The Sixers may be one of the loudest teams in the league right now, but their summer business looks close to finished. After swinging the trades for Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, they still have one roster spot open, and Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice reports they’ll likely leave it that way. The reason is simple: Philadelphia is sitting just $1.8MM below the first apron hard cap, which is well under the $2.45MM veteran’s minimum.
That financial squeeze also makes a late-summer move unlikely. Aaronson notes the Sixers are not expected to make another last-second trade, in part because only nine players on the roster can currently be dealt, including four starters and first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. If the team does make another move, it would probably come later, closer to the trade deadline, and likely be aimed at the backup center spot.
The names in that conversation are already on the roster. Aaronson points to Philon or newly signed backup guard Anfernee Simons as possible pieces depending on who plays better, while backup center Ariel Hukporti stands out as the more obvious trade chip thanks to his $3.4MM contract. Jabari Walker, Adem Bona, and Justin Edwards all have lower-value deals, which makes them less useful in that kind of swap.
New York is taking a similarly patient approach, even if the roster math is different. The Knicks have spent the summer trying to add talent without piling on more money, and they currently have only 13 players on guaranteed deals for next season. They also still have not signed either of their two rookies or added a two-way player.
James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes that the Knicks will bring in a 14th player before the season starts, but there’s no urgency.
Last year, the team let players battle for the final spot and eventually landed on Landry Shamet, who became a playoff standout. A similar path is on the table again, and New York could also wait for another team to cut someone it likes before making a preseason signing.
If the Knicks decide to address the back end of the roster sooner rather than later, the center market still offers a few options. Edwards lists Kelly Olynyk, Bismack Biyombo, and Nick Richards as possible third-string bigs, but the sense is that New York would rather keep gathering information before acting.
Brooklyn’s story is more about hope than roster mechanics. The Nets used the sixth overall pick on Mikel Brown Jr., and they’re counting on him to become their franchise point guard. Brown, for his part, is talking like a player who understands exactly what Brooklyn wants from him.
“It’s about plus-minus with me,” Brown said in a recent episode of Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracey McGrady. “ Like if I’m on the court, are we in a plus?
Are we, you know, winning the margins? I feel like that’s the biggest thing that kind of separates me from everybody else.
And some things that I want Nets fans to know is that, you know, I’m all about winning. Whether that’s me scoring it, whether that’s me playmaking, whether that’s me being a leader, or if I have to be like all of them.”
Brown also said he’s leaning on a few familiar voices. He mentioned the Louisville brotherhood he shares with Donovan Mitchell and said championship point guard Rajon Rando has been mentoring him, helping him read the game better and answering questions.
Boston, meanwhile, may not have the same star-studded feel it once did, but Jay King of The Athletic says the Celtics could be deeper than people think. Very few players remain from the 2024 championship group, and the frontcourt is still a concern, especially if Mitchell Robinson misses time as he has in recent years. Even so, there are usable pieces there, with Luka Garza showing he can handle spot minutes last season and Neemias Queta emerging as one of the year’s breakout players.
The wing group looks especially strong, and that could push Jordan Walsh and Ron Harper Jr. toward the outside of the rotation when the season begins. Boston added Mike Conley this offseason, but King writes they could still use a steadier third ball-handler. Even with that gap, the bulk of the rotation appears built to handle the grind of the regular season.
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