Happy Monday! The Sixers officially passed the halfway mark of their 2024-25 regular season schedule with last night's game in Milwaukee — the team's sixth straight loss — and boy, has it been a long half-season. The Sixers are 15-26, their suffering has no end in sight and with the NBA's Feb. 6 trade deadline nearing, the team will have to consider taking calls on some veteran players and hoping it can keep its top-six protected first-round pick.
The Sixers' depth has taken blow after blow, even while injuries at the very top of the roster grab the most headlines. Let's take stock of it before pitching the trade proposal of the week:
MORE: Will Justin Edwards be part of Sixers’ future? ‘The sky’s the limit’
Caleb Martin's rough injury luck continues
Martin missed 10 contests in the first half of the season across three multi-game absences, but has spent the vast majority of the season so far dealing with nagging injuries which have derailed his play. Martin, whose desire to be on the floor no matter what has been appreciated by the Sixers, was finally held out during a light period of the schedule in December after resting for a week at the end of November. The results seemed to be there, as Martin returned to action for 11 consecutive games, played terrific defense across multiple position and made half of his three-point attempts.
Caleb Martin had never made seven three-pointers in an NBA game, regular season or playoffs — until Christmas Day in Boston, when Martin went 7-9 from beyond the arc in the Sixers' win over the Celtics.
All of Martin's made threes in Boston: pic.twitter.com/mLUeAeONlp— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) December 26, 2024
Last Sunday, Martin was a late addition to the team's injury report with right groin soreness. But with that designation, he went on to miss three consecutive games. Martin has now missed five contests in a row, but as he was ruled out for each of the Sixers' weekend games, he was listed with a right hip sprain.
It has just been the year from hell for Martin on the injury front — he is clearly not the only Sixer for which this statement applies — but his play in between lengthy absences has been encouraging. If the Sixers do opt to trade some of their veteran players in hopes of loading up for 2025-26, I expect Martin to be someone who sticks around in the first season of a cost-effective four-year contract.
Eric Gordon finding his form
When Gordon returned from a four-game absence due to a dental issue which concluded his 2024, he was a 27.5 percent three-point shooter as a member of the Sixers. One of the most accomplished three-point shooters of this era of NBA basketball just could not get shots to go down, and it was mystifying.
Gordon has played in 11 straight games dating back to New Year's Day, and since that stretch began his season-long three-point percentage has skyrocketed to 36 percent. Even after a lackluster back-to-back over the weekend, Gordon is shooting 44.9 percent from beyond the arc on significant volume since his return to action, and while that improvement has not translated to Sixers wins, it could revitalize Gordon's trade value.
Another triple from Eric Gordon!
Gordon has sank at least two 3PT in six of his last seven appearances now. pic.twitter.com/auvqO2Kony— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) January 20, 2025
Gordon's contract includes player option for next season worth nearly $3.5 million. In order for the Sixers to swing a deal, Gordon may not only need to convince contending teams that he can help them in the stretch run this year, but that he will be worthy of their time next season should he opt in.
The Reggie Jackson signing has been a flop
I touched on this a bit when Sixers head coach Nick Nurse axed Jackson from his short-handed rotation on Saturday, but what is mystifying with the veteran point guard's season is not that he has struggled. Jackson will be 35 years old a few days after the regular season ends and has seen his production trend downward in recent years.
What remains confusing — and is perhaps even more odd now — is why exactly the Sixers felt it was necessary to add Jackson to a team which already included Gordon, Kyle Lowry and two-way point guard Jeff Dowtin Jr., a favorite of Nurse's. In theory, a spark plug sort of scorer who can change the pace and pick up the slack when primary options are out could be useful, but Jackson has very rarely been afforded the opportunity to serve in that role this season amid constant injuries to Joel Embiid, Paul George and others.
The Sixers clearly have one too many guards ages 34 and above, and Jackson is the one who has never had a clear, defined role on this team. Meanwhile, a team which was going to hold Embiid out of many games by design went into the season undermanned at the center position. Guerschon Yabusele turning into a genuine option there was a godsend, but with Andre Drummond also struggling on the floor and with injuries, the Sixers have recently had to turn to rookie Adem Bona and two-way big Pete Nance to team up for 48 minutes at center.
If the Sixers had a more complete roster, using one on a popular locker room influence like Jackson would make more sense. But on a team without great positional balance — which also committed during the summer to keeping one roster spot open through the trade deadline — Jackson's presence on this roster has never quite made sense. After repeated attempts to have Dowtin and Jackson share backup point guard duties, Nurse appears to have officially pulled the plug on Jackson's minutes.
Updates on Dowtin and Justin Edwards
Dowtin and Edwards each can be active for 50 NBA games before the Sixers have to convert them to standard NBA contracts in order for them to play. As I try to do every now and then, here is an update on where the team's key pair of two-way guys stand in terms of remaining NBA days. As we are at the midway mark of the regular season, the Sixers have 41 games left to play:
| Jeff Dowtin Jr. | Justin Edwards |
| 25 days used | 22 days used |
| 25 days remaining | 28 days remaining |
If either player had an extended injury, it could be enough to enable the Sixers to get through the season without having to convert them to a two-way deal. Otherwise, the team could have tough decisions to make on when to hold the players out. Converting Edwards should be the priority given his youth and the potential benefits the Sixers would enjoy from a salary cap perspective should the undrafted rookie ink a long-term deal and become a rotation-caliber player.
Trade proposal of the week
Between now and Feb. 6, each edition of 5 Sixers thoughts will end with a trade proposal. This week, I'm pitching a deal in which Sixers send Drummond to a team in need of backup center help in exchange for a young guard from nearby:
Sixers receive: Bones Hyland, 2031 second-round pick
Clippers receive: Andre Drummond
I have admittedly never been a Bones Hyland guy — the idea of him is incredibly fun, the actual player is less enticing to me — but in this deal, the Sixers would avoid Drummond picking up a $5 million player option on their books next season. The Sixers are probably bracing for Drummond to pick up that option after a rough season derailed by poor performance and injuries. It would not be cataclysmic or anything close for the Sixers if they pay Drummond that salary again in 2025-26, but it might not be the most efficient use of their resources.
Old friend Mo Bamba has been unable to solidify himself as a consistent backup center for the Clippers, who have been far better than anticipated and should be looking to solidify that rotation spot behind Ivica Zubac. Hyland quickly fell out of favor there as well, but his expiring salary makes this an ideal match.
Hyland could join a depleted guard rotation in Philadelphia and, if the team ends up punting on the remainder of the season, enter a low-risk, high-reward context ahead of his restricted free agency. Hyland could have plenty of on-ball reps and attempt to convince the Sixers — or another team — that he is worth signing to another contract over the summer.
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