February 04, 2026
It has been one dramatic week for the Sixers, and for the next two days President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and his front office will be working the phones trying to duck a luxury tax bill and improve a roster at the same time.
Just five days before Thursday's trade deadline, all of the math behind the Sixers' strategy was upended when the NBA suspended Paul George for 25 games due to a violation of the league's Anti-Drug Program. But ever since, the Sixers are 4-0; they will enter and pass the deadline with a season-high five-game winning streak.
As we do every Wednesday, let's see where our friends in the national media stand on these Sixers:
As always, John Schuhmann hunts down intriguing statistical trends, and this one – written before the Sixers' back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday – is particularly interesting in wake of George's 25-game suspension:
"With their win over the Pelicans on Saturday, the Sixers are 7-2 with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid in the lineup without George, with the first six of those nine games having come in the first three weeks of the season. They’ve outscored their opponents by 9.5 points per 100 possessions (scoring an efficient 125 per 100) in 345 total minutes with Maxey and Embiid on the floor without George." [NBA.com]
Monday's win over the Clippers made that 8-2, and the Sixers won without George or Embiid in San Francisco the following night. All of this begs the question, one Zach Lowe posed on his podcast this week: How much will George missing 25 games actually change the Sixers' win total by season's end? Some might argue his suspension will not prove to be as impactful as it was shocking.
MORE: Isn't trading for Giannis the type of move Daryl Morey would make?
ESPN's writers were asked to select the player under the most pressure for each team. Ironically, he went with George for the Sixers"
"After his suspension over the weekend, there will be plenty of pressure on George when he returns at the end of March. He'll have just 10 games to ramp up for what Philadelphia hopes will be a deep playoff run. Considering the 76ers have been frustrated about a lack of consistency and rhythm all season, losing George for two months will keep eyes on Philadelphia, especially if it lands in the play-in mix." [ESPN]
There is no doubt that George being sidelined for the better part of two months will disrupt the Sixers' sense of continuity. It should help that he is able to practice and travel with the team and work in the facility. George should be in excellent shape when March 25 comes around.
MORE: Evaluating your trade ideas as the deadline inches closer
Law Murray provides potential trade deadline acquisitions for every team, and his pick for the Sixers is an unconventional one: Kevin Love.
"The 76ers already needed to make some maneuvers to create roster spots before Paul George caught a 25-game suspension. Acquiring Love would simply give the 76ers a player to waive so that they can promote at least Dominick Barlow to a standard contract. Fellow two-way contract Jabari Walker hasn’t started a game since Christmas and only played 15 minutes or more twice in January, so his status would not be as pressing." [The Athletic]
The Sixers already have an open roster spot, but will need one more so that Barlow and Walker can both get standard contracts before the season concludes. Their most likely pathway to opening up a roster spot is simply dumping a little-used player like Eric Gordon onto another team's cap sheet.
MORE: 2026 Sixers trade deadline primer
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
