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Injury Notes: Edwards, Knicks, Turner, Wade, Thomas, LaMelo

February 19th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers rookie Justin Edwards sprained his left ankle during a post-All-Star practice this week, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

The injury will cost Edwards at least a couple games. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), the 21-year-old has been ruled out for Thursday vs. Boston and Saturday vs. Brooklyn. The plan is for him to be reevaluated early next week.

The Sixers could be shorthanded in the backcourt coming out of the All-Star break. Kyle Lowry (hip) and Eric Gordon (wrist), who each missed the last two games prior to the break, didn’t participate in practice on Tuesday, Bodner notes. Lonnie Walker‘s reported deal with the team also isn’t yet official.

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

  • Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and forward OG Anunoby both fully participated in Wednesday’s practice, which included a 5-on-5 scrimmage, per head coach Tom Thibodeau (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv). It was the first time this season that Robinson has advanced to 5-on-5 with contact. While the big man has yet to make his season debut following offseason ankle surgery, Anunoby has been out for five games due to a right foot sprain.
  • Myles Turner missed the Pacers‘ last three games before the All-Star break due to a cervical strain, but is expected to be available on Thursday vs. Memphis, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
  • Cavaliers forward Dean Wade appears likely to sit out on Thursday during the first half of a back-to-back set before making his return on Friday, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Wade has been on the shelf since January 24 due to a right knee bone bruise.
  • Nets guard Cam Thomas will take part in his first 5-on-5 scrimmage on Thursday since going down with a hamstring strain on January 2, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
  • Hornets star LaMelo Ball is listed as probable to play on Wednesday vs. the Lakers (Twitter link), so it appears the right ankle sprain he sustained on February 10 wasn’t a significant one.
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Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harris, Playoffs, Edwards, George

February 10th, 2025 at 1:32pm CST by Rory Maher

ABC/ESPN’s Lisa Salters reported on Sunday that Sixers center Joel Embiid said he would likely require another surgery and an extended recovery period to deal with his troublesome left knee, which has been bothering him for more than a year.

A team source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that Embiid and the 76ers have consulted with a half-dozen knee specialists about the injury. The same source tells Pompey that Embiid does not currently require surgery and he’s able to play as long as he can manage the pain and swelling.

When asked about his knee after the game, Embiid didn’t outright say that he would eventually need surgery, but he certainly didn’t dispute the report’s veracity.

“I think everybody knows I want to play and I’m trying to do my best,” Embiid said. “At some point, if that keeps being inconsistent as it’s been, you’ve got to try something. … I’m extremely confident and fully confident. I just haven’t had enough time.”

As Pompey notes, Embiid rushed back from meniscus surgery last season to help Philadelphia make a playoff push. He then had a truncated offseason in which helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, though he wore a brace the entire tournament and wasn’t moving as well as he has in the past.

“No one knew it was going to be like this,” Embiid said. “After the surgery, I didn’t have enough time. I came back for the playoffs. And then after the Olympics, then right back to the regular season.

“So I think at some point, I probably just need to just, especially when the summer comes around, we are going to get those few months and just recover for me. As I say, I don’t know what it is. But if that keeps being the same pattern, obviously you’ve got to try something else.”

For now, Embiid says he’s just taking things one day at a time while dealing with the knee issue, according to Pompey. The 30-year-old big man has only appeared in 16 of Philadelphia’s 52 games this season.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

  • Sixers owner Josh Harris is optimistic the team will make a playoff run in 2024/25 despite a disastrous start to the season, as Pompey relays. “Listen, we got Joel [healthy],” Harris said Sunday. “When Joel, Tyrese [Maxey], and Paul [George] are all on the court, we are a great team. So we got to keep everyone healthy. In particular, Joel is a warrior. I know he’s fighting through some stuff, and I’m really optimistic that we are going to make a playoff run now.” Harris made the comments after the trade deadline and before Sunday’s loss to Milwaukee, which dropped Philadelphia to 20-32 on the season, one-and-a-half games behind Chicago for the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers are now 7-5 when Embiid, Maxey and George are all active.
  • Rookie wing Justin Edwards, a Philadelphia native and former top high school recruit, went undrafted last June out of Kentucky before signing a two-way deal with the Sixers. The 21-year-old has been one of the bright spots amid a disappointing season and recently had his contract converted to a standard deal. He said he was unfazed by the promotion, per Pompey. “I just show that I belong here, honestly,” Edwards said. “Like nothing really changed. You know, it was just my work ethic and the way I approach the game. So it’s really about it, honestly.”
  • The Sixers have been inconsistent all season for a variety of reasons, including injuries. That’s particularly true of free agent addition George, who dealing with a left pinky injury and has struggled in games he’s played thus far with Embiid, Pompey writes in another story for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I feel like we haven’t found the synergy slash energy with that group,” head coach Nick Nurse said regarding George playing alongside Embiid and Maxey. “Yet when it’s just him and Tyrese, there is more of a pop. That’s just on us needing some time. But it’s also just on our guys being in the right mindset. It’s going to be different. I don’t think you can let your energy drop. I think that’s what we struggled with.”
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Justin Edwards Gets Standard Contract From Sixers

February 9th, 2025 at 11:30am CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 9: Edwards’ new contract is official, the Sixers announced (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 8: Rookie forward Justin Edwards, who has been a standout for the Sixers on a two-way contract, will be promoted to a standard deal, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Edwards’ new contract will run through the rest of the season with a team option for 2025/26. Both sides have interest in possibly reaching a longer deal during the offseason, sources tell Pompey.

Philadelphia is currently limited to a two-year contract because it only has the minimum salary exception available. The Sixers could decline their option this summer and make him a restricted free agent as a way to sign him to a longer deal.

Edwards, 21, agreed to the two-way contract in July after going undrafted out of Kentucky. He’s averaging 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists through 22 games with shooting splits of .469/.375/.647.

The Philadelphia native recently moved into the starting lineup and appears to be part of the team’s foundation moving forward. He played briefly in the G League at the start of the season, but has been used in all but one Sixers game since January 1.

Philadelphia had three open roster spots following Thursday’s trade deadline, so another move won’t be needed to clear room for Edwards. March 4 is the last day to sign another player to a two-way contract.

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Sixers Rumors: Yabusele, Gordon, Embiid, George, Edwards

January 27th, 2025 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers‘ minimum-salary investment in Guerschon Yabusele has paid off in a big way this season, with the big man playing a regular role in Philadelphia and submitting strong numbers, including 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game with a .394 3PT%. The 76ers “love” the Frenchman, Marc Stein writes at his Substack.

However, as Adam Aaronson and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype outline for PhillyVoice.com, retaining Yabusele beyond this season might not be easy. The Sixers will only hold his Non-Bird rights, which will prevent them from offering more than 20% above his minimum salary unless use another cap exception. Philadelphia should have the taxpayer mid-level exception available, but even if that’s enough to re-sign Yabusele, it would mean not being able to use the MLE to bring in additional help.

With that in mind, the Sixers may to make a difficult decision on Yabusele at this year’s deadline, according to Stein, who reports that multiple playoff teams have submitted trade offers for the 29-year-old. Given that Philadelphia is just 17-27, is well above the tax line, and isn’t assured of hanging onto Yabusele beyond this season, entertaining those offers might be in the team’s best interest.

Veteran swingman Eric Gordon, who has made 49.2% of his three-point attempts in his last 14 outings since returning from oral surgery, has also generated trade interest, Stein writes, adding that the 76ers want to see how the next week-plus plays out before making any final decisions about their trade deadline plans.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

  • Joel Embiid‘s swollen left knee has responded well to treatment and he was partial participant in practice on Monday, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links). However, the former MVP has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game vs. the Lakers as well as Wednesday’s vs. the Kings, according to the team.
  • Paul George, who underwent an MRI on his injured finger on Sunday, didn’t practice on Monday and won’t play on Tuesday, Neubeck adds. The club is still reviewing the results of the forward’s MRI.
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic takes stock of the Sixers’ current situation, explaining why tanking this season to try to protect their top-six protected 2025 first-rounder doesn’t make much sense, given how close they are to a play-in spot and the head-start that the NBA’s other tanking teams have gotten. Hollinger could see Philadelphia either buying or selling at the deadline, given the club’s tradable draft assets still on hand and its position relative to the tax line.
  • Within the same story, Hollinger highlights Sixers two-way player Justin Edwards, writing that the rookie has shown he’s capable of being a solid NBA role player. “I feel like a broken record, but he just seems to always be in the right place on offense,” head coach Nick Nurse said of Edwards on Friday. “He’s got a few levels, he can go all the way to the rim, he’s got enough of a pull-up if there’s too much traffic there, and he’s got a decent sense (of when) to (kick) it out.”
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Atlantic Notes: Edwards, George, Celtics, Hart, Nets

January 16th, 2025 at 5:43pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Sixers two-way rookie wing Justin Edwards is emerging for a team in need of silver linings, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The Philadelphia native scored 25 points on four three-pointers made, along with six rebounds and four assists on Tuesday against the Thunder.

Edwards’ role increased with eight players out for Philadelphia, leading to a career high in minutes played.

“I think he’s really, really improving,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “Again, he gives a really good effort on the defensive end. He’s capable of guarding lots of positions defensively, and he’s got a good feel offensively. Again, the ball finds him because he’s moving to the right place at the right time. I thought he took a good number of threes that were there.”

According to Pompey, Edwards credited the G League with his development this season. Edwards has appeared in 17 games for the Delaware Blue Coats this season, averaging 18.5 points per game on .474/.381/.880 shooting in the NBAGL. He didn’t play much at the NBA level to open the season, but has logged at least 12 minutes in six of the Sixers’ past seven games, averaging 9.7 PPG on 55.0% shooting during that stretch.

The Sixers signed Edwards to a two-way deal after he went undrafted in 2024. Like fellow two-way players Pete Nance and Jeff Dowtin, he’s on a one-year contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • After losing four straight games and seven of their last nine, the Sixers and Paul George aren’t giving up on what has been a disappointing season, Pompey writes in another story. George says he sees a light at the end of the tunnel with 43 games left in the season. Nurse expressed a similar sentiment, issuing a reminder that the Sixers’ big three of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have only played 10 games together — the club is 7-3 in those games.
  • The Celtics are facing a tough stretch this month despite owning the NBA’s third-best record at 28-12. The defending champions have mostly downplayed their recent struggles, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, but Himmelsbach says there was “a new, ominous air of frustration and urgency” following double-digit Wednesday loss to the 10-win Raptors on Wednesday. The Celtics have three losses – all by at least 13 points – in their last five games, eking out a one-point victory over the 10-win Pelicans during that stretch.
  • Josh Hart continues to prove he’s one of the league’s elite role players, averaging 14.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 56.6% from the field and 36.9% from three. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic observes, that stat line has never been accomplished by a player 6’8″ or shorter, which would make Hart the first if his statistics hold. In fact, the only players in league history to reach those minimum averages in a season are Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Larry Bird.
  • The Nets are exactly where they need to be in their rebuild, opines Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. While their Wednesday 59-point loss to the Clippers was the worst in franchise history, they have a coach in Jordi Fernandez who looks like a long-term solution, along with plenty of cap flexibility, draft capital and young players worth taking further looks at.
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Sixers Notes: Reserves, Embiid, George, Drummond, Maxey

October 14th, 2024 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

With the Sixers resting several veterans Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back set, the team’s youngsters and reserves were on the wrong end of a 50-point shellacking at the hands of the defending champion Celtics. As Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, many of the players who logged big minutes on Saturday are unlikely to play major roles during the season, but they’ll likely be needed at times, so the lopsided loss to Boston was an important learning experience.

“Teaching them how hard they have to play is something you have to do,” head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. “They’re young, and we’ve got to show them what it’s like. But it gives them some good experience out there against some really good players.”

There were some positives to take away from the blowout, including 20 points from rookie Jared McCain, another solid outing from big man Guerschon Yabusele, and promising on-ball defense from two-way player Justin Edwards, Mizell notes. But Nurse acknowledged that his team frequently got caught ball-watching and didn’t match the Celtics’ speed or intensity.

“It (stinks), obviously, (that) I’m on the opposing side of it,” McCain said of the 50-point loss. “But it’s great for me to learn from.”

Here’s more on the 76ers:

  • How should Sixers fans react to the news that Joel Embiid‘s preseason is over? Tony Jones of The Athletic explores that topic, suggesting that it looks like a case of the team just being cautious, but could lead to some additional growing pains for the new-look roster early in the regular season due to minimal preseason reps with the superstar center on the floor. It’s also likely a preview of the careful way in which the 76ers will handle Embiid’s playing time during the regular season, Jones adds.
  • Both Embiid and newcomer Paul George are unlikely to play both ends of “many back-to-backs, if any” this season, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
  • The Sixers had tried multiple times to reacquire Andre Drummond after having to give him up in the James Harden trade with Brooklyn in 2022, Bontemps reports within the same ESPN story. Embiid, aware that he’d need a high-quality backup center in order for Philadelphia to properly manage his minutes, was part of the recruiting effort when Drummond reached free agency over the summer. “Getting a phone call from the best center in the NBA saying, ‘I need you here’ … it’s hard to tell him no,” Drummond told Bontemps. “I spoke to a lot of teams this summer, and he was probably the third or fourth person to call me. I wasn’t even expecting to hear from him. … He just gave me an idea of what he was looking for and he needed me to come back to really help him out to win something bigger than him.”
  • While he may not have been thrilled on draft night in 2020 to fall to 21st overall, Tyrese Maxey realizes in retrospect that it was the best thing that could have happened to him, based on the situation he ended up in and how his career has progressed since then, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “As a young kid, 19 years old, you are looking at the draft. You are like, ‘Man, I want to go as high as I possibly can,'” Maxey said. “But then when you fall to a contending team and you are able to be on a team and soak up all the knowledge that they give you, man, you are blessed.”
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Atlantic Notes: Martin, Edwards, Koloko, Madar

July 17th, 2024 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

A shortage of playing time last season led KJ Martin to explore free agency, but he decided his best opportunity is still with the Sixers, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Martin appeared in 58 games after being acquired from the Clippers in November, but he only logged 12.3 minutes per night. He recently accepted a two-year deal worth up to $16MM because Philadelphia’s revamped roster is short on power forwards.

“The roster was open,” Martin said. “So it was obviously a possibility. My agent spoke to the front office, and they obviously spoke highly of me. So that was a big part of it, and looking where the dominoes fell, it just felt like the right situation [after Paul George] came and they really don’t have a lot of fours.”

Martin is hoping to win a starting job in training camp, but he’s ready to help the team even if he’s coming off the bench again. With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and George handling most of the offense, Martin believes he’s the type of complementary player who fits well alongside them.

“You see those guys and what we will need in a four man,” he said. “Obviously, we don’t need a guy out there like Tyrese, Joel, and PG. They’re going to have the ball most of the time. So now you need guys that can kind of play off the ball, do little things. Obviously, I can play the four, I can play the dunker, I can be a screener in certain situations, so it just feels right. It just feels like the right situation.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • A year ago, Justin Edwards was expected to be a high lottery pick, so it’s surprising to see him on a two-way contract with the Sixers after going undrafted, Pompey adds in a separate story. A disappointing season at Kentucky may have changed the way that scouts view Edwards, but it hasn’t shaken his confidence. “I feel like I was the best player in the draft,” he said. “But I’ve always been coming from behind my entire life, so it ain’t nothing, really. It’s just another wall I got to run through. I’m going to get through another obstacle so I’ll be cared for.”
  • Former Raptors center Christian Koloko received clearance from his doctors to resume playing and has been participating in free agent showcases with other NBA players, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Koloko sat out all of last season with a blood clot issue, and he’ll have to be approved by the league’s Fitness to Play Panel before he can sign a contract. Murphy states that Toronto waived Koloko because it needed a roster space and he was unable to play, but the organization still believes in his talent.
  • Celtics draft-and-stash player Yam Madar has signed with FC Bayern, the German team announced in a press release. The 23-year-old guard, who was selected with the 47th pick in 2020, has also played for Partizan Belgrade and Fenerbahce in Istanbul.
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Sixers Sign Justin Edwards To Two-Way Contract

July 4th, 2024 at 12:54pm CST by Rory Maher

July 4: Edwards’ two-way deal is now official, the Sixers announced in a press release.

June 27: The Sixers are signing Kentucky wing Justin Edwards to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A former top high school recruit, Philadelphia native Edwards had an uneven freshman season for the Wildcats, averaging 8.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 0.9 SPG on .486/.365/.776 shooting in 32 games, including 30 starts (21.4 MPG).

Edwards was the top undrafted player on the open market following the 2024 draft, according to ESPN’s best available list. He had a second-round grade from ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony (No. 39).

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Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Game 5, Van Gundy, Draft

June 17th, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

Kristaps Porzingis, who hasn’t played in either of the past two games of the NBA Finals due to a “rare” leg injury, is listed as questionable to play in Game 5. While it’s possible he’s active for Monday’s contest, like he was on Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) that the big man seems unlikely to play a significant role.

“Right before Game 4, what I was told is that they would only utilize Kristaps Porzingis in situational appearances,” Charania said. “When you’re guarding the inbound, if you need to shoot a free throw, when you need to defend the rim on a lob threat with (little) time left on a possession. I would expect the same here in Game 5. … He’s just not there from a physical perspective.”

Celtics big man Xavier Tillman, who has seen some action in Games 3 and 4 with Porzingis unavailable, suggested during his media availability on Sunday that his frontcourt teammate is far from 100%.

“When we go through our practices, he’s doing some stuff, but you can still tell he’s very uncomfortable,” Tillman said (Twitter video link via Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog). Asked if there’s been any noticeable improvements in recent days since Porzingis was diagnosed with the injury following Game 2, Tillman replied, “It’s been pretty much the same.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • As Sam Amick of The Athletic details, Jayson Tatum spoke on Sunday about head coach Joe Mazzulla‘s efforts to have his team carry a positive mindset into its second potential close-out game on Monday. “Joe did a great job today of reminding us that it’s OK to smile during wars,” Tatum said. “It’s OK to have fun during high-pressure moments. We would love to win tomorrow, more than anything. But if it doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world. We have more opportunities. So just setting that (mindset) of ‘Don’t surrender to that idea that we have to win tomorrow.’ We would love to, absolutely. But Game 5 is the biggest game of the season because it’s the next game on the schedule. So (it’s) going with that mindset and just have fun. That’s really what we talked about today. Get back to having fun and being a team and how special we are and the team that got us here.”
  • Jeff Van Gundy joined the Celtics as a senior consultant last fall after being fired by ESPN and enduring a series of hardships in his personal life, including a death in the family, he revealed during an appearance on The Mark Jackson Show (hat tip to Brian Robb of MassLive.com). Given that context, Van Gundy appreciated the way that the franchise “embraced and welcomed” him. “I was really in an awkward place in life, not really knowing where I was going or what my purpose was, or how I’d be with this new group of people where I didn’t know anyone,” Van Gundy said. “It’s been one of the most rejuvenating things I’ve ever gone through. Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla threw me a lifeline.”
  • The Celtics hosted a pre-draft workout over the weekend that featured Ryan Dunn (Virginia), Justin Edwards (Kentucky), Enrique Freeman (Akron), and Judah Mintz (Syraucse), tweets Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Boston controls the 30th and 54th overall picks in this year’s draft, while those four prospects rank between 31st (Edwards) and 78th (Mintz) on ESPN’s big board for 2024.
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Pacific Notes: Hurley, Lakers, Kings, Suns

June 13th, 2024 at 1:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (YouTube link), Dan Hurley said he didn’t use talks with the Lakers as leverage to secure a larger financial commitment from UConn, as Adam Zagoria of NJ.com relays. Hurley reportedly turned down a six-year, $70MM deal from L.A. and will receive about $20MM less in his new contract with the Huskies, which will be announced “soon,” a source told Zagoria.

“This was never a leverage situation for me,” Hurley said Thursday. “I’ve had a contract situation in place for a couple of weeks, and the financial part in terms of salary has been done for a while. There’s some other parts like NIL and staff salaries and some different things that I want adjusted that I’m not comfortable with.

“But the sense or the idea that this was just a conspiracy to get me a sweeter deal at UConn is just lazy and not [true]. It was truly a gut-wrenching decision for me because I was really — Sunday night going into Monday where I had kind of a deadline in my mind — I was like torn and I didn’t know really what I was going to do until I went to bed.”

However, Hurley did suggest the Lakers could have compelled him to leave UConn with a more lucrative offer.

“To leave all that behind, there probably is a number,” Hurley said. “I don’t know what that is.”

J.J. Redick, who was previously viewed as the frontrunner in the Lakers’ head coaching search before Hurley’s surprising emergence, will formally interview for the position this weekend, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

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