The Philadelphia 76ers are drawing plenty of attention for the firepower in their starting five, and that makes sense. A group built around four established All-NBA players and another budding young star is going to turn heads. But the part of this roster that could end up mattering most next season may be the one people are overlooking: the bench.
That second unit has been reshaped with a string of useful additions and bargain moves, and on paper it looks a whole lot sturdier than what Philadelphia has rolled out in recent years. The projected bench rotation includes Labaron Philon Jr., Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade, and either Dominick Barlow or Adem Bona. Compared with past Philly reserve groups, that’s a major upgrade.
Bench play has been a real problem for the 76ers for a while now. The starters have usually been loaded, but once the game moved deeper into the rotation, the drop-off showed up fast. That weakness was especially clear in their last postseason run, when the Knicks were able to take advantage of the lack of dependable options beyond the opening group.
That’s the area that should look different now. Philon and Simons give the Sixers an energetic backcourt off the bench, and that duo should help keep the offense humming or even push leads wider. Simons stands out as the obvious scoring threat, a player who can get points at all three levels and can also slide into the starting lineup when needed.
Caldwell-Pope adds something else entirely: experience. As a two-time NBA champion, he brings a steady hand and the kind of three-and-D presence that Nick Nurse can deploy in different lineup looks without much fuss.
Dean Wade might be the most intriguing reserve on the roster. He had been projected as Philadelphia’s starting 4 before the team won the vaunted LeBron James bidding war, but now he looks headed to the second unit. That gives the coaching staff a versatile forward who can knock down open threes and defend multiple positions because of his size.
The backup center spot is still unsettled, though the Sixers do have options in Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona, and even Ariel Hukporti is mentioned as a possibility. That remains the one area of the bench that can be attacked.
Even with that question hanging around, Philadelphia has a chance to surprise teams with how deep it looks. The starting lineup will grab the headlines, but the bench may be what gives the 76ers a real edge, especially when the team isn’t at full strength.
In Other News...
76ers Get Huge Clarity On Valuable Clippers Draft Asset
The NBAs investigation into the Clippers role in Kawhi Leonards 2019 contract brought one major ripple effect into focus for the 76ers: the future draft equity they control in Los Angeles is still intact. Philadelphia owns the Clippers 2028 first-round pick and also has top-three protected swap rights on the 2029 selection, two assets that had suddenly looked more complicated as the league weighed punishment in the case.
Instead, the leagues penalty lands elsewhere, with the Clippers stripped of first-round picks from 2029 through 2033 and the Pacers pick they had previously acquired in a trade set to be the one that disappears. For the 76ers, the news at least clears up one important part of the picture, because those Clippers-related assets remain in play for a franchise that has made long-term draft value a key part of its roster-building plans. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Faces The Criticism That Could Define Phillys Title Push
Joel Embiid has spent much of his 76ers career carrying two conversations at once: the one about his talent, which has never been in doubt, and the one about his availability, which has too often shaped the franchises ceiling. The latest round of public criticism has gone beyond injuries and into questions about his work ethic, especially in the shadow of stars such as Kevin Durant and LeBron James, with the debate only growing louder as Philadelphia continues trying to build a roster that can truly support him.
For the 76ers, this is more than a reputation issue. Embiid has reportedly been healthy through the offseason, and the front office has added pieces aimed at strengthening the team for the seasons ahead, which only raises the stakes on how he is viewed entering the next push. If Philadelphia is going to turn all that talent into something lasting, the pressure on Embiid is not just to stay on the floor, but to answer the criticism that has followed him for years. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Faces Another Brutal Question About Sixers Title Hopes
Joel Embiids health and commitment have been a recurring talking point around the Sixers for years, and the latest round of criticism adds another familiar wrinkle to the conversation. Former NBA guard Jeff Teague recently weighed in with a harsh assessment, tying Embiids injury history to questions about his work ethic while holding up Kevin Durant as the model for how a superstar can recover and keep producing at an elite level.
For Philadelphia, the issue is bigger than another former player taking a shot on a podcast or television segment. It speaks to the same nagging uncertainty that has followed Embiid through much of his prime, with Max Kellerman also among those who have raised similar concerns about his approach and durability. As long as the Sixers are built around Embiid, every comment like this lands with extra force because it cuts straight to the one question that never seems to go away. [Read more 🡒]