The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team has waived center Andrew Bogut.

Bogut was acquired as part of a trade with the Dallas Mavericks on February 23, 2017. He was never really going to be a part of the Sixers, so today’s news isn’t a huge surprise.

Bogut doesn’t score much, but he’s an excellent defender.

Well, this isn’t good. Sixers center Joel “The Process” Embiid is dealing with a lingering knee issue. Hoping for the best. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:

Joel Embiid on Monday will have an MRI on his injured left knee and is now listed as out indefinitely.

Embiid has been experiencing swelling and soreness in the left knee injury that has caused him to miss 16 out of the last 17 games. Bryan Colangelo announced back on Feb. 11 that Embiid has a minor meniscal tear. In his most recent press conference last Friday, Colangelo had targeted this Friday’s home game against the Knicks as a possibility for Embiid’s return. Now, that isn’t the case.

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired forward-center Nerlens Noel from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for guard Justin Anderson, center Andrew Bogut and a 2017 protected first-round pick.

Noel (6-11, 220) holds career averages of 10.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.6 blocks and 28.3 minutes per game in 171 games (140 starts) with Philadelphia.

The third-year man out of Kentucky is averaging 8.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks and 19.4 minutes per game in 29 games (seven starts) this season. He is shooting 61.1 percent (107-of-175) from the field this year.

A native of Malden, Mass., Noel was originally selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. His rights were later traded to Philadelphia along with a future first-round pick in exchange for Jrue Holiday and Pierre Jackson.

In his lone season at Kentucky (2012-13), Noel averaged 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.1 steals, 4.4 blocks and 31.9 minutes per game en route to earning First Team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and SEC Rookie of the Year honors. On Jan. 29, 2013, Noel set the UK single-game record with 12 blocked shots in a victory over No. 16 Ole Miss.

Noel suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Florida Gators on Feb. 12, 2013, ending his 2012-13 season. Despite the injury, Noel declared for the 2013 NBA Draft following his freshman year. He missed the entire 2013-14 NBA season recovering from knee surgery.

As a rookie in 2014-15, Noel averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.9 blocks and 30.8 minutes per game in 75 games (71 starts) while garnering NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.

The 22-year-old Noel was the top-rated player by both ESPNU recruiting and Scout.com coming out of high school and was rated the second-best prospect by Rivals.com. He will wear No. 3 with the Mavericks.

Anderson (6-6, 228) was drafted by Dallas with the 21st overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. In 106 games (11 starts) with the Mavericks, he averaged 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game.

Bogut (7-0, 260) was acquired by Dallas along with a future second-round pick from the Golden State Warriors on July 7, 2016 in exchange for a future conditional second-round pick. He averaged 3.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 block and 22.4 minutes per game in 26 games (21 starts) with the Mavericks this season.

Here’s the Dallas Morning News discussing center Andrew Bogut, who never made his mark as a member of the Mavericks and is now set to be traded to the Sixers. Bogut played in 26 games for the Mavs, averaging 3.0 ppg and 8.3 rpg in 22.4 minutes per outing:

Andrew Bogut, we hardly knew ya.

The big Aussie with the bigger sense of humor blew through the Mavericks for two-thirds of a season, never quite fit on the court with Dirk Nowitzki and now is heading elsewhere, although nobody’s sure quite where.

It was a virtual guarantee that Philadelphia, to whom the Mavericks will trade Bogut as soon as the conference call with the NBA office takes place, will never put the 7-footer in a uniform. They will waive him if they can’t move him along. It’s likely the Mavericks are paying a chunk (if not all) of his remaining salary.
Bogut still has some tread on his tires, but it’s getting pretty well worn. The question is whether he can land in a place that can utilize him for 20 minutes a game and get the most of his skills.

The Philadelphia 76ers have acquired center Tiago Splitter, a second-round pick, and the option to swap a second-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for forward Ersan Ilyasova, President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo announced today.

The Sixers will also receive a second-round pick from Atlanta (via Miami) and the right to swap the least favorable of the 2017 second-round picks received in the Sixers trade with the Utah Jazz with Atlanta’s 2017 second-round pick.

“I want to thank Ersan Ilyasova for his positive contributions to this organization both on and off the basketball court,” Colangelo said. “Ersan is a true professional whose daily examples of hard work, focus and consistency have helped facilitate the ongoing growth of our program and culture.”

“We are excited to welcome Ersan, and his family, to the Atlanta Hawks. He’s a high-character, proven veteran who we’ve liked for many years and believe fits well within our system,” Hawks President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We also want to thank Tiago for his contributions on and off the court. We wish him all the best in the future.”

Ilyasova was acquired by Philadelphia on November 1, 2016 in a deal with Oklahoma City. In the midst of his ninth NBA season, he has appeared in 583 career games (353 starts) and holds averages of 11 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes per game. A native of Turkey, Ilyasova played in 53 games (40 starts) with the Sixers this season, averaging 15 points and six rebounds on 44 percent shooting from the field.

Splitter, a veteran of six NBA seasons, has appeared in 347 career games (153 starts) with San Antonio and Atlanta. He holds career averages of eight points and five rebounds in 19 minutes per game, while shooting 56 percent from the floor. Originally selected in the first round (28th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft by the Spurs, the Brazilian native spent the first five seasons of his career in San Antonio (2010-15). During the Spurs’ run to the 2014 NBA title, Splitter saw action in all 23 playoff games (18 starts), posting eight points and six rebounds per contest.

The key piece of the Sixers’ future is center Joel Embiid, and if all goes as planned the other big piece is injured rookie Ben Simmons. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:

Thursday is significant for the Sixers beyond the trade deadline. It is also the day of Ben Simmons’ CT scan to evaluate how his right foot is healing.

“I feel like tomorrow at some point we’re all going to be able to lay out a more genuine plan for him,” Brett Brown said Wednesday. “I feel like we’re going to be good to go with some greater news and a more advanced detail of his plans after this scan.”

Once all parties involved assess the results, the team will provide an update, which may not be Thursday. Simmons has been sidelined all season after suffering a Jones fracture during the final scrimmage of training camp.

The Sixers resume practice on Wednesday and Ersan Ilyasova will look to be recharged and refocused when he hits the court in Camden. The veteran power forward is determined to find his rhythm after hitting a shooting snag prior to the All-Star break.

“I need it right now, just get away from basketball,” Ilyasova said of the time off following the Sixers’ final game before the break. “Obviously, the last week was kind of up and down. The season is long. Obviously, you have to get your mind out of it. It’s good timing.”

Ilyasova’s plans for the break included traveling to West Palm Beach, Florida, where he owns a home, to spend time with his wife and children who live in Milwaukee. He hoped unwinding with his loved ones would help him move beyond his struggles at the basket.

– CSN Philly

With the emergence of Sixers center Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor has wound up on the trading block. No guarantee he gets moved, but Okafor has been mentioned in trade rumors for much of the season. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer with the latest:

76ers center Jahlil Okafor had the same feeling most people had.

The thought was that Okafor was about to be traded once he didn’t play the past two games due on-going trade talks.

“I thought it would be a good chance,” said Okafor, responding to being asked if he thought he was gone. “When I’m not traveling with the team I was expecting something to happen.”

Instead, the second-year center is slated to come off the bench for the Sixers Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics at T.D. Garden. While trade talks continue, the team is not as close to trading the second-year center as it seemed to be in recent days.

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on the 76ers, who are playing very respectable basketball lately:

The Sixers are the talk of Philadelphia and are creating a huge buzz around the NBA, with just cause.

They won eight of 10 games heading into Saturday night’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks here at the Philips Arena. Their 16-25 record through 41 games is the best since they went 17-24 during the 2012-13 season…

The Sixers have a legitimate NBA All-Star Game candidate and runaway rookie-of-the-year contender in Embiid. They have a coach in Brett Brown who has been a part of four NBA championships as a San Antonio Spurs assistant. And they should have the services of a passer extraordinaire in Ben Simmons, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, sometime this season.

Still, Vegas lists the Sixers at 5,000-to-1 to win the NBA title. That’s understandable.

The Philadelphia 76ers signed guard Chasson Randle to a second 10-day contract today.

Randle has appeared in two games since being signed by the Sixers on January 9. He posted 10 points in 16 minutes in Monday’s win over the Bucks in Milwaukee.

Randle was most recently with the NBA D-League Westchester Knicks, where he appeared in 19 games and posted averages of 21 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal in 32 minutes per game, while shooting 40% from three-point range.

Randle played four years at Stanford, posting career averages of 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal in 144 career games (142 starts). He was named to the All-PAC 12 First Team his junior and senior seasons, and capped his collegiate career as Stanford’s all-time leading scorer with 2,375 points.

At this point, fans around the league have an opinion on Sixers center Joel Embiid. He’s on the map. It’s too soon to know how great he may become, but early signs pointing to stardom are very promising. Here’s Raptors coach Dwane Casey sharing his view, as reported by PhillySport:

Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey had high praise for 76ers center Joel Embiid, comparing him at a similar stage to 15-time all-star and four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal.

“He is physical, has size, athletic ability, like a young Shaq coming into the league and Shaq didn’t shoot it like this young man,” Casey said before Wednesday’s game at the Wells Fargo Center against the Sixers.

Embiid entered the contest averaging 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.43 blocked shots in 25.3 minutes per game.

One of the best things that could happen to the Sixers, aside from having all of their young talent healthy at the same time, would be for Jahlil Okafor to rise up and reach his potential. It’s been a down year for Okafor, but he definitely stepped up Saturday. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:

Jahlil Okafor’s string of four straight DNPs came to an end Saturday. He quickly made up for lost time at the basket.

Okafor scored a game-high 26 points (10 for 16 from the field, 6 for 11 from the line) with nine rebounds and a block in 36 minutes in the Sixers’ 109-93 loss to the Wizards…

Okafor got off to a hot start, scoring nine points in six first quarter minutes. He dropped another seven in the second. Okafor had a quiet third with four points — the Sixers only scored 15 in the quarter. He played the entire fourth quarter and added another six points.

“Jahlil Okafor is a professional scorer,” Brett Brown said. “For him to just jump into an NBA game and be given 35 minutes, him being very, very good fitness-wise, and for him to score like he scored at 21 years old, that’s Jahlil Okafor. That’s what he does.”

The Philadelphia 76ers signed guard Chasson Randle to a 10-day contract today.

Randle was most recently with the NBA D-League Westchester Knicks, where he appeared in 19 games and posted averages of 21 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal in 32 minutes per game, while shooting 40% from three-point range.

Prior to joining Westchester, he appeared in 21 games for ČEZ Nymburk of the Czech Republic’s National Basketball League, where he averaged 15 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals per game, while helping the team win the 2015-16 league championship.

Randle played four years at Stanford, posting career averages of 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal in 144 career games (142 starts). He was named to the All-PAC 12 First Team his junior and senior seasons, and capped his collegiate career as Stanford’s all-time leading scorer with 2,375 points.

Randle will wear number 5 for the Sixers.

The Philadelphia 76ers waived Hollis Thompson today.

Thompson appeared in 31 games this season and averaged six points, three rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes per game.

Thompson was originally signed by the Sixers on September 24, 2013 and appeared in 256 games (82 starts), posting averages of eight points, three rebounds and one assist on 42% shooting from the field in 24 minutes per game.

With the move, the Sixers roster currently stands at 14 players.

Gerald Henderson’s left-hip pain was too intolerable for him remain on the court.

The Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard was laboring on the Golden 1 Center with 8 minutes, 58 seconds remaining in Monday night’s 102-100 setback to the Sacramento Kings. Henderson spoke with Sixers coach Brett Brown, who basically came on the court to call a timeout as a way to get his veteran leader out of the game.

– Philadelphia Inquirer

In possession of their own pick and the Los Angeles Lakers’ top-three protected pick, the 76ers will probably be picking twice in the lottery. The good news for the Sixers is that this draft is shaping up to be a pretty deep one. Even better news is that it’s deep with what they need: guards and wings.

Markelle Fultz is the front-runner to be the No. 1 overall pick. He’d be an excellent fit as a point guard who is more of a scorer/shooter (49 percent from three) than a facilitator to play with Simmons (not to say Fultz is a poor passer). Malik Monk of Kentucky is an undersized combo guard who, like Fultz, can light up the scoreboard. Lonzo Ball of UCLA is another combo guard with the ability to shoot (43 percent from three) and dish (8.3 assists).

Then there’s athletic wings like high-flying Kansas freshman Josh Jackson who can do a little bit of everything. The ACC has two long, athletic wings that can wreak havoc on both ends in Florida State’s Isaac Austin and Duke’s Jayson Tatum. Landing one of these guys would give the Sixers scary length and a potentially disruptive defense.

– CSN Philly

Quick Take: At some point, two things have to happen for the Sixers: 1) Full health. 2) A clear indication that their season will be one of serious competition, and not riding the bottom of the standings anymore. Perhaps that’ll happen in 2017-18.

Back on the court for just his second game of the season, Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel expressed frustration over his limited playing time in Friday night’s 100-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Noel, who made his season debut Sunday after recovering from offseason knee surgery only to sprain his left ankle and miss Wednesday’s game, had two points in eight minutes against the Lakers. Afterward, he aired his frustration.

“I think I’m too good to be playing eight minutes,” said Noel, the No. 6 pick in the 2013 draft. “That’s crazy. Need to figure this s— out.”

– ESPN.com

Quick Take: Nerlens just got back on the court. The first step is for him to stay healthy, fit into the rotation, and earn additional playing time. 

The Philadelphia 76ers announced that guard Jerryd Bayless underwent successful surgery this morning to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist, which will be immobilized for the next 12 weeks.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

“While it’s unfortunate Jerryd will miss the remainder of the season, we feel confident that today’s procedure will resolve his wrist injury and related discomfort,” said Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo. “Jerryd is to be credited with his committed and professional approach in making every effort to avoid this outcome.”

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Bayless signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Sixers in July. So he’s part of their future plans.”

On October 21, the Sixers medical staff identified the source of the left wrist soreness to be a ligament injury and at that time both he and the team elected to pursue non-surgical treatment options to address the injury.

During his second game of the season vs. Memphis on November 23 – in which he had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes – multiple falls to the floor resulted in significant impact to the wrist. Bayless and the team then consulted with multiple wrist and hand specialists, who concluded that surgery was needed.

Bayless was signed by the Sixers on July 13, 2016 and appeared in three games this season, posting averages of 11 points, four rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes per game.

The weeks and months have quickly piled up. Nerlens Noel has not played an NBA regular-season game since last season ended for the Sixers on April 13. Nearly eight months later, Noel is nearing the return he has been eyeing for quite some time now.

“It’s always an excitement to be able to play basketball after this amount of time, including the summer, not being able to play organized basketball at a competitive level,” Noel said Thursday. “I’ve been really looking forward to this. I think I’ve gained some momentum coming back from this minor surgery, and I think I’m in a really good place and I’m feeling good with my body. Everything is on point.”

Noel has been sidelined since undergoing elective left knee surgery in October to address an inflamed plica. He traveled to New Orleans on Wednesday to join the Sixers ahead of their 99-88 win over the Pelicans (see game recap). Noel continued his rehab Thursday while the team prepped for the game.

– CSN Philly

Quick Take: The Sixers are 5-18 this season, the second worst record in the NBA, ahead only of the 4-17 Mavericks. It’s nice that they’re getting Noel back, but it’s very unclear how he, Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor will fit together. The chemistry experiment will be worth watching.

The Sixers’ game against the Kings at the Wells Fargo Center has been postponed because of moisture on the court. There was no immediate word on a rescheduled date for the game.

Arena staff members tried using wet mops to fix the issue to no avail.

“The Philadelphia 76ers announced that tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings has been postponed due to an issue with the surface of the court and with player safety in mind,” the team said in a statement. “Arena officials worked diligently to address the issue, but NBA officials determined that the court was not suitable for play.”

– CSN Philly

Quick Take: The InsideHoops Twitter account decided to get silly as the game started to be in doubt and tweeted “Trust the mopcess.” Unfortunately, the mops were unable to do the job. The best reaction after the non-game was from Sixers center Joel Embiid, who tweeted the following: Well The court was tanking tonight…. #TrustTheProcess