The 76ers kept their books in a sweet spot on Tuesday, and that could matter just as much as any name they’ve added this offseason.
Philadelphia sent forward Johni Broome and a second-round pick to the Clippers for cash considerations, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. On the surface, it’s a simple swap. In practice, it gives the Sixers room to maneuver while staying below the first and second aprons even after bringing in LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Broome, the 35th pick in the 2025 NBA draft, barely got a foothold as a rookie. He appeared in 11 games last season before tearing the meniscus in his right knee in February.
In NBA action, the 24-year-old averaged 0.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 5.0 minutes per game. He showed more in the G League, where he put up 22.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks across 18 appearances while playing 33.2 minutes per game.
There was some long-term value there. Broome has the look of a useful rebounder, a smart defender and a solid passer for a big man. But Philadelphia chose flexibility over patience, and the move of his $2.15 million salary for next season opened a roster spot and helped keep the team under the first apron.
The Sixers are now at $207.3 million, just above the $200 luxury tax line and below the $209 million first apron. That matters.
It means they won’t be hard-capped at the first apron going forward, they can take players in sign-and-trade deals and they can use the full mid-level exception. The last two points may not hit this offseason, but the first one could become valuable if a bigger trade comes into view.
That flexibility is even more impressive considering how much salary Philadelphia already absorbed. Before landing James, the team took on Brown’s $57.1 million number for next season, a huge hit to the cap sheet.
From there, the front office kept working efficiently. It split its $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception between Dean Wade ($9 million) and Anfernee Simons ($6 million), then used the bi-annual exception to sign Knicks big man Ariel Hukporti to a one-year, $3.4 million deal.
Once Dalen Terry was released and Broome was moved, the Sixers were able to make James official at $3.9 million this season as part of his two-year, $8 million deal. Caldwell-Pope will also come in on a one-year, $3.9 million deal, though only $2.4 million will count against the cap as a veteran’s minimum.
On paper, the roster is loaded. James and Brown join a starting group that already features Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J.
Edgecombe. Add Wade, Simons and Caldwell-Pope, plus first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr., third-year forward Justin Edwards and backup center Adem Bona, and the depth starts to look real.
The bigger point is what Philadelphia can do next. It has built a deep roster and still preserved the ability to evaluate it before making another move if needed. That kind of freedom is something Eastern Conference contenders like the Cavaliers and Knicks don’t currently have.
President of basketball opertaions Mike Gansey has done excellent work this offseason.
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