After going 4-1 on their recent homestand, the Philadelphia 76ers hit the road for a two-game stint away from the Wells Fargo Center. First up was a primetime matchup against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

This game was an odd one, to say the least. After the first six minutes of action, it became apparent one of the rims was uneven. The stadium crew tried to level it but was unable to get things back to suitable conditions, even after enlisting the help of Boban Marjanovic. They then spent the next 40 minutes wheeling out a spare basket and setting it up on the fly. Following this bizarre delay, the action was finally able to recommence.

ESPN otherwise picked a good game to air, as the star power was on full display at American Airlines center. Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid are two of the premier talents the league has to offer, and both put on incredible showings to try and lead their team to victory. Embiid tallied 27 points and 13 rebounds, while Doncic ended the night with a 33-point triple-double.

In the end, Doncic's masterclass was too much for Philadelphia to overcome. Dallas handed the Sixers their second straight loss, winning by a final score of 107-98. While there are plenty of takeaways from the matchup, one glaring truth stands out above the rest.

The NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the Sixers are a team many have their eyes on. In the past week, they have been linked to a pair of high-level players in rumors.

Along with being connected to the likes of Bradley Beal and James Harden, other tidbits have come out regarding Daryl Morey's stance on trades. While he is open to moving Ben Simmons, Morey has no intentions of packaging Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle with him.

Whether they want to admit it or not, the Sixers are handcuffed to Thybulle. Friday's matchup with Dallas was a prime example as to why they cannot part ways with the 24-year-old defensive specialist. While he did not halt Doncic completely, Thybulle was the only one to make life difficult for him.

The Sixers feel their championship window is open right now, and rightfully so. That being said, if they want to make a deep run in the postseason, they will have to get through a plethora of elite-level perimeter talents. Without Thybulle's defense, the Sixers are extremely thin on perimeter players who can be a point-of-attack defender.

Acquiring someone like Harden or Beal would solve one problem, but if they have to include Thybulle, it wou,d only create another. Danny Green is a solid and intelligent defender, but not meant to guard the opposing team's top perimeter player at this stage of his career.

Even with his offensive shortcomings, it's fully apparent the Sixers are in no position to trade Thybulle in the next five days.