The Philadelphia 76ers acquired information shortly before the trade deadline that drastically altered their season. Joel Embiid, who was among the league’s most dominant players in the first half of the season, will be sidelined for the next four weeks at the very least. The Golden State Warriors game resulted in an injury to the meniscus of the All-Star center’s left knee.
With the trade deadline in a few days, this news about Embiid comes at a critical juncture in the season. One insider thinks the Sixers’ intentions won’t alter even though they will be missing their best player for some time.
Adrian Wojnarowski speaks about the Sixers
Adrian Wojnarowski discussed the Sixers on NBA Today in the run-up to Thursday’s trade deadline. He said that Philadelphia is expected to function as a buyer despite Embiid’s ailment. Woj said,
“The Sixers are very much weighing the possibility that Joel Embiid does return this season. That they can still play with him as their centerpiece, and because of that, they’re going to continue to be buyers at this trade deadline,”
Regarding particular improvements, Woj stated that the Sixers needed to improve their backup center. He mentioned players like Kelly Olynyk of the Utah Jazz and Andre Drummond.
With Joel Embiid out, how are the 76ers approaching the trade deadline? @wojespn joins NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/ktBqWDbTOt
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 6, 2024
Woj stated, “Perhaps is there a backup center who can help carry them here in the short term, there’s certainly a number of them available,” “Potentially players like Andre Drummond, who had been in Philadelphia before. Kelly Olynyk, those are some of the guys in that marketplace.”
For the Chicago Bulls, Drummond has been a dependable backup center. He is averaging 7.7 PPG and 8.3 RPG this season. Regarding Olynyk, he is enjoying one of his best professional seasons overall. The seasoned big man is shooting nearly 43% from beyond the arc and putting up averages of 8.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 4.3 APG.
