3 Sixers Takeaways: Evaluating Giannis Trade Reports
Tyrese Maxey drove hard to the basket to secure an ugly home victory for the Philadelphia 76ers and send the fans home happy. The biggest news came off the court…
Tyrese Maxey drove hard to the basket to secure an ugly home victory for the Philadelphia 76ers and send the fans home happy. The biggest news came off the court on Thursday, however, when trade reports linked Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Sixers.
- Saturday 1/24 at Xfinity Mobile Arena: New York Knicks 112, Sixers 109
- Monday 1/26 at Spectrum Center: Charlotte Hornets 130, Sixers 93
- Tuesday 1/27 at Xfinity Mobile Arena: Sixers 139, Milwaukee Bucks 122
- Thursday 1/29 at Xfinity Mobile Arena: Sixers 113, Sacramento Kings 111
'Lucky W' Over Sacramento
Sacramento entered with a 12-36 record facing a Sixers team finally getting healthy enough to hit its stride. The visitors had very little reason for optimism. They somehow took a 100-92 lead into the final minutes.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey carried the load despite Philadelphia's collective struggles handling Sacramento in the paint and failure to hold leads with the conviction of a more talented team.
“Kind of what you fear a little bit going into this game happens. I think we’re pretty lucky to be honest with you that we got out of there with a W… Not very good on the glass, not very good in transition, not very good on defense.”
-Nick Nurse
The Sixers hung tough into the final minutes, however, and put the ball into Maxey’s hands for a play at the rim to win it. The NBA All-Star Game starter reached the 40-point plateau for the fifth time this season. Embiid finished with 37 points on 13-21 from the field in only 36 minutes.
The victory bumped the Sixers above .500 with a 14-13 home record. Both Maxey and Nick Nurse, however, hesitated to congratulate improvement on home court after his team showed serious warts against Milwaukee and Sacramento.
“Sometimes, you’ve got to be lucky. It happens. There’s 82 games in a season. We didn’t play great by no stretch of the imagination, but we’re going to take the W. I’d definitely rather win the game and learn the lessons after than lose it.”
-Tyrese Maxey
Giannis Trade Reports
NBA Trade Deadline chatter had been relatively quiet, but the Sixers surfaced in reports about the big fish of the February 5 deadline – Giannis Antetokounmpo.
According to The Stein Line, Antetokounmpo has shown interest in playing with Tyrese Maxey with the vision of an ascending superstar duo. Daryl Morey will undoubtedly work the phones in a matter of time.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesWhat would a deal with the Bucks look like?
Pretty much any logical return package would include Paul George as the main piece to match salaries. Brendan Petrilli of 97.5 The Fanatic started some interesting chatter with a proposal of George, Jared McCain, and a package of future first-round picks.
Most conversations locally, however, pointed to V.J. Edgecombe as a deal breaker.
Maxey and Edgecombe have the most trade value of any players on Philadelphia’s current roster. The Sixers still face a murky picture of championship contention during the remaining three years of Joel Embiid’s contract with or without their duo of ascending guards.
The likelihood of the Sixers landing "The Greek Freak" isn’t particularly high. However, Maxey's appeal as an ascending superstar has landed the franchise in this type of discussion for the first of what should be many times. The sixth-year guard has made Philadelphia a legitimate option for other top-tier NBA talent.
Measuring Joel Embiid Optimism
The Sixers knew the health of their big man would impact the 2025-26 season as much as any factor inside or outside their control.
They’ve been about as fortunate during the month of January as they could’ve realistically anticipated. Embiid has suited up in 13 of 16 games since New Year’s Day, resting only for back-to-backs. He’s averaged 28.9 points and 8.2 rebounds during the stretch. The Sixers have a 9-4 record with Embiid in the lineup and an 0-3 record with their former MVP on the bench.
The embattled star center has shown better mobility in his all-around game after showing limitations early in the 2025-26 season. He’s regained the rhythm to contribute at multiple levels of Philadelphia’s half-court offense with or without the ball in his hands.
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesSacramento head coach Doug Christie spoke entering the matchup against one of the most physically dominating players of the modern NBA era. His admiration turned the clock back to the tone of opposing coaches during Embiid’s peak seasons.
“There are certain things you can’t do against him. You can’t front him in certain things. He understands how to hold his ground (when) they throw the ball over the top. He can stretch the floor to the three-point line. His dribble in mid-range is really good. They run some things for him that gives him the ball with the dribble almost at half court where he’s coming downhill.”
-Doug Christie
The Sixers have struggled to control the glass recently, especially in giving up repeated second-chance opportunities against the Knicks and the Kings. Embiid will continue to focus on improving defensive rebounding while Nurse addresses the need for better complementary performances from Adem Bona and Andre Drummond.
Can a healthy Joel Embiid regain his momentum as a force behind a deep playoff run? While physical dominance on the court supports the theory, Philadelphia will always tread lightly with cautious optimism for a player whose injuries have monumentally impacted his NBA career.
- Saturday 1/31 vs. New Orleans Pelicans at 7:30pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Monday 2/2 vs. @ Los Angeles Clippers at 10pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Tuesday 2/3 vs. @ Golden State Warriors at 10pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Thursday 2/5 vs. @ Los Angeles Lakers at 10pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
Advanced Stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass and ESPN Analytics
