Sixers Star Encourages Team to Spend at Deadline

The Philadelphia 76ers might actually be good? When the season started, it looked like the Sixers would struggle once again through an injury-riddled season as they tried to figure out what to do with their budding young core and injured aging stars. But now things are actually gelling, and the Sixers look like a solid team. 

That doesn’t mean the Sixers are NBA Finals contenders. As of Friday, they are 26⁠–⁠21, which is good for the 6th seed in the East. While they’ve surprised people by overcoming injuries and staying relevant, they’re still just a couple of losses from falling into the Play-In Tournament range of the standings. 

Joel Embiid doesn’t want to take the Sixers' “success” for granted. Embiid urged the front office to make some moves at the trade deadline to help improve the team. 

"In the past, we've been ducking the tax, so hopefully we think about improving [the team at the deadline], because we got a chance…I hope that at least we get a chance to just go out and compete, because we got a good group of guys in this locker room, and the vibes are the great."

Embiid knows that the East is wide open, and if the Sixers can add some talent and depth, they could put themselves right in the middle of the conversation for Eastern Conference champions. Additionally, Embiid is playing well despite looking like he is very physically limited. 

If Embiid only has a season or two left in his body, the Sixers would be smart to try to take advantage. Maybe if they pull off a great trade or two, they could find themselves giving Embiid one last chance to compete for a title before his body completely breaks down.