Kendrick Perkins Utters Bold Take on Philadelphia 76ers Stars

Former player turned analyst calls for massive change within the 76ers.

Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers Paul George (R) and Joel Embiid (L) look on during the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

With all three of their stars in the game, the Philadelphia 76ers entered their matchup with the Detroit Pistons as favorites. After a lackluster showing in the first half, one former player turned analyst called for massive changes within the organization.

After making his return to play earlier last week, Joel Embiid has been back in the lineup for the Sixers following a month-long stint on the sidelines. Despite dealing with a finger injury, Paul George has also returned to play. Even though they had the services of their big three, the Sixers' minimal effort and energy led to them being down by nearly 30 points at halftime.

While on ESPN's halftime show last Friday, Kendrick Perkins sounded off on the Sixers following their poor showing in the first two quarters. He called for the organization to trade Embiid and PG to clear a path for Tyrese Maxey to be "the guy" in Philly.

"Trade them both," Perkins said. "The same thing with the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid and Paul George are both in Tyrese Maxey's way. At the end of the day, these habits that Joel Embiid, he's been having bad habits, and it's starting to show out even more."

Kendrick Perkins on Joel Embiid and Paul George:

"Trade them both."

"We've been talking about where Kevin Durant is gonna go this offseason with the Phoenix Suns. Same with with the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid and Paul George and both in Tyrese Maxey's way." pic.twitter.com/J6bcgSkXGG

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 8, 2025

The first half was one to forget for Embiid, as he struggled to get any sort of offense going. He entered halftime with just three points on 1-for-9 shooting from the field. Embiid managed to salvage the performance, finishing with 23 points and seven rebounds, but the Sixers still ended up losing by double digits.

It goes without saying how important every game is for the Sixers the rest of the way. They're still in position to climb the standings, but need to start stockpiling wins. If Philly is going to salvage this season, they're going to need their star trio to lead the charge on and off the court.

Since Perkins' bold take, the Sixers haven't helped their case. A visit to the Milwaukee Bucks last Sunday resulted in a high-scoring loss.

On Tuesday, the Sixers hosted the Toronto Raptors. Despite being favored, they dropped the game with a three-point loss. Without Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on Wednesday in Brooklyn, the Sixers fell short 100-96. They entered the All-Star break on a five-game skid.

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