The Newz (4th Edition)

Another week, and the title is still sticking.

The big story from this week was obviously the trade deadline coming and going last Thursday. The Sixers, you may have heard, made a move to acquire George Hill. Since I've already covered that, as well as given my thoughts about it, we won't dwell on it any further.

Take that away, though, and we aren't left with much. In a way, though, at this stage of the season, barring any buyout additions or otherwise minor transactions, no news is good news.

Lezdoit.

MVP Reinforcement

I'll start with the best nugget from the week--Joel Embiid is apparently nearing his return. It won't be during the road trip and, despite initial optimism he could hit the floor for Saturday night's home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, that looks like it won't happen, either. But all signs point to him looking healthier and healthier by the day, which is great news.

Embiid suffered a bone bruise in his left knee after landing awkwardly following a dunk during the Sixers' March 12 victory over the Wizards. The initial moment was terrifying for Sixers fans, as the 7', 280-pound center collapsed to the ground and was down for several tense moments. Thankfully, imaging showed no structural damage.

The Sixers have fared quite well without the All-Star center, winning 6 of 9 since the injury. The bulk of those victories largely came against less than stellar competition, though, and the three defeats have come at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets. That trio of teams is on the shortlist of genuine title contenders paced by superstar talent, only highlighting Embiid's significance to this iteration of the Sixers.

Penciling him back into the 5-spot can't happen soon enough.

Update: It looks like the big man will be ready for that Saturday game after all. Great news.

Former Sixers Back on the Market

The New York Knicks snuck into the dealings between the Sixers and Oklahoma City Thunder to help facilitate George Hill's arrival in Philly, coming away with the seldom used tandem of Terrance Ferguson and Vincent Poirier.

Turns out neither was long for the Big Apple--both players were waived on Monday.

This isn't particularly surprising. The Knicks are surprisingly in the thick of the postseason picture, with a real shot to finish as a top-4 seed in the East (seriously). Tom Thibodeau isn't one to ruffle the feathers of his rotation, particularly for fourth bigs (Poirier) and developmental prospects (Ferguson).

I wouldn't be surprised if someone took a flyer on Ferguson. He's still just 22, and had moderate success as a starter on a playoff team as recently as the 2019 season with the Thunder. And wings with his physical profile and athleticism will always find jobs.

As for Poirier, well, if this is it for his NBA career, at least he's free from Doc Rivers.