With the 2025-26 NBA regular season entering the home stretch, it’s a good time to check in on the Philadelphia 76ers. The last time we did one of these notebooks, the Sixers were embarking on their west coast road trip, and second-year guard Jared McCain was still on the team.

Fast forward, several weeks later, and the Sixers aren’t in a great spot. Philadelphia is dealing with multiple injuries, Paul George is still serving his 25-game suspension, and McCain was traded ahead of the deadline to the Oklahoma City Thunder for draft compensation.

For a team that looked like it could be competitive in the playoffs, they’re trending in the wrong direction. The Sixers are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-29 record heading into Monday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If the NBA playoffs started today, the Sixers would not be in it. Philadelphia would play the No. 7 seed Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament.

Luckily for the Sixers, there is still time for them to capture one of the top six seeds in the East, but they have to start stringing some wins together. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Sixers are -135 to make the playoffs, but are +110 to miss the postseason. Philadelphia is one game behind the Miami Heat for the sixth spot and two games behind the Toronto Raptors for the fifth spot.

It’s right there for the Sixers, but first and foremost, they must get healthy. Here’s some more Sixers-related news that you might’ve missed:

Tyrese Maxey to miss the next two games with finger injury

On Sunday, the Sixers announced that All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey will miss at least the next two games after suffering a sprained right finger, per Gina Mizzell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The team also said that Maxey “will undergo additional testing and consultation in the coming days to determine a treatment plan.”

Maxey sustained the finger injury after colliding with second-year center Adem Bona in the waning moments of the fourth quarter in Saturday night’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The hope is that the All-Star’s injury won’t keep him out for long, as the Sixers are still without rookie VJ Edgecombe (back) and Joel Embiid (oblique).

Edgecombe, who has missed the last two games, is currently listed as questionable for Monday night’s game. Without Maxey on the floor, the Sixers will have to turn to Quentin Grimes, Cam Payne, and Kyle Lowry to shoulder the workload in the backcourt.

Markelle Fultz makes NBA G League debut with Raptors 905

Former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz returned to the hardwood on Sunday, making his NBA G League debut with Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors’ affiliate). The former Sixers point guard was claimed off waivers by Raptors 905 on Friday after signing a G League contract, according to TSN.

Fultz was in the starting lineup for 905, who was taking on the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G League affiliate. Fultz had four points (2-7 FG, 0-2 3PT) and five assists in 19 minutes of action, as Raptors 905 defeated the Blue Coats, 137-113.

The last time we saw Fultz on the court was with the Sacramento Kings in the 2024-25 season. In 21 games with the Kings, Fultz averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 rebounds across 8.8 minutes per game. Before joining Sacramento, Fultz spent the previous seven years of his career with the Sixers and Orlando Magic.

It’s jarring to see a former No. 1 pick playing in the G League. However, give Fultz credit for betting on himself as he tries to make it back onto an NBA roster.