The 76ers could be staring at a center need again, and Chicago has a veteran who fits the kind of midseason fix they might chase.
Jalen Smith is the Bulls player to watch here. Chicago is expected to spend the 2026-2027 NBA season as a seller, and while its younger talent is off limits, veterans beyond Matas Buzelis are likely in play. Smith, who is expected to be shopped, lands right in that lane.
That matters for Philadelphia because the center spot still looks unsettled. Joel Embiid’s availability remains a question, and there are also questions around Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti. If the Sixers decide they need more insurance there, Smith gives them a realistic option.
The 26-year-old former No. 10 pick out of Maryland has bounced around a bit since entering the league in 2020. He began with the Phoenix Suns, was dealt to the Indiana Pacers in 2021-2022, spent two full seasons there as a reserve, and then signed a three-year deal with Chicago in free agency.
Last season with the Bulls, Smith started 21 of the 53 games he played. He logged 20.7 minutes a night and put up 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.3% from three on 4.2 attempts per game.
Philadelphia’s path to him would depend on the money. The Sixers are top-heavy and don’t have many movable contracts, but there is a way to get to Smith’s $9.4 million salary.
Mike Gansey and the 76ers’ front office could send Dominick Barlow ($3.4 million), Ariel Hukporti ($3.4 million), and Justin Edwards ($2.4 million) to make the numbers work. That deal could not happen until mid-December at the earliest, when Hukporti becomes eligible.
The idea assumes Bona keeps showing promise - more than Hukporti, but not enough to fully seize the job. Even if Bona takes a major step, there should still be room for another center during the regular season, especially with Embiid having failed to reach 40 games in each of the past three seasons.
Barlow showed some promise through the 2025-2026 season for the Sixers, but his expiring contract makes him replaceable. Edwards is the trickier piece.
The 22-year-old Philadelphia native went undrafted after one season at Kentucky in 2024 and has already appeared in 108 games for the Sixers. He has flashed enough to keep people interested, but the minutes have been hard to come by.
Across those 108 games, Edwards averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 36.3% from three on a bad Sixers team. On a better Sixers team, he averaged 6.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game and hit 37.2% of his threes.
Smith may not be Philadelphia’s first choice, but he’s a name worth tracking if the Sixers decide they need help behind Embiid.
In Other News...
Sixers Have An Intriguing Big Man Option For A Key Roster Need
The Sixers still have a two-way roster slot open this offseason, and the search for frontcourt help naturally brings the focus back to center depth behind Joel Embiid. Philadelphia has been evaluating backup options, and one name that fits the mold is Drew Timme, a 6-foot-10 big man who has spent time with the Lakers and their G League affiliate while showing he can produce in a developmental setting.
Timmes appeal is pretty straightforward for a team with a clear need: he brings size, familiarity with pro-level competition and enough offensive skill to make him worth a closer look. If Philadelphia wants to use that open spot on a big man, Timme could be in the mix to land with the Delaware Blue Coats and give the Sixers another developmental option at a position where the depth chart still feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
LeBrons First 76ers Showdown Already Has An Extra Edge
LeBron James is expected to be in a 76ers uniform next season, and even before the regular-season picture is fully set, one matchup already carries a little extra bite. Philadelphia will see Phoenix on Dec. 30, a date that has plenty of intrigue because of the names involved and because the Suns bring one of the leagues most reliable irritants in Dillon Brooks, a player who has built a reputation for leaning into that role.
Brooks has made clear he likes the edge of this kind of game, and that matters for a 76ers team that will be watched closely every time James steps on the floor. The broader storyline is obvious: a high-profile meeting against a player who thrives on getting under opponents skin, with the calendar adding another layer to a game that already feels like it could have a little more energy than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Land Rare Schedule Break At The Perfect Time
The Sixers 2026-27 schedule brings a little relief at a time when every team is looking for any edge it can get. Philadelphia drew the fewest back-to-back sets and the fewest three-games-in-four-nights stretches in the league, a welcome change for a roster that has spent plenty of seasons managing the grind of the regular season. The slate also comes with plenty of national exposure, as the team is set for 34 nationally televised games.
There is still no escaping the reality of an NBA calendar built around star power and travel demands, and the early part of the season will test that balance quickly. Philadelphias first back-to-back arrives in late October, with the first travel back-to-back beginning on Oct. 30, but the overall structure gives the Sixers a more forgiving path than most. Some of those adjustments were made in part to accommodate LeBron James, who will turn 42 during the season, a reminder of how much the leagues biggest names can still shape the schedule around them. [Read more 🡒]