The Sixers’ roster has been turned over enough this offseason that the depth chart barely resembles the one they started with. Mike Gansey has been busy since taking over as president of basketball operations, and the results are easy to spot: Philadelphia drafted Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22, made the trade nobody saw coming, lost a few free agents, and added some new pieces of its own.
That work has left the Sixers with a lineup picture that looks far more interesting than it did a few months ago. And with another major move still possibly coming, the group on paper has a chance to look even stronger by the time the 2026-27 season opens.
At point guard, Tyrese Maxey remains the engine. He’s coming off a season in which he posted career highs of 28.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals in 38 minutes over 70 games, and he still sits at the top of the offense.
The difference now is that he should have more help. Philon, just 20 years old, is a first-round rookie, but he’s already in position to handle a meaningful role on a contender.
Even if summer league is never the whole story, he has looked comfortable in Las Vegas, which is exactly what Philadelphia needs from him right now.
The shooting guard spot starts with V.J. Edgecombe, whose rookie season gave the Sixers plenty to like.
A sophomore slump is always a possibility, but Edgecombe has already shown he can handle that kind of challenge. Behind him, Philadelphia made a smart add in Anfernee Simons, who averaged 14.3 points in 24.9 minutes per game last season with the Celtics and Bulls.
That scoring pop off the bench fits. Caleb Love, on a two-way contract, probably won’t be a major part of the rotation right away, though he did average 10.4 points in 20.7 minutes over 49 games with Portland and gives the Sixers another scoring option.
Then comes the biggest surprise on the board: Jaylen Brown at small forward. If you had told anyone at the end of last season that Brown would be Philadelphia’s starting three the next time the team took the floor, it would have sounded impossible.
But here he is, and he gives the Sixers a clear upgrade over Paul George. Brown brings another star presence, and just as important, he brings availability.
There will be an adjustment period as he and his new teammates figure each other out, but that’s part of the process.
Behind Brown, Justin Edwards is still in the mix despite a drop in production during his second season. He’s only 22, and his shooting remains his clearest path to value, since he’s a career 36.8% three-point shooter.
Dalen Terry is more of a roster question, since his contract isn’t fully guaranteed and he could be moved if the Sixers need the space. If he stays, his defensive ability is the reason.
Rayan Rupert, on a two-way deal, is worth a closer look after averaging 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.6 steals in 30.9 minutes over 16 games, including nine starts, for the Grizzlies in the second half of last season.
At power forward, Dean Wade projects as the starter for now, with Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker behind him. Wade was brought in for his shooting and defense, which makes him a clean fit next to the current starting group.
But that spot could still change if the Sixers land LeBron James. Philadelphia entered the sweepstakes after trading for Brown, and on Monday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Sixers remain one of the "leading suitors" for the superstar.
If that happens, James would take over at the four, while Wade would still matter because his minutes would need to be managed. Barlow is coming off the best season of his career after starting 59 of the 71 regular-season games he played, and Walker remains a name to watch because his contract isn’t fully guaranteed until January.
Center is where the questions get louder. Joel Embiid is still the starter, but his injury history means the Sixers have to plan carefully and manage his minutes with the playoffs in mind.
The problem is that the backup options - Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti, and Johni Broome - don’t exactly scream certainty if Philadelphia needs someone to step in and hold down the middle. That’s why the front office still needs a veteran big man.
Nick Richards or Jonas Valančiūnas would give the Sixers the kind of insurance they need to get through the 82-game grind and into the postseason in one piece.
In Other News...
Sixers Let Another Needed Wing Slip Away In Free Agency
The market for wings keeps moving, and one more name Philadelphia had a chance to consider is off the board. Ziaire Williams, a 24-year-old former lottery pick who spent last season with Brooklyn, has found a new home, leaving the Sixers to keep sorting through a free-agent class that has not exactly been overflowing with young, athletic help on the perimeter.
For a team trying to round out its roster around Nick Nurses pace and spacing preferences, Williams made sense as the kind of long, versatile option that can soak up minutes and give a bench some juice. He also fit the profile of the wing depth Philadelphia has been trying to replace since Kelly Oubre Jr. moved on, which is why passing on him now reads like another small but meaningful miss in a summer full of them. [Read more 🡒]
Draymond Green Just Sent Sixers Fans A Message They Needed
Draymond Green weighed in on a familiar kind of NBA conversation this week, one that tends to follow star duos whenever the cameras are off and the speculation starts. His point was simple enough: players can live very different personal lives and still coexist just fine on the court, and a lack of constant off-court closeness does not automatically mean there is real animosity.
For Philadelphia fans, the message lands in a place they know well. Green pointed to the Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons era as an example of how relationship talk can become its own storyline in this city, even when the on-court picture is more complicated than the noise around it. He also used his own long-running relationship with Steph Curry to make the case that some partnerships do not need daily summer contact to work, which leaves the bigger question less about friendship and more about how all the pieces fit once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Suddenly Pulled Into A Joel Embiid Debate They Cannot Ignore
The Joel Embiid conversation has a way of forcing everyone to think in extremes, and a speculative trade pitch aimed at Atlanta is no exception. Philadelphias dilemma is familiar by now: the centerpiece is still one of the leagues most dominant players when healthy, but the cost of waiting on health has become harder to ignore as the years and salary climb.
Atlanta, meanwhile, would have to decide whether a swing that big is worth reshaping the roster around a veteran star with real injury questions attached. The appeal is obvious on paper, but so is the risk, which is why this kind of proposal lands less as a simple rumor and more as a referendum on how both franchises view their timelines. [Read more 🡒]