The Philadelphia 76ers have exercised the rookie-scale options on the contracts of Markelle Fultz, Dario Saric and Ben Simmons. 

Fultz, who was originally selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, following one season at the University of Washington, has appeared in 22 NBA games for the 76ers. This season, his second with Philadelphia, Fultz has played in eight games (all starts) and is averaging 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 24.6 minutes per contest.

Saric has started each of the 76ers’ eight games in 2018-19 and holds averages of 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 31.0 minutes per contest. He’s notched a season-best 15 points at Milwaukee on Oct. 24. An All-Rookie First Team selection following the 2016-17 season, Saric has seen action in 167 career games (117 starts), posting 13.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 28.1 minutes per game. 

Simmons joined Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only two rookies in league history to post at least 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. He was one of only three NBA players to post such averages last season, joining current Laker LeBron James and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook.

Tom Thibodeau is not believed to be ready yet to seriously negotiate a trade of Jimmy Butler.

The Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers have interest in Butler.

Butler will miss Wednesday's game, but he has told associates that he plans to play against the Warriors on Friday night.

Butler and his agent are frustrated by the Wolves slowly moving to honor his trade request.

Joel Embiid believes he is in the head of Andre Drummond.

"I think I own a lot of real estate in his head," Embiid told reporters after the Sixers' 133-132 loss to the Pistons. "We lost, so I'm not supposed to talk trash, but he knows damn well that he can't guard me. But that was a team effort. You know, Blake [Griffin] had a good game, and they were able to pull it off, so we got another one tomorrow, and we got to do a better job."

Drummond was ejected when assessed his second technical foul late in the fourth quarter when his hand brushed Embiid's face.

Drummond held his palms in the air after the foul call, while Embiid, who had gone to the floor, got up and gesticulated to the official to throw Drummond out of the game.

"His hand touched my face, and you know, going back, what the referees were saying the whole game, there were a lot of cheap shots taken," Embiid told reporters. "At one point, I think [referee] Tyler [Ford] said that the next cheap shot, the next one is going to get a technical foul, and that's why he got the other technical foul.

"All I was doing was just talking and playing basketball and trying to win the game, and obviously on the second one, you can see that he hit me, and his hand actually touched his face. ... But like I said, I feel like I own a lot of real estate in his head."

The Phoenix Suns sought a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for T.J. McConnell in recent weeks.

The Suns offered a second round pick for Philadelphia's backup point guard, which the 76ers rejected.

The Suns have also had interest in Patrick Beverley, Cory Joseph and Spencer Dinwiddie.

The Cleveland Cavaliers also sought a trade for McConnell during the 17-18 season.

The Philadelphia 76ers pursued Daryl Morey as a potential replacement for Bryan Colangelo as general manager.

According to a source close to the process, discussions between Morey and the 76ers were "pretty far down the road" before he decided to remain with the Houston Rockets.

Morey has been general manager of the Rockets since 2007.

The 76ers eventually hired Elton Brand as general manager.

The Philadelphia 76ers have waived forward Cory Jefferson, guard Darin Johnson and center Emeka Okafor. 

Jefferson and Johnson signed with the team on Oct. 12, while Okafor joined Philadelphia on Sept. 21 and appeared in two preseason games.

Joel Embiid has agreed to sign an endorsement deal wit Under Armour.

Embiid is one of the NBA's most popular players and Under Armour hopes he will buck the conventional wisdom against big men selling shoes.

Embiid has been spotted wearing Under Armour shoes this preseason, including at 76ers media day. 

“A lot of people, you know, always have that notion [that] big men can’t sell shoes," Embiid said recently. "When I look at myself … I’m more than a big man. So as far as signature shoes, I’m excited to come and break that.”

Shortly after Jahlil Okafor was traded by the Philadelphia 76ers to the Brooklyn Nets, he sat down with a staff member of his new team who helped him realize he might have been dealing with depression and anxiety.

“I didn’t know I was dealing with depression and anxiety myself,” Okafor told The Athletic. “When I was in Brooklyn after the Philly trade, I started to talk to somebody there. That was the first I heard about it. Then, during the season, I didn’t act on it.

“I was in a dark place, man. I didn’t act on what was told to me, and I ignored it and shut it down.”

Okafor appeared in only 26 games for the Nets and before the end of the season, he had an epiphany about his situation.

“A week before the season ended, I looked at myself in the mirror and knew I not only had to get my body right but my mind right,” Okafor said. “I went straight to Miami and changed my diet and worked out. But most importantly, I started talking to a therapist to help me get through the depression and anxiety that I was going through, and it’s something I’m still dealing with. But I’m coping with it a lot better, and I’m learning ways to continue to feel good.

“I thanked Kevin Love because when I was reading his piece, I realized that this is normal and some of the stuff he was talking about … damn, I deal with some of the same things. Kevin Love, we know how successful he’s been in the NBA, but to hear somebody of his stature come out and talk about this is super inspiring to me.

“I lost my mom when I was 9, and it goes way deeper than me playing the game of basketball. It’s my life. It’s my trials. I wouldn’t blame Philly, wouldn’t blame the media or anybody.”

Okafor worked to transform his body and lost 17 pounds over the offseason.

“There was no bullshit with Jah, and I have a no (expletive) approach,” trainer David Alexander said. “We clicked, and it was organic from the beginning. I knew that with Jah, it would be work both mentally and physically. It goes hand in hand. He’s had some unfortunate situations, some setbacks and organizations that weren’t a great fit. I understand the psychological side. With someone like Jah, I understood the space and where he’s coming from. From what I felt and saw, he wouldn’t have benefit from the drill sergeant approach, or the fuck you mentality. The more he believed in himself and his body, the more successful he would be.

“He was extremely inflamed, extremely bloated, when he arrived here to start the offseason program. He wasn’t a fat guy, but he doesn’t have the physique he has now. And when you’re not successful at something you’ve been successful at your whole life, it can eat at you. It can tear you apart. You can’t look at the glass half empty, and I told him he’s got to believe in himself, that he’s young enough to be one of the better big men in this league. He built himself back up.”

The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to sign D.J. Hogg to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Hogg went undrafted in 2018 out of Texas A&M and played for the New Orleans Pelicans in Summer League.