Dominick Barlow’s path to a role with the 76ers has changed fast, and the opening in front of him is hard to ignore.
What started as a chance to fight for backup power forward minutes has been squeezed by the summer moves that reshaped Philadelphia’s frontcourt. Barlow, who was already facing a crowded depth chart, now sits no better than third at the four spot. If the Sixers are going to give him a steady place in the rotation there, it would take a strong preseason showing once the frontcourt is healthy.
The more realistic lane might be at center.
Barlow isn’t a natural five, but the Sixers may not have the luxury of staying conventional. With injuries stacking up and the frontcourt already short on depth, Philadelphia could be pushed to test the 23-year-old as Joel Embiid’s backup. Early in training camp, that kind of flexibility may be less of a choice than a necessity.
The catch is that Barlow isn’t available right now. He sat out the Blue and White scrimmage over the weekend and was still out Monday night when the Sixers opened the preseason against the New York Knicks.
Before that game, head coach Nick Nurse said Barlow has been "in and out of stuff" lately because of a back injury. The team isn’t treating it like a long-term problem, which matters because the Sixers may need him back quickly.
Adem Bona is already ruled out for multiple weeks with a foot injury, and the team has not set a return target for him. Ariel Hukporti also left Monday night with an injury scare against his former team, and the fact that it was non-contact - plus the crutches he was seen using in the second half - only adds to the uncertainty.
That leaves Philadelphia looking for answers, and Barlow is suddenly part of that conversation.
The Sixers know he can contribute. What they want to see is growth from last season, when he played in 71 games and averaged 23.8 minutes. He finished with 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
For now, the door is open. Whether Barlow walks through it will depend on getting healthy and showing the Sixers he can handle whatever frontcourt job they ask him to do.
In Other News...
Joel Embiid Got Pulled Into A Strange LeBron Rumor Fast
Even in the middle of a preseason opener, the chatter around Joel Embiid can travel fast. During the 76ers first exhibition game, broadcaster Mike Breen relayed a strange bit of gossip he had heard about Embiid being a few minutes late to a recent practice and then being confronted by LeBron James, a story that immediately gave the moment a life of its own.
LeBron quickly pushed back on social media, saying Embiid had not been late, which only added to the oddness of the whole episode. For Philadelphia, it was a reminder that even as the team turns its attention to the rest of the preseason and the run toward the 2026-27 regular season, Embiid remains at the center of whatever noise follows the 76ers around. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Simmons Is Reopening A Debate Sixers Fans Thought Was Over
Ben Simmons is back in the NBA after more than a year away, signing a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings and immediately becoming one of the more curious comeback stories of the fall. For a player whose name still carries plenty of weight in Philadelphia, the early word out of Sacramento is encouraging, with reports from Andscapes Marc J. Spears saying Simmons has been excellent in training camp and is doing enough to put himself in the conversation for a starting role.
For Sixers fans, the reaction is likely less about the Kings and more about the old debate Simmons has reopened by simply looking like himself again. Sacramento is taking a careful approach as he gets ready for his 10th NBA season, but any sign of stability or production from Simmons invites the same familiar question in Philadelphia: what might have been, and how much different could the story have looked if this version had arrived earlier? [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Exposed One Early Offensive Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Preseason wins do not usually change the temperature around a team, but the 76ers 120-97 victory over the Knicks at least offered a useful look at how the rotation functioned without several headline names. With Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey out, Philadelphia leaned on Jaylen Brown, who finished with 22 points, while the bench did a lot of the heavy lifting in a game that never really tightened.
New Yorks side of it was harder to ignore, because the offense never found much rhythm from the field or beyond the arc. A few Knicks reached double figures, but the overall flow was choppy enough to leave an early concern hanging over a team trying to sort out its scoring balance before the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]