5 truths about the Sixers with trade deadline nearly 1 month away 

It’s starting to get late early for the 13-19 Sixers, who are 11th in the Eastern Conference heading into Saturday's road trip finale in Brooklyn.

Here are five truths about where the Sixers stand just over a month before the Feb. 6 trade deadline:

Nick Nurse needs to change the offense

The Sixers rank dead last in the NBA with 21.7 assists per game. They’re 25^th in offensive rating and 27^th in points per game. There’s way too much iso ball and not enough ball and player movement. Yes, there have been a ton of injuries and players in and out of the lineup. But regardless of who’s in or out, the offense isn’t working. 

Guerschon Yabusele signing has been a home run

On the positive side, Yabusele has been a revelation on a one-year, minimum-salary deal.

The French import throws his body around, gaining extra possessions, and he allows the Sixers to play five-out when he’s on the floor because of his 39.5 percent three-point shooting. He’s an excellent connective piece on offense and a rugged defender. And he’s been durable, the only Sixer to play all 32 games this season. You just wish he was signed to a longer-term deal because he’s going to have a ton of suitors next offseason. 

Paul George hasn’t looked anything like a max player

Daryl Morey got the third star he wanted when George signed a four-year, $212 million contract this summer. But if you didn’t know PG was a perennial All-Star, you sure wouldn’t guess it from what he’s done this season. Look at how far he’s fallen off from last season’s numbers with the Clippers:

2023-24 (LAC): 22.6 points per game, 47.1 field goal percentage, 41.3 three-point percentage

2024-25 (PHI): 16.3 points per game, 42.2 field goal percentage, 33.6 three-point percentage

The numbers have been even worse in clutch time, where he’s basically been a no-show. In the final five minutes of games with a scoring margin of five points or fewer, George is shooting just 2 for 8 in 31 minutes. He’s been far too passive for a player of his skill level.

Trading Jared McCain in a win-now deal would be galactically stupid

McCain was the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year before suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee. But if there is any inclination to deal away McCain in a win-now trade this season, it should stop right here. Before McCain did it this season, the last rookie to score 15-plus points per game and shoot at least 38 percent from three on at least five attempts per game was Stephen Curry in the 2009-10 season. You do not trade that kind of potential to try to save the dwindling chances at a deep playoff run this season.

The next month may force Morey to sell

Morey is a probabilities guy. He often talks about trying to maximize the Sixers’ championship odds. Well, with a month to go before the trade deadline, the Sixers are 13-19, four games out of one of the six automatic playoff spots in the East. Starting Jan. 12, look at the eight-game stretch the Sixers are facing:

• Jan. 12: Magic (road)
• Jan. 14: Thunder (home)
• Jan. 15: Knicks (home)
• Jan. 18: Pacers (road)
• Jan. 19: Bucks (road)
• Jan. 21: Nuggets (road)
• Jan. 24: Cavaliers (home)
• Jan. 25: Bulls (road)

There are three back-to-backs in those eight games, so Joel Embiid will miss at least three of them if he continues to not play on consecutive nights. If the Sixers don’t pull off some upsets in that stretch, they could find themselves 10-plus games under .500 with less than half of the season to go.

At that point, the Feb. 6 deadline would be less than two weeks away. Morey may have to look to the future, especially with a top-six protected pick in a draft with potential stars up top. The odds of getting some lottery luck may be significantly better than the odds of righting the ship and making a playoff run. The Sixers have the next month to convince him otherwise.