The 76ers spent the summer making noise, but the one move that would have mattered most for Joel Embiid still hasn’t happened.
Philadelphia went into the offseason with a clear need: find a backup center who could start when necessary, steady the second unit, and survive the nights Embiid can’t go. That job is still open. For all the flashy activity around the roster, the Sixers never checked that box.
There were names out there. Nikola Vucevic and Jonas Valanciunas were among the established centers available, but Philadelphia was never even mentioned as a serious player for either one. Instead, the team looks set to lean on internal growth and hope a young big man or two can make the kind of jump that changes the conversation.
That’s a dangerous bet when the role is this important.
The group headed to training camp is Adem Bona, Johni Broome, Dominick Barlow, Ariel Hukporti, and Jabari Walker. None of them has more than five years of NBA experience, which leaves the Sixers with a center rotation that is, by any reasonable measure, unproven.
And Embiid’s workload is not going to be left to chance. He is expected to miss a significant number of games next season by design, with the coaching and medical staff planning to manage his minutes carefully.
That caution matters even more now that the team has added another elite piece in Jaylen Brown. Even when Embiid is available, rest will remain part of the plan.
That puts the pressure squarely on a backup group that has not yet shown it can handle the job. Philadelphia has already lived through enough stretches where life without Embiid went sideways, especially in the biggest moments. Right now, there’s little reason to think that problem has been solved.
The front office still has time to change the picture before training camp opens. For now, though, the Sixers are carrying the same center question that has followed them for years, and it remains unanswered.
In Other News...
Another No. 1 Pick Just Reopened The Markelle Fultz Wound
The Hawks decision to move on from Zaccharie Risacher after just two seasons landed with a familiar thud for anyone around the 76ers. In a three-team deal, Atlanta shipped out the No. 1 pick from the 2024 draft and brought back Lu Dort and Ryan Nembhard, a reminder that even the top selection is no guarantee of a long runway if a team decides the fit is off.
For Philadelphia, the uncomfortable part is how quickly this kind of storyline snaps back to Markelle Fultz. Risacher becoming the first No. 1 overall pick traded after two years or fewer with the team that drafted him since Fultz keeps that old wound in view, even if the circumstances are different. It is the sort of comparison Sixers fans never asked for, but one that still hangs around every time a former top pick gets rerouted before the story has really had time to breathe. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Fans Should Love What This Philon Snub Could Create
Labaron Philon Jr. gave the Sixers exactly the kind of Summer League showing that can get a fan base buzzing. The No. 22 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft put together a strong four-game run in Las Vegas, averaging 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals while looking every bit like a guard who wants the ball in his hands and the pressure that comes with it.
Still, the way the summer ended may have added a little edge to what comes next. Philon was left off Bleacher Reports All-NBA Summer League teams, and for a player described as competitive, that kind of omission can linger long after the tournament is over. The Sixers do not need a manufactured storyline here, but they may have one anyway if Philon turns a snub into fuel once his rookie season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Former Sixer Sparks Debate By Giving Celtics Credit In Major Trade Talk
PJ Tucker has never been shy about his basketball opinions, and the former Sixer added another one to the mix while weighing in on the Celtics-76ers playoff series. In discussing Paul George and Jaylen Brown, Tucker suggested George may have had the better series, a take that naturally invites a fresh look at how Boston and Philadelphia have been debating the trade landscape ever since.
The numbers and context make it a tricky argument to settle cleanly. Brown came off a strong regular season that put him in All-NBA and All-Star territory, while Georges recent seasons have been clouded by availability concerns, including a 2025-2026 campaign in which he played only 37 games. Add in the way the series unfolded, with Jayson Tatum unexpectedly ruled out for Game 7 after the Celtics had said he would not miss time, and it is easy to see why Tuckers view has stirred conversation without closing the book on anything. [Read more 🡒]