The Sixers haven’t done much this season. It’s because they weren’t really in a place to do much after a splashy summer last year.
Barring something unforeseen, the Sixers’ offseason work is likely done.
Cue the comments: What work?! They didn’t do anything?!
After a 24-win campaign riddled by a comical amount of injuries and ending with an impressive, late-season tank, it’s understandable fans wanted changes. For years, the team was stuck on the second-round hump. The last two seasons have seen a first-round exit and a top-three pick.
After one of the splashiest offseasons in recent NBA memory at this time last year, the Sixers have only filled in on the margins this summer — and those two things are directly related.
The Sixers are stuck. With so much money tied up to a few players and the dreaded second apron lurking, they don’t have much maneuverability. Daryl Morey is not the type of executive to make a trade where he’s not getting value in return — making last season’s KJ Martin salary dump that much more surprising and disappointing. He held on to Tobias Harris for the entirety of his deal because he didn’t want to simply dump the veteran’s salary. He wanted something in return.
With Paul George and Joel Embiid signed to big money and with long injury histories, their value is at its absolute nadir. If you were to attempt to move off either player, you’d have to attach an asset. Would it be worth giving up draft capital or a young player, pieces that could help a potential rebuild/retooling?
After that, there isn’t much as far as tradeable assets.
Sure, you could probably get a haul for Tyrese Maxey, but why on earth would you trade a 24-year-old All-Star who is the unquestioned leader of the team? You’d surely like to see a whole lot more of Jared McCain — especially after his exciting, albeit brief, rookie season — and his fit before even contemplating a move. Maybe you could package Kelly Oubre Jr., but he’s likely more valuable to the current team or in a possible trade down the road. There’s no hurry to move a guy who plays a position of need at a very reasonable cap hit.
Morey and the front office did well considering what they had to work with. Trendon Watford is an intriguing addition on a minimum deal. He could potentially have a big role playing off the team’s exciting, young guards — and Embiid and George, if they’re healthy. Signing Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow to two-way deals was also solid work. Both play positions of need and have NBA experience while fitting into the “younger and more dynamic” bucket.
But taking off the rose-colored glasses for a second, the Sixers are in a mess they created. Signing George and extending Embiid were all-in moves that had disastrous results in year one. While moving George and Embiid at this time would likely be a costly mistake, making another all-in move would be senseless given the uncertainty surrounding the two stars. The team has sort of painted itself into a dual timeline corner.
The approach is obvious: hope for health for Embiid and George … but don’t count on it.
If Embiid misses extended time, second-year big man Adem Bona should see a ton of action along with rookie second-rounder Johni Broome. All of Watford, Walker and Barlow have played the 5 in small-ball lineups as well. Yes, Andre Drummond is still here (for now), but there’s been a reported mandate to dive into the youth movement — even for head coach Nick Nurse.
If George struggles to stay on the floor again, it should give Nurse ample opportunity to experiment with three-guard lineups. It will be an absolute necessity to see how all of Maxey, McCain, VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes fit together. Can Edgecombe and Grimes hold up guarding threes on a regular basis? Only one way to find out.
Proclaiming this to be “the same team” as last year feels sort of disingenuous. No, the team did not sign a big free agent or make a blockbuster trade, but the team should look significantly different.
If Embiid and George are healthy, that would change everything — of course, that’s also the biggest if in the history of ifs. If their seasons go similarly to last year’s, you should have a full year of McCain and Grimes. You’ll have more developed versions of Bona and Justin Edwards. Adding a rookie as dynamic as Edgecombe and one as seasoned as Broome is no small thing. And while Watford and Guerschon Yabusele are different players, don’t be surprised if Watford has just as meaningful an impact.
There’s not much to criticize this offseason. If you don’t love the team re-signing 39-year-old Kyle Lowry and 36-year-old Eric Gordon to be mentors and take up the Sixers’ 14th or 15th roster spots, OK, fair enough. But if you’re mad at this offseason, you’re actually mad at last summer’s moves. Those are the ones that have the Sixers banking on two aging stars and contending with dual timelines.
At this point, it’s better for the Sixers to see where they are in the standings and health-wise ahead of the trade deadline. If they’re playing well and standing upright, Morey can make a move for a playoff push. If they’re struggling with health and losses, it’s time to sell off players like Oubre, who will have value to contenders.
For better or worse, this is the reality for the 2025-26 Sixers.