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Multiple sources across the league said the Bucks' asking price was enormous, with an executive from a third team describing the Bucks' process as "gauging the market" and their price as "all our draft picks and good young players." The Golden State Warriors offer included four unprotected first-round picks in pursuit of Antetokounmpo, sources said, but never seemed to gain much momentum on a deal. The players the Bucks did seem interested in were younger building blocks such as VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers or Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources said.
Gina Mizell: FINAL: Sixers 109, Blazers 103. That is a good win on the second game of a back-to-back, against a Portland team also fighting for play-in positioning in the West. Quentin Grimes with a season-high 31 points. Justin Edwards with 21. VJ Edgecombe with 18 and a career-high 12 rebounds. Up next: At Denver on Tuesday
Derek Bodner: Final: Sixers hold on for a 104-97 win over the Nets. - Quentin Grimes: 28/8/4. - Justin Edwards: 19 pts on 9-13 shooting. - VJ Edgecombe: 16 points and 7 assists. The Sixers became just the 2nd team all year to win a game while making 3 or fewer 3s (they shot 3-25).
If the Sixers (35-31) are going to hold onto a playoff spot, they need Edgecombe to become an offensive engine. “I just want to win, and I just want to do the things that allow my team to win,” Edgecombe told The Athletic. “If that means my team needs me to take more shots, I’m ready for that. But, mainly, I just need to do the things that my team needs me to do.”
Before the Sixers fell to the Detroit Pistons by a score of 131-109 on Thursday, Edgecombe received a lot of praise from Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff. "I mean, he’s a stud," Bickerstaff said pregame. "The freak athleticism, the competitiveness, the effort that he plays with, the fearlessness that he plays with, his ability to create on his own, you know what I mean? Like for himself, I think it’s been a great year for him."
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"Just the development, understanding the dynamic of the league, because it’s not easy playing next to an elite guard for a guard who is really talented--it isn’t always the easiest thing to do," Bickerstaff added. "You gotta figure out where you get your spots, where you get your touches, but I think he’s done a very good job of playing with that balance of understanding like how good Tyrese Maxey is and how he can play next to him and find his spots to get his as well, but he definitely has a bright future, and he’s gonna be a tough challenge and a tough matchup for a long time."
After a loss to the Pistons, one has to wonder how this team is feeling heading into the final 16 games of the season. "There's gonna be a lot of ups and downs," Edgecombe said after the loss. "Obviously, there's been a lot of downs. A lot of ups, but stay the course. Staying the course, regardless of what everyone else gotta say. Whatever anybody gotta say about this team, we don't care, to be honest. We just want everyone to be healthy. Health is more important than anything. So, that's my biggest takeaway. "
With that being said, the Sixers are dealing with a lot of similar problems that have derailed their seasons in the past. Embiid is dealing with a variety of injuries, Maxey is dealing with a finger injury that will keep him sidelined until April, Oubre will miss two weeks, and George still has six more games to serve on his 25-game suspension. "It’s outside noise for a reason," he added. "Whoever is saying whatever, they can't step foot on an NBA court and do anything we do. They can't come out here and make shots for us. I think it's totally different. So, like I said, we're focused on winning. We just want to win."
To put it mildly, the 76ers are teetering. They are injured, almost beyond belief. And they need Edgecombe to grow up fast. Like a latch-key kid, Edgecombe is being asked to take on added responsibility. If the Sixers (35-31) are going to hold onto a playoff spot, they need Edgecombe to become an offensive engine. “I just want to win, and I just want to do the things that allow my team to win,” Edgecombe told The Athletic. “If that means my team needs me to take more shots, I’m ready for that. But, mainly, I just need to do the things that my teams need me to do.”
The Sixers have, at least temporarily, sputtered into an injury-riddled place that feels eerily similar to last season. Now they must somehow navigate this adversity with 16 games remaining, and standout rookie guard VJ Edgecombe said they must do it, “regardless of what everyone else [has] got to say.” “Everyone got something to say about this team,” Edgecombe said. “We don’t care, to be honest. We just want everyone to be healthy. Health is more important than anything. … “Just work, stay together, keep building chemistry.”
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Austin Krell: VJ Edgecombe is AVAILABLE, Sixers say.
Ky Carlin: Injury report vs. MEM today: OUT: Joel Embiid (right oblique strain), Tyrese Maxey (right finger sprain) QUESTIONABLE: VJ Edgecombe (lumbar contusion) #Sixers
Bobby Marks: For their game tonight at Cleveland, the 76ers have 81% of their current salaries on the sidelines: - Joel Embiid: $55.2M - Paul George: $51.7M - Tyrese Maxey: $38M - VJ Edgecombe: $11.1M
