The 76ers may force Daryl Morey to do something he doesn’t like.
Nothing.
Morey, the Philadelphia president, is a renowned wheeler and dealer and in the aftermath of the James Harden trade is suddenly stocked with assets. With draft capital and movable contracts, Sixers are in position to be a player on the trade market.
But why would they? They are 8–2 on the season, deadlocked atop the Eastern Conference standings with the Celtics, who Philly will face Wednesday night. The Sixers are top 10 in offensive and defensive ratings while trailing only Boston in net rating (+9) this season.
Matt Slocum/AP
So what’s a gunslinging GM to do?
There will, undoubtedly, be options. The Zach LaVine rumor mill is starting to pick up. OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam’s availability could increase if the Raptors sink further in the standings. And the Jazz could always dump another veteran (Kelly Olynyk, Jordan Clarkson) if Danny Ainge thinks that team is going nowhere.
The best option, though, might be to do nothing. Remember: Philadelphia projects to have north of $50 million of available cap space next summer. They have Joel Embiid under contract and will have Tyrese Maxey locked in on a max deal. There’s nothing stopping Philadelphia from hunting for a third star with its cap space (Siakam, Anunoby, DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson will all be unrestricted free agents) and saving its draft capital for another deal.
It's a conundrum, albeit a good one. With Embiid and Maxey having All-NBA starts—and Contract Year Tobias Harris shooting a career-best 57.6% from the floor—the Sixers have enough talent to compete for a championship. Morey will have to decide how aggressive he needs to be in adding a piece that can bring the team closer to winning one.
On to Sports Illustrated’s NBA power rankings.
1. Boston Celtics
Is Sam Hauser the Celtics’ elusive seventh man? Hauser is connecting on 47.5% from three and playing credible enough defense for Joe Mazzulla to run him out for 20 minutes per game.
2. Denver Nuggets
Reggie Jackson’s numbers in three games as a starter: 13.7 points, four assists and 37.5% from three. Nice luxury for Denver to have with Jamal Murray out until at least the end of the month.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
“The Franchise,” as Embiid has labeled Maxey, has been playing like one. Maxey scored 77 points in back-to-back games against Indiana. For the season Maxey is shooting 49% from the floor and 43% from three-point range.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Karl-Anthony Towns’s stats the last three games: 27.7 points and 12.3 rebounds on 50% shooting and 45.5% from three. The Timberwolves are rolling.
5. Dallas Mavericks
Reason No. 2,678 why the draft matters: Dereck Lively, the 12th pick last June, is averaging 8.3 points on 70.6% shooting. The Mavericks have been searching for a starting center. They found one.
6. Houston Rockets
Alperen Şengün-ic? The Rockets’ big man counts Nikola Jokic as one of his basketball role models and lately has been playing like him. Şengün’s numbers this season: 19.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, six assists on 60% shooting and playing credible enough defense to keep Houston in the top 10 in defensive efficiency.
7. Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton averaged 29 points and 16 assists in back-to-back games against Philadelphia. More impressively: zero turnovers.
8. Miami Heat
Welp, Miami is back. Bam Adebayo has been outstanding during Miami’s six-game winning streak and Haywood Highsmith has invigorated the defense. Oh and Jimmy Butler remains one of the NBA’s best closers.
9. Oklahoma City Thunder
The first Chet Holmgren–Victor Wembanyama matchup was a dud but Holmgren’s start—he’s the first player in NBA history to average 50/50/90 shooting splits and score 100+ points through his first seven career NBA games—has been anything but. Anchored by Holmgren, the Thunder rank in the top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency.
Alonzo Adams/USA TODAY Sports
10. Milwaukee Bucks
We are not concerned about Damian Lillard.
We are not concerned about Damian Lillard.
(Checks stats, sees Lillard shooting 27% from three.)
We are not concerned about Damian Lillard.
11. Atlanta Hawks
The good: Dejounte Murray, who is one of only three players in the league this season to be averaging at least 20.0 ppg and 5.0 apg on 50% from the floor, 40% from three and 80% from the free throw line. The bad: Trae Young, whose shooting numbers from the field (35.7%) and three-point line (29.4%) are career-lows.
12. Los Angeles Lakers
Shifting Austin Reaves to the bench is paying off: Reaves is averaging 16 points on 53% shooting with the second unit. On Tuesday, Reaves flirted with a triple-double (16 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists) in a win over Memphis.
13. New York Knicks
Julius Randle’s stats in wins: 21.8 points on 42.5% shooting, including 36.7% from three.
Julius Randle’s stats in losses: 14.2 points on 26.4% shooting, including 16.7% from three.
The Knicks need Julius Randle.
14. New Orleans Pelicans
The injury-riddled Pelicans rank in the bottom third in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Yikes.
15. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix’s Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal will play for the first time together against Minnesota on Wednesday. The Suns have been treading water but any judgment must be reserved until we see what that trio’s got.
16. Golden State Warriors
In five of the Warriors’ 11 games, Stephen Curry has doubled his closest teammate in scoring. That’s bad. Curry missed Tuesday’s game against Minnesota with knee soreness and Draymond Green is likely facing a lengthy suspension for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during an in-game scuffle. That’s worse.
17. Sacramento Kings
The Kings put up 132 points in De’Aaron Fox’s last game before an ankle injury. They put up 132 in his return on Monday and are 3–1 with Fox in the lineup. Seems like an important player.
18. Brooklyn Nets
Ben Simmons is out at least a week with a nerve impingement in the lower left side of his back, which was causing ongoing issues with his left hip. For a player with a history of back issues, that’s not great.
19. Orlando Magic
The Magic’s defense has slipped during their recent 1–3 skid, surrendering at least 117 points in the three losses. Orlando’s offense—26th in efficiency—just isn’t good enough to compensate when it does.
20. Toronto Raptors
Siakam during the Raptors’ 3–1 stretch: 23.8 points, nine rebounds, five assists on 49.4% shooting. In wins over Dallas and Washington, he cracked 60% from the floor. Siakam still can’t buy a bucket from three (6.3% during that stretch) but he’s showing signs of life after an uneven start.
21. Utah Jazz
Perhaps Tuesday’s 30-point game will break Jordan Clarkson out of his season-long shooting slump. Clarkson is shooting 42.1% from the floor (down from last season) and 31.1% from three (ditto). Meanwhile, Walker Kessler is out at least another week with an elbow injury.
22. Los Angeles Clippers
Harden’s fourth-quarter stat line in Tuesday’s loss in Denver: 0–1 from the floor, zero points and a -6 in five minutes of play. The Clippers are 0–5 in the Harden Era with a matchup against white-hot Houston on Friday.
Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports
23. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are 19th in offensive and defensive efficiency after being top 10 in both categories last season. The defense allowed the Kings to shoot 59% from the floor and 47.6% from three Monday. Said Donovan Mitchell, “We gotta figure this s— out.”
24. Chicago Bulls
Patrick Williams had his best game of the season Monday, a 13-point effort in 27 minutes in a loss to Milwaukee. The Bulls need that—and more—from Williams if they want to get into the playoff race.
25. Memphis Grizzlies
Marcus Smart, too? How long before the injury-ravaged Grizzlies host Invincible-style tryouts?
26. San Antonio Spurs
How is the Jeremy Sochan power forward-to-point guard experiment going? “There have been moments where it’s like, ‘Yo, I don’t want to,’” Sochan told the San Antonio Express-News. “It’s like (expletive) this (expletive).” Sochan has had some good nights, like a 16-point, five-assist effort against Miami on Sunday. And he continues to connect one-handed free throws at better than 70%.
27. Portland Trail Blazers
A positive in Portland: Toumani Camara, the former second-round pick acquired from Phoenix in the Damian Lillard trade. The physical forward surged into the starting lineup this week and with the Blazers in search of more frontcourt muscle, he’s likely to stick there.
28. Charlotte Hornets
The big news in Charlotte: Miles Bridges, who sat out all of last season, will return to the Hornets lineup Friday after finishing a 30-game suspension (10 this season) for pleading no-contest to a domestic violence charge in 2022. Steve Clifford says Bridges, who averaged 20 points during the 2021–22 season, will have a significant role when he gets back. Stay tuned.
29. Detroit Pistons
Eight straight losses now for the Pistons, who need to revive Jaden Ivey.
30. Washington Wizards
The state of the Wizards in one clip.
Jordan Poole during this timeout 😭
— Overtime (@overtime) November 13, 2023
(via @The_BTC_Classic) pic.twitter.com/XVI4Y9chgx
