‘Tis the season for Jahlil Okafor Stories.
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Big Jah just can’t seem to stay out of trouble off the court of late. After apparently having a gun pointed at him during an altercation at a Philadelphia night club in October and then punching a man outside a Boston night club on Thanksgiving eve (video below), reports are now surfacing from The Philadelphia Inquirer that Okafor was pulled over a few weeks back for going 108 mph on the Ben Franklin Bridge.

According to multiple reports, former Sixers center Moses Malone passed away Sunday at the age of 60.

A three-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star, Malone was a key cog in the Sixers' 1982-1983 NBA Championship, being named Finals MVP for his performance. Malone averaged 20.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game during his career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

The Sixers have officially confirmed that Joel Embiid will miss his second straight season - further delaying his NBA debut - and will have surgery on his right foot in the next seven to 10 days.

Following a report from Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer on Saturday afternoon, the Sixers confirmed the news that the 21-year-old Embiid would indeed undergo surgery on his right foot yet again, in an announcement Saturday night.

On Friday, the Sixers’ trade with the Kings, in which Sam Hinkie absolutely fleeced Vlade Divac, became official. The Sixers acquired Nik Stauskas, Jason Thompson and Carl Landry, as well as a 2018 protected first-round pick and the option to swap 2016 and 2017 first-round picks in exchange for Arturas Gudaitis and Luka Mitrovic.

The wait is over. Almost.

Friday night the Sixers Twitter account (which is one of the best accounts in the game in case you aren’t already following) teased a new mascot for the franchise (see below). The mascot is set to debut on February 10 at the Franklin Institute.

Philadelphia completed a second blockbuster deal on Tuesday, receiving center Hasheem Thabeet from Oklahoma City, first reported by Marc Stein. Ok, so maybe not on par with the mega-deal that was completed over the weekend that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland and Thad Young to Minnesota among others.  It is reported that the Sixers will immediately waive the former #2 overall pick's non guaranteed contract. Thabeet has averaged 2.2 points and 2.7 boards over his disappointing, five year career with 4 different teams.  

So what do the teams actually get out of this trade? It's all about the money. While the Sixers receive cash considerations, the trade creates a $1.25 million trade exception for the Thunder. In the end, no players are being exchanged. 

By: Matt Ryan

The blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland, and Andrew Wiggins, Thaddeus Young and Anthony Bennett to Minnesota became official on Saturday. In return for Young, Philadelphia receives veteran forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (now referred to as "LRMAM" or "the Prince") , guard Alexey Shved, and a top-ten protected 1st round pick from the Timberwolves. It was originally reported that Anthony Bennett would be sent to the Sixers, but this turns out not to be the case.

The Sixers gain nothing of value on the court from the additions other than the pick. Mbah a Moute averaged 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16 minutes a game last year. The 27 year old Cameroonian is being brought over as a mentor to Joel Embiid, whom he discovered at a Cameroonian Basketball camp when Embiid was first learning to play the sport in his late teens.  Shved, entering his 3rd year in the league, will come into an already existing log jam at the shooting guard position, full of players without a reliable jumpshot. Shved averaged 4 ppg and 1.1 assists per game with the Wolves last season and shot 32% from the floor. 

The elimination of Young's $9+ million dollar contract off the books leaves the Sixers well under the cap floor, a minimum amount that teams must spend in player contracts. They will either need to use it for free agency signings or the amount will be split between players already under contract so that the 76ers meet the minimum. I would hope the latter would be the case. These players are wasting an entire year of their career in an obvious attempt by their front office to once again tank. With the fan-favorite Young gone, Arnett Moultrie is now the longest-tenured Sixer (definitely a strange statement) and the last of Doug Collins tenure as head coach. 

By: Matt Ryan

The 76ers will reportedly be a part of the Love/Wiggins deal between the Cavaliers and Timberwolves, sending Thad Young to Minnesota in return for Anthony Bennett, the #1 pick in the 2013 draft, and a future first round pick. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that Cleveland and Minnesota have a handshake deal in place, as Wiggins can not be traded within 30-days of being signed. The trade cannot become official until August 23, which has left the smaller details of the trade a little hazy.