biggest risers (including Isaiah Jackson and Franz Wagner) and fallers (Ziaire Williams and David Johnson).

Doc Rivers May Miss Game With Illness

March 10th, 2021 at 8:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers coach Doc Rivers missed today’s practice because of illness and it’s uncertain if he’ll be able to coach tomorrow, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Rivers’ condition isn’t related to COVID-19.

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