This 2024-25 campaign has been a furious roller coaster ride for the Philadelphia 76ers.
From amassing hype and expectations to compete at the highest level upon landing Paul George from last year’s free agency, the Philadelphia 76ers are now stumbling, and it is unclear where they will go for the rest of the season.
Currently with a 17-27 card that places them out of the Play-In picture as the 11th seed, there have been suggestions for them to abandon any hopes for contention and instead redirect their focus towards next year.
Injuries serve as the biggest obstacle for this team. Most of the roster has endured an injury plagued year in which Joel Embiid couldn’t catch a break with just 13-game appearances — igniting criticisms from pundits about his reliability for the 76ers to build around.
In the midst of the awful season that they are experiencing, the 76ers are reportedly being pursued by several rival teams for a potential trade.
It is an unwanted position for a team that holds lofty championship aspirations. But by considering their poor stance, Philadelphia should listen to the league-wide inquiries.
Long-time NBA insider Marc Stein revealed that the 76ers have obtained plenty of trade offers from Guerschon Yabusele and Eric Gordon — two of their key role players this season.
Yet despite the warm interest for the two, there has been a belief that Sixers’ top executive Daryl Morey will look to assess the team’s needs before committing on any possible moves ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.
“(Philadelphia has) already received multiple trade offers from playoff-bound teams for Yabusele, who has been an effective addition to the Sixers’ frontcourt after his strong play in the Olympics for the silver-medal-winning hosts,” Stein wrote.
“Word is there has likewise been trade interest registered in veteran guard Eric Gordon, who is shooting nearly 50 percent from three-point range in 14 games in January.
“The belief is that the Sixers want to gauge results over the next week-plus before firming up their trade deadline approach.”
Yabusele, 29, has been a standout for the 76ers this season. Making his return to the NBA since he left in 2019, the sturdy French forward is averaging 10.3 points, 5.5 boards, and 2.0 assists while shooting 49.8 percent from the field (39.4 percent from three) across 42 games — earning huge praise recently from Paul George, who told his podcast Yabusele has been ‘balling’.
Meanwhile, the seasoned veteran Gordon is tallying career lows in points (6.7), assists (1.5), and rebounds (1.1), but could still be relied on with his shooting, experience, and leadership. He remains consistent in his three-point marksmanship, nailing 39.7 percent of his shots from beyond the arc across 3.5 attempts average.
As the 76ers are likely to put this forgettable season away already, making trades with nine days left could help them prepare and gear up for a potential redemption outing in 2025-26.
We can only wait and see if they’ll eventually capitalize on the significant demand that Yabusele and Gordon have.
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