Philadelphia 76ers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: George, Kuzma, Valanciunas, Ingram, Butler, Wiggins

February 6th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George thought he’d be competing for a championship this season when he signed with the Sixers. Instead, the star forward has spent his first season in Philadelphia battling injuries. He has been sidelined by knee, groin, ankle and finger injuries that have limited him to 31 games.

“It’s super frustrating,” George told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Super frustrating, especially, coming in with big goals and what I wanted to accomplish and what the team wants to accomplish, and then to always have these setbacks. It’s super frustrating, I for sure feel it. But you know all the bad luck, something has to change. That’s all I can kind of weigh on is, things will change. There are positives in all of it. I just got to weather the storm.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Trading away Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valanciunas continues the Wizards’ necessary strategy in a tear-down rebuild, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. The roster has been almost completely made over since president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins took over the top front office jobs. Those trades continue the Wizards’ aim of accumulating draft picks and providing young players with heavy minutes.
Trading for Brandon Ingram is an unusual step for a seemingly rebuilding team like the Raptors, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. While Ingram is a mid-range ace, his overall game is flawed and the Raptors gave up valuable assets for him, according to Koreen, who believes it’s likely they’ll make a strong offer, probably at least $35MM per season, to retain him when he enters free agency this offseason.
As Sportsnet’s Michael Grange details, the Raptors were looking for a significant piece to pair with franchise player Scottie Barnes and wouldn’t have had the cap space necessary this summer to get a top free agent like Barnes. In the big picture, the Raptors believe Ingram can help them be competitive next season and beyond.
With the Jimmy Butler standoff finally in the rear mirror, Heat players expressed not only relief but also excitement that Andrew Wiggins was part of the package from Golden State, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I think it’s going to take a huge weight off everybody’s shoulders once we can move forward from everything, once it’s over with,” Terry Rozier said. “Who we got and we can move forward with that, and try to put it together and get ready for the playoffs. I think it’s a huge lift for everybody, just clarity… Obviously, we’ve been the talk of the town for probably the last month. I think it’s going to be huge for our locker room just knowing what we got going out there. It’s going to be a huge help for us.”

Injury Updates: Randle, Embiid, Sexton, Barrett

February 5th, 2025 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, who has missed the past two games after injuring his groin last Thursday vs. the Jazz, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a right adductor strain, the team announced today in a press release. He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks, according to the Wolves.

A multi-week absence had been anticipated for Randle after head coach Chris Finch told reporters over the weekend that he expected to be without the forward “for the near future.”

Randle, who was sent from New York to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster right before training camp, has had a solid first season in Minnesota, averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 32.6 minutes per game across 48 contests, with a .470/.321/.811 shooting line.

There has been some speculation that Randle, who holds a $30.9MM player option for 2025/26, could emerge as a trade candidate prior to the February 6 deadline, but it has always seemed more likely that Minnesota would postpone a decision on his future until the summer rather than shaking up the roster again during the season.

During Randle’s absence, Naz Reid has stepped into the lineup as the Wolves’ starting power forward. The team has dropped both games Reid started, but he had a big night on Monday, putting up 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a two-point loss to Sacramento.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After making his return from a month-long injury absence on Tuesday, Sixers center Joel Embiid will, predictably, be held out of the second end of the club’s back-to-back set on Wednesday vs. Miami, per head coach Nick Nurse (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). Embiid had a strong first game back in a two-point win over Dallas, racking up 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The Jazz announced on Tuesday (via Twitter) that Collin Sexton has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain. While X-rays on the injury were negative, the veteran guard will miss some time — he’ll be reevaluated in one week, according to the club.
Raptors forward RJ Barrett entered the NBA’s concussion protocol on Wednesday and missed a matchup with his former team, the Knicks, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Barrett stayed in Sunday’s game after hitting his head on the court. According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), he was evaluated by the team’s medical staff on court after hitting his head, after Sunday’s game, and again on Monday, but didn’t exhibit concussion symptoms until Monday night.

Trade Rumors: Johnson, Martin, Sixers, Lakers, Jazz

February 5th, 2025 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

It seems increasingly likely that Cameron Johnson will remain in Brooklyn beyond the trade deadline, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who has consistently heard that the Nets are willing to field calls about the veteran forward but aren’t actively shopping him.

While the Nets moved quickly this season to trade Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith, both of whom can reach unrestricted free agency this summer, Johnson is under contract for two more years beyond this one, so there’s no urgency in Brooklyn to move off of him at this point — especially since the team still projects to have substantial cap room for next season even with Johnson’s $20.5MM salary on the books.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv also reported on Tuesday that a Johnson trade may not happen this week.

We have more trade rumors from around the NBA:

There’s a chance that KJ Martin, whom the Pistons agreed to acquire from Philadelphia, could be rerouted to another team prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. If Detroit were to acquire Martin using cap space rather than the room exception, his salary could be aggregated with one or more other players in a subsequent deal.
According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Guerschon Yabusele are among the veterans who continue to draw interest for the Sixers, who already traded Caleb Martin in addition to KJ Martin. However, Philadelphia is reluctant to move Yabusele, preferring to find a way to retain him beyond his current one-year, minimum-salary contract, Stein and Fischer say.
Grant Afseth of RG.org takes a look at the Lakers‘ hunt for another center, suggesting that – despite Rob Pelinka‘s comments downplaying the urgency to find more than a stop-gap – the team is still considering a wide range of possible targets.
Tony Jones of The Athletic checks in on the Jazz‘s plans ahead of the trade deadline, writing that John Collins and Jordan Clarkson are considered more available than Collin Sexton and especially Walker Kessler. Utah values Sexton and has set a “very high” asking price for Kessler, Jones explains.

Nuggets Trade Talks: Nnaji, Saric, Martin, Yabusele, Watson, Strawther, Braun

February 4th, 2025 at 8:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets are gauging the trade market on Zeke Nnaji and Dario Saric, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports.

Denver doesn’t appear to be looking for any blockbuster-type moves. Rather, the Nuggets’ front office is seeking to upgrade the bench prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, according to Scotto and The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando.

The Nuggets, Scotto hears, have expressed interest in Hornets wing Cody Martin and Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele. Martin has one worth a non-guaranteed $8.68MM remaining on his contract after this season, while Yabusele has an expiring minimum-salary deal.

With Denver owing 10 future draft picks to various teams, potential suitors have been inquiring about young rotation players such as Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther, according to Scotto. The Nuggets have even heard from teams wondering if they’d give up Christian Braun, but Denver’s front office has brushed them off.

Nnaji has three more years left on his deal, while Saric possesses a $5.4MM player option on next season’s contract. As Durando notes, the Nuggets are a first apron team and can’t acquire more salary than they send out. The only tradable first-round pick they have is in 2031 but it’s devalued by protections on the 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-rounders they’ve already dealt — due to the seven-year rule, it can’t be pushed back to 2032 if any of those picks fail to convey.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone declared on Monday that forward Michael Porter Jr. won’t be traded. Porter previously came up in reported trade talks regarding Zach LaVine, who was just dealt to Sacramento. Chicago, however, was reluctant to take Nnaji’s contract and there were also internal questions about whether LaVine and Jamal Murray could’ve coexisted effectively on both sides of the ball, Scotto adds.

Sixers’ KJ Martin Expected To Be Traded

February 4th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

KJ Martin was listed as out by the Sixers on Tuesday due to trade pending, Kyle Nuebeck of PHLY Sports tweets.

The Sixers are weighing multiple trade options for Martin and a deal is expected to be finalized on Wednesday, Stein Line contributor Jake Fischer tweets. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) hears the same thing.

Martin hasn’t seen action since Dec. 23 due to a foot injury. He has appeared in 24 games this season (seven starts), averaging 6.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game. He appeared in 58 games with Philadelphia last season.

Martin is making $7.98MM this season. His $8.03MM salary for next season is non-guaranteed, which should appeal to teams looking to clear salary on next season’s cap.

According to Neubeck (Twitter link), the deal is expected to be about financial flexibility for the 76ers, which suggests it’s a cost-cutting move. Philadelphia is currently operating about $6.5MM above the tax line and could get below that threshold by sending Martin to a team without taking anyone back, though it’s unclear if that’s what the front office has in mind.

Philadelphia traded another Martin on Tuesday. The team dealt Caleb Martin to Dallas for Quentin Grimes and a 2025 second-round pick.

Joel Embiid Available To Play Tuesday After Month-Long Absence

February 4th, 2025 at 4:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 4: Embiid will be available to play on Tuesday vs. Dallas, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 3: Joel Embiid could return to action on Tuesday. The Sixers are listing their star center as questionable to play against the Mavericks, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets.

Embiid hasn’t seen action since Jan. 4 due to lingering left knee issues. The big man has only appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. He was limited to 39 games last season, when he averaged a career-best 34.7 PPG, 11 RPG and 5.6 APG.

The return of Embiid could factor into the Sixers’ plans regarding their roster with the trade deadline looming. Philadelphia’s brass reportedly has no intention to give up on this season, even though Embiid and prized free agent Paul George have been sidelined for a chunk of its games. George is listed as out on Tuesday due to a finger injury, but he, like Embiid, practiced on Tuesday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

The Sixers have a 19-29 record after losing their last two games following a four-game winning streak.

Embiid isn’t the only Sixers player close to returning after an extended absence. Embiid’s backup Andre Drummond (left toe), Caleb Martin (right hip) and KJ Martin (left foot) are also questionable to play on Tuesday. As Bodner points out, Drummond has only played in four games since Dec. 23, Caleb Martin has been out since Jan. 10 and KJ Martin hasn’t seen action since Dec. 23.

As for their opponent, the Mavericks are listing Anthony Davis and Max Christie as questionable to play on Tuesday, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Interestingly, Davis’ abdominal strain was not listed on the Mavs’ injury report. Instead, the questionable tag was due to “trade pending,” though Dallas has officially announced the blockbuster deal with the Lakers and Jazz.

Sixers Trade Caleb Martin To Mavs For Quentin Grimes, Second-Round Pick

February 4th, 2025 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

3:32 pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Mavericks, which confirmed the terms outlined below.

12:09 pm: The Sixers and Mavericks have agreed to a trade, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links), who reports that forward Caleb Martin is headed to Dallas in exchange for guard Quentin Grimes and Philadelphia’s 2025 second-round pick, which the Mavs acquired in a previous deal.

Martin, who signed a four-year, $35MM contract with the Sixers last summer that includes over $5MM in incentives and a 15% trade kicker, was one of several Philadelphia players afflicted by the injury bug in 2024/25, having been limited to 31 outings through the team’s first 48 games.

Martin has been out since January 10 due to a right hip strain, but appears to be nearing a return, having been listed as questionable to play on Tuesday.

When healthy, the 6’5″ forward was an effective role player for the 76ers, averaging 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 30.4 minutes per game. He has registered a .435/.379/.622 shooting line so far this season and provided solid, versatile defense on the wing.

Grimes, meanwhile, has enjoyed a strong bounce-back season in Dallas after being traded from the Pistons to the Mavericks last summer. The 24-year-old averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 22.8 minutes per night for the Mavs, with a .463/.398/.765 shooting line in 47 outings (12 starts). Like Martin, he’s considered a plus on defense.

As good as Grimes has been in his rotation role, his contract situation was uncertain beyond this season after he turned down a rookie scale extension offer from the Mavs last fall. Having not accepted that deal, which was reported to be worth in the neighborhood of $9MM annually for three years, Grimes was on track to become a restricted free agent during the summer of 2025.

By sending him to Philadelphia, Dallas will avoid going back to the negotiating table with Grimes and will instead get some multi-year cost certainty with Martin, who’s under contract through at least the 2026/27 season before he has to make a decision on his ’27/28 player option. Newly acquired guard Max Christie, who was dealt from the Lakers to the Mavs in the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis blockbuster, figures to step into Grimes’ role in the backcourt.

The gap between Grimes’ $4.3MM cap hit and Martin’s $8.15MM salary means the Mavericks will go back into luxury tax territory as a result of the deal after having ducked that line in the Doncic trade. If Martin doesn’t waive his trade kicker, his cap charge would increase by another $1.04MM, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan, who notes (via Twitter) that would leave Dallas just $171K below its first-apron hard cap.

If Martin receives his trade bonus, the Mavs will have to use one of their existing trade exceptions to acquire him, since Grimes’ salary wouldn’t quite be enough for salary-matching purposes. If Martin waives that bonus, Dallas could preserve its exceptions and use Grimes to match.

Whether or not Martin gives up his bonus, this move wouldn’t have been possible for the Mavs if Davis hadn’t waived his trade bonus as part of the deal that sent him to Dallas. He told reporters on Tuesday that he wanted to give general manager Nico Harrison the ability to improve the roster around him and Kyrie Irving as much as possible, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

“Trying to help the team,” Davis said. “Obviously you always want to get better and losing a monumental piece like Luka … it’s a lot, right? So I’m just trying to do my part and help Nico and the organization on how we can continuously get better. That’s just always the right thing to do.”

As for the Sixers, while they’re not throwing in the towel on the 2024/25 campaign following a disappointing 19-29 start, they’re clearly thinking about their future beyond this season in swapping out Martin for Grimes (who is five years younger) and a 2025 second-round pick while generating some tax savings.

The draft pick the Sixers are acquiring is technically the most favorable of their own and the Nuggets’ 2025 second-rounders, which will certainly be the Philadelphia pick.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the 76ers will save about $6.7MM on their projected luxury tax bill as a result of this deal and move below the first tax apron. They’re still operating about $6.5MM above the tax line.

Begley’s Latest: Knicks, Theis, Sims, Nets, Brogdon, Cavs, Raptors

February 4th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming that the Knicks have inquired on Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas and Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele, Ian Begley of SNY.tv adds Pelicans veteran Daniel Theis to the list of bigs New York has checked in on.

As Begley writes, the Knicks may turn out not to need another center if Mitchell Robinson is able to return in February and stays healthy. But Robinson was only just cleared for contact and will need some time to get into game shape, so the team won’t know by Thursday’s trade deadline what it can realistically expect from him for the rest of the season.

With that in mind, the Knicks will continue to browse the market for possible frontcourt reinforcements, though they’ll face competition, according to Begley, who notes that the Lakers are also seeking a center and the Nuggets are on the lookout for a backup big man of their own.

Begley believes that Knicks center Jericho Sims will end up being traded by the deadline. Sims is on an expiring contract and hasn’t established himself as a reliable rotation option for head coach Tom Thibodeau, so it’s possible he could be sent out in a deal for a more trustworthy veteran. He could legally be traded straight up for Yabusele, Begley notes, though the Sixers would certainly want more than just Sims in return for the Frenchman.

Here’s more from Begley:

While the Nets‘ biggest trade chip is Cameron Johnson, teams monitoring the situation are skeptical that any suitor will make a strong enough offer this week to pry him out of Brooklyn, Begley writes. Elsewhere on the Nets’ front, center Day’Ron Sharpe is generating some interest, Begley adds, with the Clippers among the teams who have done background work on Sharpe.
Begley reports that the Lakers and Clippers are among the teams that had Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon on their radar earlier this season. However, after their recent deals, neither Los Angeles team is particularly well positioned to match Brogdon’s $22.5MM cap hit, so it’s unclear whether that interest persists. The Clippers, operating below the tax aprons, would be eligible to sign Brogdon in the event he reaches the buyout market. but the Lakers wouldn’t be since they’re over the first apron.
There has been some speculation that the Cavaliers may make a trade to get out of luxury tax territory, but they’ve signaled to teams that they’re not looking to move forward Georges Niang in a salary dump, says Begley.
According to Begley, the Raptors have a deal lined up to trade one of their players into cap space “if the need arises.” It’s impossible to know exactly what that sort of move would look like without more details, but I’d speculate it would only be necessary if Toronto gets involved in a bigger multi-team deal and needs to send out salary for matching purposes that none of their other trade partners wants to take on. Although Begley’s reference to “cap space” suggests Detroit – the only team with actual cap space – may be involved, there are a number of teams with exceptions available to take on smaller contracts, like Utah did with Jalen Hood-Schifino in the Luka Doncic mega-deal.

Trade Rumors: Warriors, Ingram, Durant, Hawks, Bucks, Raptors, TPEs

February 4th, 2025 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

Count Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram among the star players the Warriors have checked in on, league sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

While it doesn’t sound like Ingram is at the top of Golden State’s wish list as the front office seeks an impact player, the club has explored what it would take to land the former All-Star, according to Stein and Fischer, who say that the Warriors could pivot to Ingram if they’re not able to gain traction on any of their higher-profile targets.

One of those higher-profile targets is Suns forward Kevin Durant. Exploring the possibility of a Warriors trade for Durant, Stein and Fischer echo a point made by Anthony Slater of The Athletic, writing that even if Phoenix is willing to move the former MVP (a big if), there’s a “measure of concern” in Golden State about how eager Durant would be for another go-round with the Warriors.

Durant doesn’t have the ability to veto a trade, but given that the Warriors would have to put together a substantial package to convince the Suns to part with him, they’d presumably like to be confident that he wanted to be there.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA, with this year’s deadline just two days away:

There’s still an expectation that the Hawks will make a deal involving Bogdan Bogdanovic this week, according to Stein and Fischer, who say that Atlanta continues for now to explore “more ambitious” trade scenarios, including one possibility that would feature Ingram.
The Bucks continue to consider trades involving Pat Connaughton and his $9.4MM salary, either to shed his contract to duck below the second tax apron or to use his deal as a matching piece to bring back a more reliable wing. Stein and Fischer hear from sources that Sixers forward Caleb Martin and his twin brother Cody Martin of the Hornets are among the players Milwaukee has looked at in a potential deal for Connaughton. Both players are earning about $8.1MM this season.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca takes an in-depth look at the Raptors‘ trade options in the coming days, examining what it would take to get them to part with Jakob Poeltl, whether their reported interest in Ingram is legit, and why players like Bogdanovic and Andrew Wiggins may not fit the timeline of Toronto’s roster.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter links) shares some details on how the Kings and Bulls completed the three-team trade involving De’Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine. Chicago took Kevin Huerter into an existing traded player exception, creating a new $17.1MM TPE for LaVine, while Sacramento used a portion of an existing TPE to take on Sidy Cissoko, generating a new exception worth $16.8MM (Huerter’s outgoing salary). The Kings were unable to acquire LaVine and Cissoko by aggregating the outgoing salaries of Fox and Jordan McLaughlin because LaVine received a portion ($3MM) of his trade bonus, increasing his cap hits for this season and next season by $1.5MM apiece.

Hawks Have Reportedly Registered Interest In Paul George

February 4th, 2025 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

Confirming a Monday report indicating that the Warriors inquired on Paul George, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer cites sources who say the Hawks have also expressed interest in the Sixers forward.

According to Pompey though, the expectation is that the 76ers would only consider moving George if they could get a “home-run deal.”

Philadelphia has been decimated by injuries this season, resulting in a 19-29 start. George has been limited to 30 appearances so far due to various health issues and has seen his production drop off when he’s been healthy. His 17.1 points per game represent his lowest mark since the 2011/12 season, while his 42.9% field goal percentage and 36.5% three-point percentage are below his career rates.

Given that George is in the first season of a four-year contract worth $211.6MM, those numbers are a cause for some concern. However, as Pompey points out, the club has gone 6-1 in the seven full games that George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey have played together and doesn’t seem to be in any rush to break up that trio, especially since they’re all on long-term contracts.

George has two more guaranteed years beyond this season, with a 2027/28 player option, while Embiid is locked up through at least 2028 and Maxey is under team control through 2029.

It doesn’t come as a shock that the Warriors checked in on George, since they also had trade interest in him last summer before he opted out of his contract with the Clippers.

The Hawks’ interest is a little more surprising, considering they’re a younger team, but George would theoretically make sense as an on-court fit alongside core players like Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. Atlanta also has some sizable contracts that could be used to match George’s $49.2MM cap hit, starting with Clint Capela ($22.3MM expiring), as well as De’Andre Hunter ($21.7MM) and/or Bogdan Bogdanovic ($17.3MM).

Sixers Rumors