The Philadelphia 76ers spent the last four months restoring their fanbase’s hope after a 24-win 2024-25 season. Tyrese Maxey dazzled, Joel Embiid reassured, VJ Edgecombe impressed and Paul George fit in. As a result, Philadelphia entered the February 5th NBA trade deadline eight games above .500 amidst a five-game win streak. But, after the deadline passed, it all came crashing down.
The 76ers sent Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies; moves that allowed for more salary-cap flexibility and avoided the luxury tax threshold. The team added no new players and focused on having optionality down the line. This is the fourth consecutive year that Philadelphia dodged additional expenses, leaving fans livid that it did not improve.
The team found itself in an interesting spot heading into the deadline, then possessing the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers enjoyed sound production from Maxey and Embiid, who have led the East in total points since January. Philadelphia’s long-term outlook, however, remained unclear while George had 22 contests left on his 25-game suspension.
Entering win-now mode wouldn’t have been in the 76ers’ best interests, but marginally improving was a must. Philadelphia – despite its uncertainty – had a puncher’s chance at making noise in a conference that lacked an alpha. All it needed to do was boost its rotation, instead, it went backwards.
The 76ers traded McCain to the Thunder for a 2026 first-round pick (via the Houston Rockets) and three second-rounders just over 24 hours before the deadline. Daryl Morey said in his press conference on Friday that he thought Philadelphia sold high – a remark that a grieving fanbase received poorly. Dealing McCain could’ve been manageable if the 76ers had another trade lined up, but that was not the case.
Morey said that Philadelphia intended to use its newly acquired draft capital in another deal, but nothing materialized. Time will tell if this was the right move, but trading a well-beloved player who has yet to have an offseason to develop has rightfully left a bad taste in the fandom’s mouths.
The trade also previewed the direction that fans loathed: saving money, which Eric Gordon’s salary dump confirmed. Though the 76ers cut costs to sign Dominick Barlow to a standard NBA contract on Thursday night, it sent a bad message to the fanbase. They now believe that Philadelphia isn’t serious about winning and is more concerned with minimizing expenses.
Things change quickly in the NBA and the 76ers have seemingly navigated a new challenge each season. But, their repeated pattern of dodging the luxury tax for future maneuverability has dulled the fans’ spirit that just began to reignite.
The fandom is also confused since Philadelphia could’ve kept McCain and dealt Gordon, still allowing it the wiggle room to secure Barlow long term. The 76ers’ course of action was seemingly to avoid the tax unless a needle-moving offer came, which it didn’t. Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers all improved.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, will conclude the season with the same roster sans McCain and Gordon. It can still compete with any conference heavyweight, but matters certainly became more difficult. The 76ers, having two open roster spots, will likely be active in the buyout market. But, their options will be limited, making their inactivity at the deadline more disheartening.