One year can make a franchise look like a different team entirely, and that’s exactly the case with the Philadelphia 76ers. The gap between last season’s opening-night group and the lineup they could roll out this year is massive, and the overhaul points straight to Mike Gansey.
The biggest shift starts on the perimeter. Unless Nick Nurse has something different planned, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe should keep their spots as the starting guards.
Their pairing gave Philadelphia the kind of burst that helped push the team into the postseason. But the frontcourt behind them never carried the same excitement.
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dominick Barlow bring effort every night, and nobody can question the hustle. Still, their presence in a major rotation role doesn’t exactly scream powerhouse.
That’s where Gansey’s work stands out. In a matter of weeks, he identified the weak spots that have haunted the Sixers for years and replaced them with something far more imposing.
Now Philadelphia has more than grinders in the mix. It has two players who change how the league views the team, moving the Sixers from pretenders to contenders.
LeBron James brings the kind of star power that comes with championship credentials and a case as arguably the greatest player ever to step on a basketball court. Jaylen Brown adds leadership and a fierce edge to a team that has spent too long as the bridesmaid.
Then there’s Joel Embiid, the piece that puts the whole thing over the top. The warning signs are always there when talking about his health, but right now he looks healthy and ready for opening tip. Adem Bona brings energy, but Embiid’s talent is on another level.
At 32, Embiid has averaged 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game, numbers that show why he remains one of the league’s most dominant two-way big men. Gansey may not deserve the full credit for getting Embiid ready to start the season, but he absolutely deserves credit for building a roster that should let Nurse manage Embiid’s minutes the right way.
That matters because the Sixers’ real prize won’t come in October or November. It will come if Embiid is fresh and rolling when the playoffs arrive. Gansey has given Philadelphia a setup that gives that idea a real chance.
Twelve months is a long time in the NBA, and Gansey’s work in South Philly has been impressive in a short span. Swapping out Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dominick Barlow for LeBron James and Jaylen Brown sounds absurd on paper, but that’s the reality of how different this roster looks now.
Brad Stevens may want to keep an eye on his trophy cabinet, because Mike Gansey is making a strong case for Executive of the Year.
In Other News...
Labaron Philon Suddenly Faces A Tougher Fight For 76ers Minutes
Labaron Philon Jr. arrived in Philadelphia as the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 draft with a path that looked fairly straightforward for a young guard trying to earn a foothold. A first-round selection usually gets some runway, especially at point guard, where development time can matter as much as raw talent. For a Sixers team that has already added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, though, the backcourt picture is suddenly a lot more crowded than it was on draft night.
Philon now appears likely to begin the season buried in the depth chart, with his minutes tied as much to how quickly he proves himself as to whatever the roster looks like around him. The challenge for Philadelphia is obvious: getting a rookie guard on the floor without blocking his growth, while also managing a rotation that may not leave many easy openings. For Philon, the opportunity is still there, but the margin for error has gotten a lot smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Have A Kyle Lowry Opportunity Fans Should Be Watching
Kyle Lowrys retirement announcement naturally opens the door to the next phase of his basketball life, and for the 76ers, that next step could wind up being closer than most would have expected. Lowry has the kind of rsum and locker-room credibility that would translate well on a bench, and Philadelphia already knows what he can mean to a team dynamic. For a franchise that has leaned heavily on veteran voices in recent years, the idea of keeping Lowry around in some capacity is the sort of possibility worth monitoring.
The fit also makes sense because Lowrys connections inside the organization give this more substance than a typical post-retirement daydream. The broader league has seen a recent example of a longtime player moving directly into coaching, with Taj Gibson taking an assistant role in Chicago, and that only adds to the sense that this path is plausible. Lowrys plans are still unresolved, but the Sixers will be watching closely to see whether he stays in the game on the sidelines rather than stepping away from it entirely. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Debate Contenders Rarely See
The 76ers spent the offseason reshaping the roster with veteran help and added depth, a move that was supposed to strengthen a team with championship ambitions. Instead, it has created a more complicated deadline picture, because the new mix has left some current players in spots where their roles are no longer as secure as they once seemed.
Justin Edwards is among the names now floating in that conversation, along with some of the big men fighting for rotation minutes and Anfernee Simons. For a club that entered the year expecting to push forward, the possibility of acting like a seller at the trade deadline is an uncomfortable one, but it is also the sort of debate contenders sometimes have to confront when a crowded roster starts forcing hard decisions. [Read more 🡒]