The Philadelphia 76ers just can’t catch a break. Despite playing a rather impressive game across the board for the most part, the visiting New York Knicks still managed to best them in overtime. As a result, they find themselves in the middle of a four-game losing streak, the latest in a deflating stretch since 2025 opened as they have now lost seven of their last nine outings.
A quick glance at the boscore would give one an idea as to how the 76ers came up short once again. Aside from the fact the Knicks were the more efficient team from three-point range, the hosts once again got outrebounded pretty badly, corralling just 35 boards to New York’s 45.
Easily dead-last in rebounding this season, the absence of Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond who remain sidelined with their respective injuries has become a critical matter. At this point, you have to wonder what the front office is thinking, especially after they were caught napping as another team did the exact move they badly needed to address the issue.
The 76ers missed out on Nick Richards trade as Suns swoop in
Just last night, the Suns managed to finalize a deal to acquire Nick Richards from the Hornets for Josh Okohie and three second-round picks, an appropriate price for a big man in his prime touting a skill set they badly needed.
The 76ers, who are in the same boat as Phoenix with regard to needing a tenacious rebounder and play finisher like Richards, should have tried to make the deal more interesting. There were never any reports linking them to the 27-year-old, which is a shame given their persistent issues at the position.
This one begs the question of whether Daryl Morey even wanted to dip his fingers in the mini sweepstakes for the athletic big man. Philadelphia is in a freefall as we speak, and with the trade deadline now less than a month away, how much more latitude does the front office need to finally move the needle and address roster issues?
With the schedule getting tougher from here on out and the 76ers now nine games below .500, the playoff chase is starting to become a difficult road for the team, no doubt. And in the pool of should have’s, this omission could very well stand out as one that strikes the dominoes down.
The Philadelphia 76ers still have a lot of basketball ahead of them, but this time, they are in pretty unenviable position. Whether or not the front office becomes more proactive to help them get to where they want is another big, definitive question.
For now, the answer seems to be a no.