The Philadelphia 76ers are officially on the verge of pressing the panic button. After losing seven of their last nine outings, the playoffs are starting to look like an out-of-reach destination for the team. Atop a growing list of injuries and recurring roster issues, their schedule will be a lot tougher from here on out. Atop this point, even making it to the postseason would be a pleasant surprise.
2025 has been so terrible for the 76ers that they must seriously contemplate just looking forward to the following campaign. However, one thing to consider is that they do not have complete control over their first-round pick this year as Oklahoma City would snag their pick if it falls beyond sixth overall.
As a result, the most sensible thing to do for the francise is to have the front office take on a more aggressive stance between now and the trade deadline. After all, the number of weaknesses this team has should give them a lot of wiggle room to deliberate on moves and potential targets, perhaps most pressing of which is the team’s lack of size in the paint.
The 76ers now have zero reason to miss out on trading for Jonas Valanciunas
One of the most popular trade candidates available on the market is veteran center Jonas Valanciunas. The Wizards are looking to move him for the right price, but it seems like they do not plan on asking for much in return for the imposing big man.
According to The Athletic’s David Aldridge, the realistic expectation is for the ballpark figure to be around the price of two second round picks, meaning that Washington will not be able to extract much from the Lithuanian center.
Given this development, the 76ers should have zero qualms pursuing Valanciunas. While posting a career-low 19.7 minutes per outing, he is still logging a near double-double to the tune of 11.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Philadelphia, dead-last in rebounding and near the bottom in bench scoring, would greatly benefit from trading for the veteran. Valanciunas has a nifty touch around the basket and is routinely one of the best rebounders in all of basketball, especially on the offensive boards.
The 76ers have not gotten much from Andre Drummond, and with Joel Embiid still sidelined without a clear status as to his availability, Valanciunas would be a great floor-raiser for their playoff push.
With the Philadelphia 76ers almost racing against the clock now, they must start pulling the trigger on some of their actual and projected targets. Striking a deal for Jonas Valanciunas would be a good kickstart in this regard, as the asking price for him clearly shows that they cannot fumble this one.
They simply need to want him enough.