NBA Notes: Sixers, Joel Embiid, Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pistons

Sixers

The Sixers have some heavy contracts on the books and some real questions tied to them. But around the NBA, the top basketball operations job in Philly is still viewed as a desirable one.

That’s largely because of the backcourt. Tyrese Maxey is already a star, and VJ Edgecombe is viewed as a major piece moving forward. Several executives told Brian Windhorst of ESPN at the combine that the foundation still matters.

There’s also the money question. The Sixers have made a habit of ducking the luxury tax at the trade deadline, something that hasn’t sat well with Joel Embiid.

Ownership insists that won’t be an issue.

“The front office absolutely has the green light to go into the luxury tax,” managing partner Josh Harris said, via Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com. “It’s just not an issue.”

Team executive Bob Myers echoed that sentiment, saying he fully trusts ownership to spend when it matters.

“If a deal makes us a contender and requires the tax, I know what the answer will be,” Myers said. “You look at championship teams — they’re in the tax. That’s just reality.”

Bucks

For the first time in a while, Giannis Antetokounmpo has something he hasn’t had much of — time.

The Bucks star played just 36 games this season because of injuries, but says he now feels fully healthy heading into a long offseason. That means months to work, experiment and sharpen his game without interruption, per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“I can work on whatever I want,” Antetokounmpo said. “I can fail, come back the next day and just keep getting better.”

He also didn’t exactly shut down the noise about his future.

Asked what’s next, Antetokounmpo kept it simple: “We’ll see.” What he did make clear is this — doubt fuels him.

“I love when people doubt me,” he said. “No compliments. Tell me how much I suck. That’s what I want.”

Pistons

The  Pistons are learning in real time how tricky roster building can get under the new CBA.

Jalen Duren looked like a breakout big man after the All-Star break, averaging 22.6 points and 10.7 rebounds on nearly 68 percent shooting. The postseason has been a different story.

Through 12 playoff games, Duren’s numbers have dipped significantly. He was even benched late in Game 5 in favor of Paul Reed.

That timing isn’t ideal. Duren is headed toward restricted free agency, and executives around the league believe Detroit may still have to pay up.

“He’s not a max player, but they may have to give him the max,” one Eastern Conference executive told ESPN, via Brian Windhorst. “That’s just the market.”

Then there’s Ausar Thompson. He’s already one of the league’s best defenders and a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. Offensively, though, he remains limited. Thompson hit just six threes all season and struggled at the line.

Even so, some league insiders told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that Thompson could land an extension in the neighborhood of $25 million annually.

Defense travels. And in today’s NBA, that alone can get you paid.