- What you should know
- The Sixers have traded Paul George (and four draft picks) to the Celtics for Jaylen Brown, The Inquirer has confirmed.
- Trading for Jaylen Brown and moving off of Paul George’s contract transforms the Sixers in both the short and long term, writes columnist David Murphy.
- After a slow start to free agency, which opened Tuesday, the Sixers and forward Dean Wade agreed to a four-year deal worth $39 million.
- The Wade deal made it less likely the team would re-sign Kelly Oubre Jr. or Quentin Grimes, and both signed elsewhere Tuesday. Oubre is headed to Indiana and Grimes to the Lakers.
- The Sixers added a backup center on Day 2, agreeing to a one-year, $3.4 million deal with Knicks big Ariel Hukporti.
- While most people will focus on Wade’s personal connection to Mike Gansey, he’s also a great fit for the Sixers, writes columnist David Murphy.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 8:37pm
The Sixers transformed themselves with Jaylen Brown trade
The 76ers did the unthinkable on Wednesday. They did it to such an extent that it still isn’t thinkable. In fact, it’s barely believable.
Not only did the Sixers come from out of nowhere to stun the NBA by acquiring Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown, and not only did they do it for a criminally cheap price, they also somehow managed to ship out the remaining two years and $120 million remaining on Paul George’s contract.
And, just like that, a new window of title contention has arrived.
That’s the most important takeaway for Sixers fans. Brown is a player who transforms the Sixers in both the short and long term. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP and a sixth-place finisher in regular season voting this year, the longtime Celtics wing is basically the exact player you would create in a lab if you were dreaming up the prefect star to maximize a team with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 8:10pm
Fans react to Sixers’ trade for Jaylen Brown
The 76ers coming back to beat the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs after being down three games to one seemed like the most exciting thing that would happen between the teams this year.
Until Wednesday.
The Sixers traded Paul George, two first-round draft picks, and two second-rounders to the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown on Day 2 of free agency, and social media has a lot to say.
Here is how fans, experts, players, and even some sportsbooks are reacting to the trade:
— Mia Messina
// Pinned
// Timestamp 07/01/26 6:22pm
Sixers make blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown; Paul George to Celtics
The 76ers have officially entered the summer of blockbuster trades.
They agreed to acquire All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics on Wednesday evening in exchange for Paul George, two first-round draft picks, and two second-round draft picks, The Inquirer confirmed Wednesday evening.
From the Sixers’ perspective, it is a stunning move for new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey to pull off in his first offseason. George’s max contract — still with two years and more than $110 million remaining — was considered difficult to trade given his age and injury history.
But the Celtics clearly were motivated to move Brown, who finished sixth in last season’s voting for NBA Most Valuable Player and had spent his entire 10-year career with the franchise. Boston reportedly offered Brown to the Milwaukee Bucks in a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, before the Bucks instead sent Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.
So the Sixers have swapped out one three-star roster construction for another, linking Brown with All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey and former MVP Joel Embiid. Brown has three years and approximately $183 million remaining on his supermax contract.
Brown is a five-time All-Star and 2024 Finals MVP, creating an excellent wing tandem with Jayson Tatum that propelled Boston to the 2024 championship. This past season, he became the bona fide No. 1 offensive option while Tatum recovered from Achilles surgery, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists to spearhead the Celtics’ surprise 56-win season to finish in second place in the Eastern Conference.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 3:31pm
Andre Drummond opens up about free agency and his worth
Andre Drummond has a “weird pit in [his] stomach.”
The veteran center also is “not willing to play for less than [his] worth.”
Drummond, who spent the past two seasons with the Sixers, turned to YouTube to express his thoughts about his unrestricted free agency in a video posted Wednesday afternoon. The video appears to have been deleted in the hours after it was posted to the site.
“I’m playing for my worth,” said Drummond, a former All-Star who is about to enter his 15th NBA season, “and my worth compared to what the NBA thinks, is always different. It gets a little nerve-wracking at times. … I love playing in the Association. It’s a dream come true for me. But I’m also not willing to play for less than my worth.
“I did that once, and then I got labeled as one of those guys. And I think it really killed my value in the NBA. Because I’m still moving like I’m in my mid-20s. I still have a lot left in the tank, and I’m adding new parts of my game, too.
“And I think by taking that pay cut and accepting what was given to me at the time, I feel like I’ve been climbing out of a hole for the past like four or five years. It’s been hard, bro.”
Drummond is likely referencing when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers off the buyout market in 2021, then inked a veteran minimum contract with the Sixers for the following season. After that, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the Ben Simmons-James Harden blockbuster, played two seasons with the Chicago Bulls (average salary: $3.4 million), and returned to the Sixers as a free agent on a two-year, $10 million deal during the 2024 offseason.
Those moves came after Drummond played parts of his first eight seasons with the Detroit Pistons, where he became arguably the game’s most dominant rebounder, before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the 2019-20 season.
After the Sixers agreed on Wednesday morning to sign Ariel Hukporti to a one year, $3.4 million contract, a source confirmed to The Inquirer, it appears unlikely that Drummond returns to Philly. Drummond averaged 6.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 63 regular-season games in 2025-26, while navigating a fluctuating role depending on Joel Embiid’s health and Adem Bona’s reliability.
In Wednesday’s video, Drummond referenced showcasing “a new part of my game” — aka becoming a legitimate corner three-point threat — as a reason “why I should stay around.”
“Every trade deadline and every free agency since the day I got traded from Detroit [in 2020],” Drummond said, “I always get, like, worried around this time. Because, in this job, you never know when it’s just the end.”
Hence, the pit in Drummond’s stomach. In the past, he has been publicly open about mental health struggles, including tattooing “DON’T QUIT” in block letters on his wrist before the start of last season. In Wednesday’s video he took accountability for career missteps, but added that, after his stint with the Bulls, “I was like, ‘Damn, I think I might just have to shut this [expletive] down, bro.”
“I don’t know if I can keep playing like this,” he thought to himself at the time. “It’s not fun, I’m not enjoying basketball right now, because I feel like I’m playing in vain. … This is my livelihood. This is what represents my worth in this league.”
// Timestamp 07/01/26 2:53pm
Report: Kelly Oubre Jr. lands with Indiana Pacers
Kelly Oubre Jr. will not return to the 76ers, instead agreeing to a two-year contract worth “nearly” $17 million with the Indiana Pacers, ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon.
Oubre’s departure became more plausible when the Sixers agreed to sign forward Dean Wade, who now is projected to slide into a starting spot, to a four-year, $39 million contract late Tuesday, The Inquirer confirmed.
Oubre rebuilt his NBA career in three seasons with the Sixers. He was a starter who impacted both ends of the floor, while averaging 14.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 50 games in 2025-26. The 6-foot-8 wing used his athleticism in a more controlled way on offense, shot a career-best 36% from three-point range last season, and had the willingness to take on challenging perimeter defensive assignments.
Oubre’s choice occurred after he also reportedly planned to meet with at least the Sixers, Lakers, Pacers, and Portland Trail Blazers. The Sixers had Oubre’s full Bird rights, which permit teams to re-sign their own free agents even if they are over the salary cap.
Though Oubre said “I love it here” in Philly during his end-of-season news conference last month, his length and positional archetype are typically valued league-wide. Oubre also said he hopes he “did myself a good service” by putting a concerted effort into a more efficient playing style.
“I learned so much,” Oubre said of his time with the Sixers. “The game of basketball has reinvented itself to me through different lenses and different eyes throughout my tenure here, and I’m forever appreciative for the opportunity to play for this city.
“Obviously I don’t like how [the season] ended. I always say I like to finish what I start, and this is a bit sour for me. But at the end of the day, it’s already written.”
Yet the 30-year-old also has previous experience with the harsh realities of free agency. He reminded during his end-of-season news conference that, after averaging 20.3 points per game with the Charlotte Hornets in 2022-23, he “still found myself barely getting any contracts” until the Sixers signed him to a veteran’s minimum deal that September.
Oubre’s departure comes after the Sixers also lost sixth man Quentin Grimes, who reportedly agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal with the Lakers Wednesday afternoon. Backup center Andre Drummond, reserve forward Trendon Watford, and veteran guard Kyle Lowry (who is expected to retire) are the Sixers’ other unrestricted free agents and remain uncommitted to returning to Philly or signing with a new team.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 1:56pm
Dean Wade brings stellar defense to Sixers
In Cleveland, Dean Wade was best known for his defense.
A versatile forward, Wade was tasked with defending the one through the five with the Cavaliers. During the playoffs, Cleveland dominated defensively with Wade on the court, outscoring opponents by 16.2 points per 100 possessions. Additionally, against driving ball-handlers, it is hard to find better defenders in the association. Just four players gave up less points per drive than Wade last season.
Wade’s defensive prowess was most noticeable against the Raptors in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, where he was the primary defender on Brandon Ingram. Through the first four games of the series, Wade held the Raptors leading scorer to 3 of 14 from the floor.
“As much as y’all talk about us three — me, [Harden] and Evan [Mobley] — Dean Wade deserves a bunch of credit tonight,” Donovan Mitchell told the Athletic after the Cavaliers 115-105 Game 2 victory versus Toronto. “On both ends of the floor. He’s rolling. He’s screening. He’s defending. He’s doing everything. I know he only had three points, but his impact is extremely high outside of just the scoring.”
Mitchell was not the only teammate to take note of Wade’s pestering defense. Former Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson nicknamed Wade the “White Blanket” as he could cover anyone.
“For me, it’s easy,” Wade told Cleveland.com in January. “ I just get out of their way and let them do their thing. I’m out there focusing on defense, trying to bring some energy, bring an edge, fly around and make the extra effort. Evan [Mobley] and [Jarrett Allen] make it stupid easy to be a good defender.”
// Timestamp 07/01/26 10:07am
Sixers to sign former Knicks center Ariel Hukporti
The Sixers have agreed to sign Ariel Hukporti to a one-year, $3.4 million contract, The Inquirer confirmed Wednesday morning.
The move gives the Sixers a new option at backup center behind Joel Embiid, the former NBA Most Valuable Player who has struggled with numerous health issues in recent seasons. Veteran Andre Drummond, now an unrestricted free agent, and Adem Bona, whose $2.3 million salary for 2026-27 becomes fully guaranteed July 7, saw their roles fluctuate last season.
Hukporti, an athletic 7-footer, played his first two NBA seasons with the New York Knicks, averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 9.2 minutes across 54 regular-season games in 2025-26. He only logged spot minutes during the Knicks’ playoff run to the championship, primarily when big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson got in foul trouble.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 12:11pm
Report: Quentin Grimes headed to the Lakers
Quentin Grimes will not return to the 76ers, instead agreeing to a four-year, $60 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon.
Grimes’ departure is not a surprise after the Sixers agreed to sign forward Dean Wade to a four year, $39 million contract late Tuesday, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer. Reports surfaced earlier Tuesday that the Lakers were targeting Grimes, who will reunite with former Dallas Mavericks teammate Luka Doncic. It is also a significant raise for Grimes, who played last season on his $8.7 million qualifying offer after a messy restricted free agency.
Grimes was primarily the Sixers’ sixth man during a 2025-26 season he described multiple times as “solid.”
The 26-year-old was part of a terrific three-guard lineup, and reignited his aggressive scoring ability when All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey missed three weeks in March with a finger injury. But Grimes shot a career-low 33.4% from three-point range, while also averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 29.4 minutes in 75 games. And other than an excellent Game 5 performance on both ends of the Sixers’ first-round upset of the Boston Celtics, he was not good enough during the playoffs for a Sixers second unit that desperately needed scoring production.
When asked shortly after last month’s season-ending Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks about how he viewed his free agency and ideal basketball setup, Grimes was not exactly forthcoming.
“I haven’t even really thought about that, honestly,” Grimes said. “… [I’m] talking to my agents and everything, we’ll kind of figure out what’s the best situation moving forward.”
After joining the Sixers at the 2025 trade deadline, Grimes became a go-to scorer for an injured team that had shifted to “tank” mode to increase odds of landing a high draft pick. He averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 28 games with the Sixers that season, including a 46-point outburst at his hometown Houston Rockets.
Grimes then entered restricted free agency, which turned into a months-long saga. He skipped the Sixers’ training camp and preseason games in Abu Dhabi and eventually signed his one-year qualifying offer to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Grimes then parted ways with agent David Bauman and is now represented by Creative Arts Agency.
Grimes’ departure suggests that the Sixers will immediately lean on rookie-to-be Labaron Philon Jr., the Alabama guard they selected 22nd overall in last week’s draft to link with the dynamic Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who finished third on an excellent NBA Rookie of the Year ballot last season. The Sixers also lost sharpshooting guard Jared McCain in a controversial trade at the February deadline.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 12:03pm
Sixers’ salary cap situation and how Oubre can still fit
The Sixers have two free-agency additions, with forward Dean Wade agreeing to a four-year, $39 million contract late Tuesday and Ariel Hukporti agreeing to a one-year, $3.4 million deal Wednesday morning.
So where does that leave the Sixers financially, after entering free agency with three max contracts on their books and 13 roster spots now accounted for?
Using a portion of the nontaxpayer midlevel exception on Wade hard-capped the Sixers at the first apron ($209 million). Hukporti’s deal also came out of the midlevel exception, leaving the Sixers with $2.6 million to spend on an outside player. They also still have the $5.5 million biannual exception.
What does that all mean for Kelly Oubre Jr.’s chances to return to Philly? Because the Sixers have his full Bird rights, which permit teams to re-sign their own free agents even if they are already over the salary cap, Oubre’s hypothetical contract would be separate from either of those exceptions.
If Oubre opts to sign elsewhere – or the Sixers choose not to bring him back – they could instead sign a player to a minimum contract and likely stay under (or close to) the luxury tax line ($201 million). That has proven important to owner Josh Harris, prompting trades to “duck” the tax at the deadline in recent years (see: McCain, Jared).
// Timestamp 07/01/26 11:46am
Two more centers go off the board
// Timestamp 07/01/26 11:39am
Free agency grades: Mixed marks for Dean Wade signing
NBA free agency opened at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, and within hours, the 76ers had made their first move, signing Dean Wade to a four-year, $39 million deal.
This was the first free agency move under the Sixers new president of basketball operations, Mike Gansey, who was previously the general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Wade spent the first seven years of his career.
Outside of his familiarity with Gansey, Wade’s 6-foot-9 frame and his versatility on the court have led many to predict he could be a good fit in Philly, but his age along with the four-year deal has garnered some criticism.
Here’s how experts are grading the move …
ESPN: B+
Wade’s ability to guard perimeter players and his 37% three-point accuracy make him the exact type of player the Sixers have been searching for for years, ESPN said.
“The 76ers have plenty of guards and centers but a dearth of wing connectors between them” Zach Kram wrote. “Other than Paul George — a big swing on a maximum contract at forward — they’ve cycled through various options who haven’t quite panned out.”
“Philadelphia doesn’t get a full ‘A’ grade here because a four-year contract is a bit rich for a player who will celebrate his 30th birthday in November and already has an extensive injury history. Wade has played between 44 and 59 games in each of the past five seasons — which is a concern, given Philadelphia’s rough injury track record.”
The Athletic: C+
The Athletic was a little more critical of the signing, with the same concerns over the four-year commitment, but a lot more pause on Wade’s assets.
“I’ve never fully understood the Wade obsession within the Cavaliers,” Zach Harper wrote. “He’s about a league-average 3-point shooter (36.7 percent). I’m not convinced he’s some great defensive option. He competes on that end but doesn’t have definite matchups you feel great about. He’s never played more than 63 games in a season. He’s never made more than 80 3-pointers in a season. He’s a solid role player, and he could land nicely with Philadelphia. Committing four years is a lot, though.”
Bleacher Report: C
Wade’s age and consistency again posed a concern, this time for the Bleacher Report NBA staff, who gave the signing one of the lowest grades among all free-agency signings so far.
“Dean Wade has started a lot of games for the Cleveland Cavaliers over the years, but he turns 30 in November, has a career average of 5.3 points and has a barely-above-average three-point percentage,” the Bleacher Report NBA Staff wrote. “In theory, a good floor spacer with size can open up a lot of possibilities for a rotation, but Wade’s not consistent enough to really bend defenses. And while he’s generally been a pretty good positional defender, it’s going to be tougher for him to keep up with NBA scorers as he ages into his 30s.”
The only signing graded lower by Bleacher Report was Zach Collins’ two-year $17 million extension with the Chicago Bulls which received a C-.
— Mia Messina
// Timestamp 07/01/26 10:10am
John Collins to sign with Pistons
John Collins, who was previously linked to the 76ers, has agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, a rising power in the Eastern Conference that also plans to retain Roman Catholic alum Jalen Duren.
The Sixers nabbed Dean Wade, who will play on a four-year, $39 million deal, for a role similar to what Collins will play for the Pistons as a guy expected to slot in at power forward and providing defense and spacing.
Collins has been a more productive offensive player, however, hence the $17 million salary. He previously played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks and has career averages of 15.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 9:36am
Murphy: Dean Wade is a great fit for the Sixers
While many will focus on Sixers president Mike Gansey’s personal connection to new forward Dean Wade, the 29-year-old is a player who would have made a lot of sense on virtually any incarnation of the Sixers in the post-Ben-Simmons era. The rare stretch four who adds big value on defense, Wade developed from an undrafted free agent to a critical playoff rotation piece in Cleveland by excelling at a lot of the dirty work that exceeds the capabilities and/or willingness of many 6-foot-9 shooters. This postseason, the Cavaliers outscored opponents by a net of 16.2 points per 100 possessions when Wade was on the court versus off it. That’s impressive stuff.
The benefit to the Sixers will be similar to what it was throughout his seven years in Cleveland. Wade can play small alongside a couple of bigs the way he did with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. He can play a power four alongside a trio of guards, as he sometimes did with James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Sam Merrill. He could even give Nick Nurse an option as a small-ball five, though a lot depends on the other pieces the Sixers will presumably add this offseason.
Wade is hardly a prolific scorer. Among players who have averaged 20 minutes per game in 200+ games over the last four seasons, only Nicolas Batum has scored fewer than Wade’s 5.4 points per game. But he is an effective enough shooter — .375 on about six three-point attempts over 100 possessions this postseason — to create space for others on the offensive end.
That’s all that’s needed for a team with a couple of ball-dominant scorers in the backcourt. That’s who the Cavs have been in the Donovan Mitchell era, whether paired with Darius Garland or James Harden. It’s who the Sixers figure to be with VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 9:06am
Backup center options for the Sixers include some familiar faces
A quiet start to the Sixers’ free agency finally turned newsworthy after 10 p.m., when The Inquirer confirmed that forward Dean Wade had agreed to a four-year, $39 million contract.
Other than looming decisions on starting forward Kelly Oubre Jr. and sixth man Quentin Grimes, backup center is now the Sixers’ biggest positional priority. Who could be gettable with the Sixers’ remaining salary? Here’s a rundown:
Guerschon Yabusele
A rare feel-good story during the Sixers’ disastrous 2024-25 season, Yabusele parlayed his NBA comeback into a pay raise with the Knicks. To say things did not work out in New York is an understatement, and he was traded at the deadline to the Chicago Bulls. Could he successfully slide back into a complementary role with the Sixers? Or will his performance two seasons ago go down as a career anomaly on a bad team?
Marvin Bagley III
Bagley’s career has fallen far below original expectations as a former No. 2 overall draft pick. But he is coming off a productive season for the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks, averaging 10.5 points per game. His career average of 6.5 rebounds — including 2.3 on the offensive end — in 22 minutes is also a sound number. His brother, Marcus, played 10 games for the Sixers and for the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats during the 2024-25 season.
Nikola Vucevic
The veteran was once a two-time All-Star, but his decline was glaring during the Sixers’ upset of the Boston Celtics including getting benched in Game 7. He is floor-spacer with skill, but is a liability on the defensive end. He averaged 15.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in a 2025-26 season split between the Bulls and Celtics.
Andre Drummond
Could the Sixers run it back with Drummond — again? The veteran professionally handled a fluctuating role in 2025-26, averaging 6.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 63 regular-season games. He is still a stout rebounder and big-bodied presence, though not the most mobile on defense. His corner three-point shooting has elevated from fun novelty to legitimate offensive weapon. It is possible, though, that Drummond desires a playing destination where his role is more defined and consistent.
Other options: Nick Richards, Kelly Olynyk, Mo Wagner, Bismack Biyombo, Moussa Cisse, Drew Eubanks, Jaxson Hayes, Ariel Hukporti, Maxi Kleber, Kevon Looney, Xavier Tillman
// Timestamp 07/01/26 8:58am
How Wade signing impacts Oubre, Grimes, and the Sixers cap space
Dean Wade’s addition makes it less likely that the Sixers will be able to bring back starting forward Kelly Oubre Jr., and sixth man Quentin Grimes, who also entered unrestricted free agency. Yahoo! reported Tuesday night that Oubre planned to meet with at least the Sixers, Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Sixers have between $5 and $6 million remaining of the mid-level exception to use on an outside free agent. They are $16.6 million total under the first apron.
Andre Drummond, Trendon Watford, and Kyle Lowry (who is expected to retire) are the other free agents for a Sixers team with limited financial flexibility. All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey ($40.8 million), former MVP Joel Embiid ($57.7 million), and former perennial All-Star Paul George ($54.1 million) all remain on max contracts, accounting for the vast majority of the nearly $165 million salary cap.
That top-heavy roster requires shrewd complementary moves, in addition to hoping Embiid and George can be healthier in 2026-27. Backup center becomes the positional priority as free agency continues. Rebounding and shooting will always be welcomed skills for a team that has struggled in both areas.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 8:51am
Day 1 recap: Stars move early, but Sixers strike late
Stars have been on the move this summer and that theme continued on the first day of NBA free agency.
After Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant were all traded to new teams, the early free-agency fireworks on Tuesday centered on Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Toronto Raptors via trade and LeBron James’ decision to part ways with the Los Angeles Lakers, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
James’ decision slowed the NBA’s usual flurry of free-agent deals down to a trickle as teams and players waited to see where he would decide to play his 24th NBA season.
For a moment, that appeared to include the Sixers, who were linked to Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade and still need to make decisions on Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. It looked like both of those moves could be on hold as the Cavs are reportedly one of the teams on James’ list.
But around 10:30 p.m., Mike Gansey struck his first deal and landed Wade on a four-year, $39 million deal, reuniting him with one of his success stories from Cleveland.
Elsewhere, former Roman Catholic star Jalen Duren appears set to return to the Detroit Pistons on a lucrative deal, ESPN’s Marc Spears reported. And Delaware native Bones Hyland stayed in Minnesota on a one-year, minimum deal, according to The Athletic.
A few potential Sixers targets also came off the board, according to ESPN. Robert Williams III agreed to a three-year, $44 million deal with Portland Trail Blazers. Sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. also joined Antetokounmpo in Miami on a one-year, $6.5 million deal.
Sixers add Dean Wade from the Cavs
Mike Gansey’s first free-agency move as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations was adding a player with whom he is quite familiar.
Late Tuesday night, Dean Wade has agreed to a four-year, $39 million contract, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer. The deal comes out of the nontaxpayer mid-level exception, and will hard cap the Sixers at the first apron.
Wade was one of Gansey’s success stories in his previous job as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager. The 29-year-old Wade evolved from undrafted player to rotation forward, and last season averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 22.3 minutes across 59 games. His 6-foot-9, 230-pound frame allows for defensive versatility, and he is a career 36.7% three-point shooter.
// Timestamp 07/01/26 8:44am
