The Knicks may have a trade decision looming with Deuce McBride, but the 76ers do not appear to be an obvious landing spot.
McBride is entering the final season of his three-year deal and is set to make $3.9 million. He remains a bench piece for New York, but one with enough value that he should be in line for a raise. That puts the Knicks in a familiar spot: pay up, or consider moving him before he can walk away for nothing.
That possibility has made McBride a name worth watching around the league, including in Philadelphia. The Athletic’s James Edwards believes McBride could eventually be on the move depending on how future contract talks play out.
At first glance, the Sixers have plenty going on in the backcourt already. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are the expected starters, with Anfernee Simons and Labaron Philon Jr. currently lined up as the bench options.
Simons looks like a real find for Philadelphia. Last season, across time with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, he averaged 14.3 points per game off the bench. He also brings plenty of experience, with 444 career games and 218 starts.
Philon is the wild card. The rookie has real upside, but he still has to prove he can handle a meaningful role.
Philadelphia is banking on him following the path Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe took over the last two seasons by carving out steady minutes early, but that kind of leap is never guaranteed. If Philon turns out to be too raw for a contending team, the Sixers could start looking harder at backup ball-handler help.
McBride has fit that kind of profile before. He’s been viewed as a useful, affordable contributor on a winning Knicks team, and in another version of Philadelphia’s roster, he may have been near the top of the list. That may not be true now.
The reason is the same thing that could complicate things for the Sixers in general: there are already a lot of mouths to feed. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown are going to get their ball-handling opportunities beyond Maxey, and that won’t always be limited to the starting group. When the playoffs arrive and the rotation tightens, the Sixers are expected to lean on those players as primary playmakers, which would ease the burden on Philon and Simons.
So unless Philadelphia sees McBride as clearly offering more upside than Simons, even in the short term, he no longer looks like a must-have target. Still, he remains a player to monitor, and what the Knicks decide to do with him could matter in the Eastern Conference race.
In Other News...
Sixers Forward Depth Suddenly Looks Better Than Anyone Expected
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Dominick Barlow adds another layer to that conversation, because his development gives Philadelphia another name to consider as it maps out the position. Between Wade's arrival and Barlow's growth, the Sixers suddenly have more forward options than expected, and the challenge now is less about finding bodies and more about figuring out which combinations actually hold up when the games matter. [Read more 🡒]
VJ Edgecombe Is Giving The Sixers Another Reason To Dream
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For a Sixers team always searching for the next long-term building block, that kind of development track matters. Edgecombes chance to pick up habits and perspective from established stars gives Philadelphia another layer of optimism, especially with the franchise hoping his early progress translates into real impact once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Kidd Just Raised The Stakes For LeBron And The Sixers
Jason Kidds recent comments added another layer to the conversation around Philadelphias offseason, with the Hall of Fame guard putting a premium on the kind of basketball IQ and playmaking that can reshape a team. In his view, players like LeBron James and Nikola Jokic stand out because they do more than score - they see the game in a way that lifts everyone around them, and Kidd said his own style has always leaned closer to James brand of all-around control.
For the Sixers, that kind of endorsement matters because it frames James as more than just another high-profile addition. Kidd also pointed to the ripple effect of James joining Philadelphia, suggesting his presence could push the club into the top tier of the Eastern Conference. The question now is how quickly that vision turns into reality, and whether the Sixers can turn the buzz around James into the kind of sustained edge contenders are built on. [Read more 🡒]