February 03, 2026
Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images
Dominick Barlow's energy was off the charts on Monday night.
There is something about the Sixers and their opponents engaging in franchise-altering trade talks during games.
Last season, the Sixers were playing host to the Heat when Miami finally traded Jimmy Butler. Last month, news of Trae Young's trade to the Washington Wizards broke minutes after the Sixers handed them a loss. And on Monday, as the Sixers stormed to a 128-113 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, reports emerged that James Harden – sidelined for the second night in a row due to personal reasons – was working with the franchise on a trade.
Trade news aside, the Sixers kicked off their season-high five-game road trip on the right foot, with Dominick Barlow completely obliterating a sturdy Los Angeles frontcourt, Tyrese Maxey getting hot from beyond the arc and Joel Embiid finding a groove after an inefficient first half. Even without Harden, the Clippers made their inevitable push in the third quarter, but the Sixers held them off, doing a tremendous job all night swarming Kawhi Leonard and daring anyone else to beat them. But it was Barlow whose performance stood out among them all, as he finished with 26 points and 16 rebounds, with 10 of those boards coming via the offensive glass.
Takeaways from what was truly a special night for Barlow, plus the potential ramifications of the rumored Harden trade and more:
Even as Tyrese Maxey initiated one of his vintage three-point shooting heaters, no player in this game was more impactful in the first half than Barlow. Against a undermanned Clippers team, the Sixers came out with incredible energy and focus from the outset, and it was the 22-year-old Barlow setting that tone. He was dominant on the glass, with four early offensive rebounds to give the Sixers additional scoring chances.
Barlow was going up against former Sixers foe John Collins for most of that time, and Collins is an extremely athletic big. But Barlow totally overwhelmed him with speed, physicality, explosiveness and effort. When Barlow was not dominating a one-on-one matchup, he was finding ways to completely outwork crowds of Clippers:
Give this man a standard deal! pic.twitter.com/2eGoldr45Q
— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 3, 2026
As intermission began, Barlow was already up to 15 points, eight rebounds (five offensive), one assist, one block and two steals. And he did all of it without ever trying to get out of his depth. That is the quintessential Barlow experience: he is excellent at a few different things and does all the can to hone in on maximizing those skills without overextending himself. Self-awareness is a tremendous asset for any player, and Barlow has it in spades.
Dom playing the game of his life pic.twitter.com/iiqlSkl2yc
— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 3, 2026
Barlow did not lose his fire at halftime; if anything he found another gear in the third quarter. By the time the third quarter ended, he had nine offensive rebounds and a 20-point double-double:
Barlow showing NO QUIT. 😤 pic.twitter.com/oju32E0rvf
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 3, 2026
How did Barlow punctuate his performance in the final frame? By grabbing his 10th offensive rebound, immediately converting an and-one to give himself a career-high 23 points, then knocking down a corner triple. It was far and away the best performance of his young, promising NBA career.
🚨 new career-high for @Dominickbarlow_ 🚨
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 3, 2026
(he also proceeded to hit a 3 right after this so he's at 2️⃣6️⃣ points and counting !) pic.twitter.com/QdAyUnlc5s
It continues to be remarkable how much value the Sixers have extracted from their two-way crop this season; Jabari Walker is the only player on the team to be active for all 49 games – he needs his contract converted in the next few days or he will have to start sitting out – and whenever Barlow has been healthy he has been a critical rotation fixture for head coach Nick Nurse. Barlow looks like a long-term piece for the Sixers' frontcourt mix.
As this game was going on, news broke that Harden and the Clippers were working together on a potential trade, with multiple outlets indicating a swap of Harden and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland loomed as a significant possibility. Because of the trade that sent Harden to Los Angeles, anything the Clippers do will be of relevance to the Sixers for years to come.
Courtesy of the deal they made with the Clippers to satisfy Harden's last trade request, the Sixers own the Clippers' unprotected first-round pick in 2028 and have top-three protected first-round swap rights with the Clippers in 2029. It should go without saying that trading Harden on what is effectively an expiring contract in exchange for a star-caliber player 10 years younger would be to the Clippers' long-term benefit. Garland is one of the better offensive point guards in the NBA, though injuries have become a significant issue for him in recent years.
Garland is also under long-term contract; his $39.4 million salary this season is almost identical to that of Harden but he will make about $87 million across the following two seasons. For years now, the Clippers' perceived strategy has been hoarding cap space for the summer of 2027, when they could reload their roster with major spending in free agency as Leonard's contract expires and their obligations to the Sixers are about to kick in.
While Garland will make nearly $45 million in 2027-28 – that takes out about a full max slot from the Clippers' projected cap space – they would have enough money to sign another player in that range if they continue to be careful with their money. Could they land a player good enough to lead a team with Garland, Ivica Zubac and little to no young talent to championship contention?
While trading Harden for Garland seems to unquestionably be in the Clippers' best interests (assuming they do not have to give up major draft compensation in the deal), it does not change that their chances of avoiding giving the Sixers a premium first-round pick might hinge on their ability to secure a superstar free agent. Even for Steve Ballmer, that is a tall task.
MORE: 2026 Sixers trade deadline primer
A pair of highlights make up the additional notes:
• A wild poster from Quentin Grimes on Collins, with an even wilder reaction from the visiting bench:
bench going CRAZY for this one. https://t.co/Nv0eOPuA20 pic.twitter.com/PmpmIthUc7
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 3, 2026
• All year long, it has been mystifying how infrequently the Sixers have tried to utilize Jared McCain's movement shooting. That made this play a good sign:
yessir 🤑 pic.twitter.com/Rc46JNhaWG
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 3, 2026
Up next: The Sixers will complete this back-to-back on Tuesday night when they take on the Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors.
