The 76ers added plenty of headline-grabbing talent this offseason, but one of their quieter moves might end up creating the kind of roster decision every team wants. Caleb Love arrived on a two-way contract, and after what he showed in his rookie year and in Philadelphia’s first preseason game, that deal already looks like a bargain that could become a headache in the best sense.
Love was undrafted last year, yet he still carved out a strong first season with the Trail Blazers. On a two-way deal there, he played in 49 games and posted 10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 20.7 minutes per game. For an undrafted rookie, those are solid numbers by any standard.
Philadelphia got an immediate look at why there’s buzz around him. In the preseason opener against the Knicks, the Arizona alum scored 15 points, added three rebounds, six assists, and two blocks, and knocked down three of six shots from deep in 24 minutes. He showed off the full scoring package, but he also made an impact in the other areas of the floor.
There’s still plenty of preseason left for Love to keep pushing his case, and if he keeps producing, a rotation role is at least on the table, even if that feels unlikely right now. Nick Nurse has never been shy about using whoever earns minutes, and that includes two-way players. He did it regularly last season with Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker.
The 76ers don’t exactly need help scoring, but extra shooting is always useful. If they run into a stretch where they need more production from beyond the arc, Love could become a real option. And if he keeps thriving as a complement piece, the front office may have no choice but to convert his deal into a standard NBA contract.
That’s still a lot to ask, but Love has already shown enough to make it plausible. If he keeps outperforming his current status, Philadelphia may end up with one of those problems a team welcomes without hesitation.
In Other News...
Joel Embiid Got Pulled Into A Strange LeBron Rumor Fast
The 76ers preseason opener briefly turned into an odd side story when broadcaster Mike Breen said he had heard Joel Embiid was a few minutes late to a recent practice and was confronted by LeBron James. It was the kind of stray detail that can take on a life of its own in October, especially when it involves one of the leagues biggest names and a Philadelphia star already under a bright spotlight as the team starts laying groundwork for the season ahead.
LeBron James later shut the report down on social media, saying Embiid had not been late. So the rumor did not linger long, but it still added a strange wrinkle to a night meant to be about the 76ers getting back into game mode. Philadelphia now moves on to the rest of its preseason schedule and, eventually, the start of the 2026-27 regular season with the usual attention on Embiid and everything that follows him. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers May Have A Low-Risk Answer To Their New Frontcourt Problem
The Clippers decision to waive two-way center Jamarion Sharp has put a familiar kind of low-cost big man on the market at exactly the moment the Sixers need one. Philadelphia has an open two-way roster spot, and with Ariel Hukporti injured, frontcourt depth has become a more immediate concern than it was just a few days ago.
Sharp brings a profile the Sixers could find appealing: a 7-foot-5 developmental center with strong defensive numbers in the G League and the sort of rim protection that can at least help stabilize minutes in a pinch. The question now is whether Philadelphia sees enough upside to use that two-way slot on another project, or whether it keeps looking for a more ready-made answer to its frontcourt problem. [Read more 🡒]
Jameer Nelson Jr Just Made Sixers Fans Notice This Roster Battle
Jameer Nelson Jr. has been one of the quieter names on the 76ers training camp roster, but he earned a little more attention in the preseason game against the Knicks. The Exhibit 10 guard got on the floor for 15 minutes and chipped in seven points, a useful showing for a player trying to carve out a place in a crowded camp.
Nelson comes into this fight with some real pro experience, having spent two seasons in the G-League with the Stockton Kings and nearly averaging 19 points a game last season. For a Sixers team still sorting through its back end, his path is straightforward but not easy: keep making enough plays in preseason to stay in the conversation for an NBA roster spot. [Read more 🡒]