The 76ers have spent the summer building out a roster that already looks dangerous on paper, but the front office still seems wired to keep hunting for value. With the 2026-27 season inching closer, one name worth watching is a familiar one: De'Anthony Melton.
Melton is back with the Warriors on a two-year, $12.4 million deal after a comeback season that followed the ACL injury that ended his first run in Golden State. He made that return count, and if the Warriors start sliding in a loaded Western Conference, he could quickly become the kind of veteran piece another team tries to pry loose.
For Philadelphia, the fit is obvious. The bench already features Labaron Philon Jr. and Anfernee Simons, a pair of score-first guards who should help address the scoring punch the second unit has lacked over the past couple of seasons. But there’s also real overlap there, which is where Melton starts to make sense.
He brings the kind of three-and-D skill set that can smooth out the edges of a second unit. He can defend, he can space the floor, and he can fill in without needing the ball in his hands. That sort of plug-and-play guard would give the 76ers another reliable option when they want a defensive lift without giving away much offensively from the perimeter.
There’s another layer here, too: Melton already knows Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid from his two seasons in Philadelphia. During that stretch, he was a regular part of the rotation and started plenty of games as a low-usage guard who fit neatly alongside James Harden and Maxey.
The Warriors, as the source material puts it, are “simply way too old at this juncture,” and if they decide it’s time to cash in veterans for future assets, Melton should be on the move list. If that happens, the 76ers figure to be right there, ready to ask about bringing their former guard back home.
In Other News...
Nick Nurse May Have A 76ers Lineup Problem He Wont Enjoy
The 76ers entered the season with a starting group that already looked hard to crack, and the offseason addition of Dean Wade only made the late-game picture more complicated. Wades value is obvious on the defensive end, where he fits the kind of closing lineup a coach can trust when possessions tighten and every switch matters.
Nick Nurse now has a decision he probably would rather avoid: which starter gets nudged aside if Wade is on the floor at the end of games. Every one of Philadelphias current starters brings real defensive value and meaningful two-way impact, so the choice is less about weakness than about balance, roles and which combination gives the Sixers the cleanest answer when the game is on the line. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Seem To Have Learned From Last Seasons Veteran Mistake
Mike Gansey has spent the offseason reshaping the 76ers into a roster that looks a lot different from the short-handed, injury-riddled group that limped through last season. The front office has added seasoned talent and star power, with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown among the names now attached to a team that also still has an open roster spot, giving Philadelphia a little more flexibility than it had a year ago.
That flexibility matters because the Sixers seem intent on avoiding a repeat of last seasons mistake, when Kyle Lowrys arrival brought more locker-room value than on-court impact. This time around, the roster construction has leaned toward veterans who can actually help in meaningful minutes while still bringing leadership, a sign the team is better positioned to react if the season brings the kind of midstream changes contenders often need. [Read more 🡒]
76ers LeBron Enters New Chapter With Controversial Off-Court Move
LeBron James has signaled the start of a new chapter by informing the Lakers he will not return for a 24th NBA season with the team, with his next stop expected to come elsewhere. For a league that has spent all summer watching his future through every possible lens, the move only adds another layer to an already familiar storyline: James remains one of the sports most influential figures, and every decision he makes still ripples far beyond his own roster.
The off-court side of it has drawn almost as much attention. James also announced a partnership with Polymarket, a sports betting-related company, a choice that landed in the middle of the NBAs ongoing unease about how closely players should align with gambling businesses. NBA insider Brett Siegel was among those to criticize the partnership, and it is the latest example of how James can still turn a routine business decision into a debate with real league-wide implications. [Read more 🡒]