One of the Sixers’ biggest challenges leading up to the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline is balancing their short- and long-term outlooks. Despite Monday’s loss to the shorthanded Chicago Bulls, the Sixers are currently third in the Eastern Conference with an 18-8 record, trailing only the Boston Celtics (20-6) and Milwaukee Bucks (20-7).
Team president Daryl Morey recently expressed confidence in the Sixers’ ability to match up with the Celtics (whom they’re 1-2 against this year) and Bucks (whom they’re 0-1 against). But he also said that he’s pursuing “significant” upgrades ahead of the trade deadline since it’s unclear how long Joel Embiid will continue to play at an MVP-caliber level.