The Sixers may be bracing for the LeBron James dream to slip away. Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported Monday that people around Philadelphia are preparing for the possibility that James ends up back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the reaction he heard from Philly wasn’t exactly bullish: “I’ve talked to people in Philly and I’m like ‘What do you think?’
‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland.' Everybody I talked to is like, ‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland,’ nobody seems like they have optimism.”
Even if that door closes, Philadelphia still has one roster spot to work with after reportedly guaranteeing Adem Bona’s $2.3 million salary for the 2026-27 season. The Sixers are also about $3.4 million shy of their first tax apron hard cap, which leaves room for a veteran minimum deal. James would be the splashiest answer by a mile, but there are still a few workable fallback options.
One issue the Sixers need to address is wing depth. Justin Edwards is projected to back up Jaylen Brown at small forward, and his sophomore season didn’t do much to lock that job down.
He still has 3-and-D upside, but Philadelphia should be looking for another body there. Ziaire Williams fits that lane.
Williams entered the league as the 10th pick in 2021 by the Memphis Grizzlies, but his career has gone in a different direction than expected. Memphis moved him to the Brooklyn Nets in July 2024 after he averaged 7.5 points per game during his Grizzlies run. He never became the shot-creating, 3-and-D wing the Grizzlies were hoping for, and he didn’t make the leap as a shooter or add the muscle Memphis wanted.
Brooklyn, though, got a more useful version of him. The 24-year-old put up 10.1 points per game while shooting 34.2% from 3-point range and averaging 1.2 steals.
He’s not a deadeye from deep, but he can hit enough to matter. More importantly for Philadelphia, he brings length, defensive disruption against guards and wings, and enough athletic pop to matter in transition.
If the Sixers want a younger swing on the wing, Williams is the kind of low-risk move that makes sense.
For those who are ready to move on from the idea of another older veteran, Khris Middleton is the best bargain-bin name left at small forward.
Middleton isn’t the same player he was when he was a three-time All-Star alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, and his move from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Washington Wizards in February 2025 reflected that. But he still has some real value. After Washington dealt him to the Dallas Mavericks in February, he shot 39.1% from 3-point range in 29 games this season.
That kind of shooting would help a Sixers team that doesn’t have many wings who can consistently knock down shots. On a veteran minimum, Middleton wouldn’t need to play huge minutes or carry a nightly load. He could simply come in, space the floor and hit a few shots when called upon.
He also still brings passing and pick-and-roll skill for his position, traits that mattered plenty in his time with Antetokounmpo. Those abilities could give Philadelphia’s second unit a steadier feel, especially as Labaron Philon Jr. adjusts to the NBA and Anfernee Simons takes on more ballhandling responsibility.
Then there’s Nicolas Batum, whose departure from Philadelphia didn’t exactly land softly with fans. A reunion would give the Sixers a chance to smooth that over.
Batum will be 38 next season, but his value in Philadelphia during 2023-24 had more to do with fit than age. He worked cleanly next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey because of his corner shooting, passing and ability to handle different defensive assignments. He probably won’t do all of that at the same level now, but enough of that package remains to matter.
Like Middleton, Batum would give the second unit a stabilizing presence that Edwards hasn’t shown over two seasons. His shooting would help stretch defenses, and the presence of Maxey, Embiid, Brown and VJ Edgecombe would only make those looks easier. His floor spacing could also open the door for more small-ball lineups, something Philadelphia has rarely had since Batum left.
Batum played 74 games for the Clippers this season, averaging four points while shooting 40.4% from deep and logging 17.5 minutes per game. There’s still some life left there.
In Other News...
Sixers May Have An Obvious Fix For Their Biggest Remaining Hole
The 76ers still have a clear frontcourt question to answer as they sort through the rest of their offseason, and it starts with what happens behind Joel Embiid. Philadelphia already knows it will need another body at center after losing Andre Drummond in free agency, and the need becomes even more obvious when Embiid is expected to miss a considerable number of games for rest and load management. For a team trying to keep its rotation steady over the long haul, that is not a minor detail.
Nick Richards is one of the more practical names in that search, especially for a roster that could use more size and athleticism in the middle. He split last season between the Suns and Bulls and gave Chicago a workable reserve presence when called upon, which is the kind of profile that can matter in Philadelphia. The question now is whether the Sixers see enough value there to make a move before the market settles. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Shocked The East By Splitting Up Jayson Tatum And Jaylen Brown
Bostons decision to break up the Brown-Tatum partnership marks a significant shift in the Eastern Conference landscape, ending nearly a decade of continuity around two wings who helped define the Celtics rise. For Philadelphia, it also adds another layer of intrigue to a division that already has no shortage of familiar grudges and high-stakes matchups.
The move reflects how sharply the Celtics have re-evaluated their future, with the organization clearly choosing to build around Jayson Tatum and treating him as the centerpiece going forward. However the rest of the roster settles, the ripple effect is obvious: a rivalry that once lived inside one locker room now carries into the conference race itself. [Read more 🡒]