After getting to as bad as being 12 games below .500, the Philadelphia 76ers have finally shown some signs of life for the first time in this calendar year. Believe it or not. even just two impressive victories quickly turned out to be a massive boost for them in the standings as they now only find themselves just 1.t games away from the 10th seed, the last play-in tournament spot.
It is certainly a sad sight to see the 76ers rejoice over a couple of wins in January, but that is simply the reality for this team. Philly will take whatever dubs they can carve out at this point. especially given their persistent injury issues and overall underwhelming display on both ends of the court, especially since 2025 took over.
Yet somehow, the 76ers still have a good chance of sneaking into the postseason picture. They are less than six games away from snagging a guaranteed playoff spot, something that can be done with just a lengthy winning streak from the squad with another one hopefully running into a wall.
Jonas Valanciunas remains an easily obtainable trade target for the 76ers
However, to be in position to capitalize on such opportunity somehow still available for them. the 76ers have to gun for some upholstery work before thebtrade deadline, which is now less than a couple of weeks away.
The front office may want to emphasize getting help in the frontcourt, a recurring problem over the years that has percolated into this season. The 76ers have easily been the worst rebounding team this season, and with Joel Embiid missing a ton of games, that problem has only been exacerbated.
One player already floated around before as a target for Philadelphia is Jonas Valanciunas. The veteran center has been riding the Wizards’ bench this season after years of being a staple in various starting units and has become a mere trade bait for the tanking team.
Rumors are consistent in that Washington is not asking a lot for another team to pry the Lithuanian away from them. In fact, their asking price seems to only be a maximum of two second-round picks, hardly a lofty ballpark figure for any team seeking an upgrade at center.
Valanciunas, who touts a nifty touch as a post-up option and some tenacious rebounding, would be a perfect addition to the 76ers. And with Guerschon Yabusele potentially getting shipped soon, he would come in as a worthy replacement.
The Philadelphia 76ers have not done anything yet, but among the many options available to them, trading for Jonas Valanciunas seems like the easiest route there is.