NBA free agency opened at 6 p.m. Tuesday, and, within hours, the 76ers had made their first move, agreeing with Dean Wade on a four-year, $39 million deal.
This was the first free agency move for new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who previously was the general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Wade spent the first seven seasons of his career.
Outside of his familiarity with Gansey, Wade’s 6-foot-9 frame and versatility on the court have led many to think he could be a good fit in Philly, but his age (29) and contract terms garnered some criticism.
Here’s how experts are grading the move:
ESPN: B+
Wade’s ability to guard perimeter players and his 36.7% career three-point accuracy make him the type of player the Sixers have been seeking 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 was a little more critical of the signing, with the same concerns about the four-year commitment and 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.”
New Sixer Dean Wade will turn 30 early next season.
Bleacher Report: C
Wade’s age and consistency again posed a concern, this time for the Bleacher Report NBA staff, which 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-.
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.
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.
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
Paul George and Jaylen Brown faced off in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
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.
Jaylen Brown (left) and Tyrese Maxey are new teammates.
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.
Sixers make blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown; Paul George to Celtics
Sixers fans are familiar with Jaylen Brown as a foe. Now he’s headed to Philly.
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.
Andre Drummond opens up about free agency and his worth
Center Andre Drummond spent the past two seasons with the Sixers.
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.”
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.
Free agent forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has agreed to a two-year, nearly $17 million deal to sign with the Indiana Pacers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/qzUyLGX7DP
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.
New Sixers forward Dean Wade guards Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes during Game 5 of their first-round series.
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.”
Sixers to sign former Knicks center Ariel Hukporti
The Sixers are signing former New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti (right).
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.
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.
Free agent guard Quentin Grimes has agreed to a four-year, $60 million to join the Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5mcp4pULuD
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.
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).
Free agent center Mitchell Robinson has agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million deal to sign with the Boston Celtics, with a player option in third season, sources tell ESPN. Robinson departs the Knicks after serving a key role on the historic championship team. pic.twitter.com/tl3R6nlU1m
Kessler's $130M deal includes a player option in the fourth season, plus a full trade kicker, sources tell ESPN. The Lakers land their signature center for star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves by moving two firsts and two swaps to the Jazz. https://t.co/7kd6UhvHK9
Free agency grades: Mixed marks for Dean Wade signing
The Sixers are signing Dean Wade (center) to a four-year deal.
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.
New Sixers forward Dean Wade (right) spent seven years in Cleveland.
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.
Backup center options for the Sixers include some familiar faces
Guerschon Yabusele (left) spent the 2024-25 season with the Sixers. Could he return?
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
How Wade signing impacts Oubre, Grimes, and the Sixers cap space
Sixers guard Kelly Oubre Jr., with teammate guard Quentin Grimes against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, February 22, 2025 in Philadelphia.
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.
Day 1 recap: Stars move early, but Sixers strike late
Kawhi Leonard, left, was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Toronto Raptors.
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.
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.
Forward Dean Wade (left) agreed to a four-year deal with the Sixers.
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.
Mike Gansey’s first free-agency move as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations is adding a player with whom he is quite familiar.
Dean Wade has agreed to a four-year, $39 million contract, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer late Tuesday. 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.
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.
Unsurprisingly, multiple reports surfaced over the weekend that the Sixers were among the teams interested in signing Wade. Yet the offseason transaction cycle began quietly for the Sixers — even as significant NBA moves swirled around them.
In the past nine days, stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant have been traded. Earlier Tuesday, the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors agreed on a deal sending Kawhi Leonard back to the team he led to the 2019 NBA championship.
Dean Wade helps fill a void in the frontcourt for the Sixers.
Also on Tuesday, LeBron James, an all-time great who is still an All-Star at age 41, informed the Lakers that he would join another team as a free agent. That potentially held up other business across the league — and indirectly affected the Sixers.
Outsiders naturally linked James to another reunion with his hometown Cavaliers, who are coming off an Eastern Conference finals appearance and also are reportedly working on re-signing former Sixer James Harden to a multiyear deal.
To accomplish all of that, the Cavaliers need to clear cap space. The Stein Line reported that the Cavaliers were exploring options to trade Max Strus and Dennis Schroeder. Yet if a Cleveland pursuit of James does not pan out — or even if it does — one could have viewed using that cap space to re-sign Wade as a potential Plan B before he instead opted to join the Sixers.
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.
Gansey began his first Sixers offseason by drafting Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr., in the first round. Monday, he picked up the team options in Dominick Barlow and Dalen Terry’s contracts for the 2026-27 season.
And now, Gansey has begun his first Sixers free agency by adding a player with whom he is quite familiar.
Weeks before Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant were traded, Bob Myers understood the allure of a blockbuster move.
“Those are obviously things that look to appear to be the most meaningful,” said Myers, the president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and former lead executive during the Golden State Warriors dynasty. “But it’s just one good decision at a time as far as change.”
That is the reality facing new 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, whom Myers led the search to hire, and the remaining front office as NBA free agency begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday. All-NBA third-team guard Tyrese Maxey ($41 million), along with former perennial All-Stars Joel Embiid ($59.5 million) and Paul George ($54.1 million), remain on max contracts accounting for nearly $155 million of the projected $165 million salary cap. And the latter two players are considered difficult to trade because of their age and recent injury history.
So the Sixers must again hope for better health with that top-heavy roster during the 2026-27 season, which could turn that flash from the playoff upset of the Boston Celtics into more consistency. Yet that postseason run, which ended in being swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks, also exposed that the Sixers must bolster their depth, requiring shrewd around-the-edges moves with limited financial flexibility.
The Sixers already have begun to build their roster by drafting Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr., in a potential first-round steal, and picked up the team options for Dominick Barlow ($3.4 million) and Dalen Terry ($2.6 million, nonguaranteed until Jan. 10) on Monday. They will aim to address positional needs at wing and in the frontcourt, as well as with shooting and rebounding.
“You can make a great [draft] pick, [or] you can sign a minimum player that really moves things further,” Myers said. “ … You can have minimum players that really do a great job for your team. You can have a $4 million [player]. It doesn’t have to be the big-spending guys. You get 5%, 10% 15% better, it makes a big difference.”
How could the Sixers attack the coming days? Here is a primer on where they sit entering free agency.
Sixers free agents
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Oubre rebuilt his NBA career in three seasons with the Sixers. He was a starting forward 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 salary was $8.3 million in 2025-26, the player option on a two-year deal signed in 2024. 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 leaguewide. 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 in September.
It will be interesting to see what this version of Oubre commands on the open market.
Sixers guard Kelly Oubre Jr., and teammate guard Quentin Grimes celebrate in a game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Quentin Grimes
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 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 in Boston, 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 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,” he said. “… 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 in 2024-25, including a 46-point outburst at his hometown Houston Rockets.
Grimes then entered restricted free agency, which turned into a messy, monthslong saga. He eventually signed his one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Grimes parted ways with agent David Bauman and is now represented by Creative Arts Agency.
Does any of that impact Grimes’ decision-making as he enters the open market? And does Philon’s arrival diminish the Sixers’ need (or desire) to retain Grimes?
Andre Drummond is looking for more consistency next season.
Andre Drummond
The veteran center professionally handled a fluctuating role in 2025-26.
For the bulk of the season, Drummond was the starting center in the games Embiid did not play — and was out of the rotation when Embiid was available. During the playoffs, though, Drummond recaptured the role as Embiid’s backup while postseason first-timer Adem Bona struggled. Drummond averaged 6.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 63 regular-season games.
The 32-year-old Drummond is still a stout rebounder and big-bodied presence. His corner three-point shooting has elevated from fun novelty to legitimate offensive weapon. But he is not the most mobile, making him a liability on defense.
It is possible Drummond, whose salary was $5 million this season, desires a playing destination where his role is more defined and consistent.
Watford, a versatile forward who recorded a triple-double last season, averaged 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 53 games. Injuries, though, impacted his ability to stick in the Sixers’ rotation. Watford has been a close friend of Maxey since they were teenagers, and was a lively presence inside the Sixers’ locker room.
The Sixers declining that option does not eliminate Watford’s ability to return on a new deal.
Kyle Lowry
It is presumed that Lowry, who did not conduct an end-of-season media session, will retire. At the end of the 2024-25 season, the Philly native said he wanted to play one more season to reach 20 for his career, though he was more coy when asked about that plan in recent months.
Lowry, who played in 14 games last season, was almost exclusively a trusted and enthusiastic veteran on the bench and locker room, particularly for Maxey. His knowledge and respect are invaluable, but the Sixers also could have benefited from having another player on the roster who could contribute on the floor more than the 40-year-old version of Lowry.
(Note: Adem Bona’s $2.3 million salary for 2026-27 becomes guaranteed July 7.)
President of basketball operations Mike Gansey and Harris-Blitzer president Bob Myers (right) will lead the Sixers’ free-agent decisions.
Types of contracts available
This is tricky to determine right now, because it could be dependent on if Oubre and/or Grimes returns.
If both players depart, the Sixers are likely to have the non-taxpayer midlevel exception (approximately $15 million) and the biannual exception ($5.5 million). If they re-sign one or both players, they likely will only have the $6.1 taxpayer midlevel exception.
For what it’s worth, earlier this month Myers specifically referenced the non-taxpayer midlevel exception as a free-agency tool, suggesting the Sixers are using that as a starting point and will weigh the players they could sign on that deal vs. the return of Oubre or Grimes. And if the Sixers cross into the “apron” penalties, it will limit their ability to make in-season trades because of new collective bargaining agreement rules.
The Sixers will also have veteran minimum contracts to fill out their 15-man roster.
Potential free-agent targets
Frontcourt help
John Collins
Collins could slide into a starting forward spot if Oubre leaves. The sensational athlete has become an improved shooter since getting off the perpetual trade block with the Atlanta Hawks, connecting on 40.6% of his three-point attempts last season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Rui Hachimura
The 6-foot-8, 230-pound Hachimura boasts a more traditional power forward frame and versatile skill on both ends of the floor. He shot 44.3% on 3.9 long-range attempts per game last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, while averaging 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds. The Lakers reportedly committed to signing Austin Reaves to a max contract, and must make a free-agency decision on all-time great LeBron James.
Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (left) defends Sixers forward Justin Edwards during a game earlier this year.
Robert Williams III
Another supreme athlete who can rebound (7 per game last season) and finish lobs. But the 28-year-old now has a lengthy injury history with the Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers, which might be a risky investment for a center to play behind Embiid. (Reportedly agreed to deal to return to Portland on Monday)
Marvin Bagley III
Bagley’s career has fallen far below original expectations as a former No. 2 overall draft pick. Yet 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 also played for the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats during the 2024-25 season.
A floor-spacing big man with defensive versatility, Landale was an impactful trade-deadline pickup for the streaking Hawks until an ankle sprain prematurely ended his season. He averaged 5.7 rebounds in 22.1 minutes with the Memphis Grizzlies and Hawks last season. (Reportedly agreed to deal to return to Atlanta on Monday)
Mitchell Robinson
The competition could be steep for the newly crowned NBA champion — including from the Knicks. Robinson is a fantastic rim protector and rebounder, especially on the offensive end (4.2 per game last season). The knocks on him are his injury history and poor shooting, prompting the Hack-A-Mitch strategy for opposing teams.
Other options: Sandro Mamukelashvili, Nikola Vučević, Mo Wagner, Jaxson Hayes, Kelly Olynyk, Nick Richards
Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is an option for the Sixers.
Shooting
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Hardaway has been a top veteran role player on win-now teams in three consecutive seasons with the Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, and Denver Nuggets. He finished third in voting for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, after shooting 40.7% on 6.9 three-point attempts per game and averaging 13.5 points for the Nuggets last season.
Luke Kennard
Kennard has been a deadly three-point shooter for years, connecting on 44.2% of his career attempts. He also has a more well-rounded offensive game than he gets credit for, and was a useful trade deadline pickup by the Lakers last season.
The Delaware native would give the Sixers another wiry guard. He underwent a bit of a career renaissance as a key bench player for the Minnesota Timberwolves, shooting 38.8% on 4.2 deep attempts last season.
Gary Trent Jr.
Trent is another knock-down shooter from beyond the arc (career 38.7% on 6.1 attempts per game) who can also create off the dribble. Nick Nurse previously coached Trent with the Toronto Raptors, though they may not have had the best rapport after Nurse publicly critiqued his defensive performance and Trent acknowledged a lack of regular communication during their time together.
Other options: Kenrich Williams, Keon Ellis, Javonte Green, Bogdan Bogdanović
Wade was one of Gansey’s success stories with the Cavaliers, evolving from undrafted player to rotation forward. His 6-9, 230-pound frame allows for defensive versatility, and he is a career 36.7% three-point shooter. Unsurprisingly, multiple reports surfaced over the weekend that the Sixers are among the teams interested in Wade.
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?
Achiuwa also played under Nurse in Toronto, and offers the defensive mobility to switch and block shots as a center or power forward. Though he averaged a career-best 10.1 points per game on a bad Sacramento Kings team last season, his offensive game is more limited.
Nico Batum
The Clippers on Monday declined Batum’s $5.9 million player option, making him an unrestricted free agent. Nurse (and Embiid) had an affinity for Batum’s veteran savvy during his time with the Sixers during the 2023-24 season, when he swung the play-in game against the Miami Heat with his three-point shooting and even became the team’s designated inbounds passer. But he is 37 years old, and feels deep family connections to Los Angeles and the West Coast.
Other options: Matisse Thybulle, Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II
There’s a downside to the championship-or-bust mentality that permeates this city. The further one looks into the future, the less visceral the present becomes. One of the local radio stations posted a poll the other day. It asked Phillies fans if they were enjoying the team’s current run of success, or if they were waiting for October. The question was more than fair. Incisive, even. Anyway, are you enjoying your summer or is it just a prelude to winter?
I’m thinking about these things with regard to the Sixers’ decision to spend a first-round pick on Labaron Philon Jr. By all accounts, the organization made a no-brainer of a move in selecting the former Alabama star. Most experts ranked Philon much higher than the 22nd-best player in the draft. An offensive dynamo who averaged 22 points and 5 assists in his sophomore season, the 20-year-old was available to the Sixers thanks to a draft that was deep on overall talent and especially so on talent matching Philon’s profile. It is rare for a playoff team to draft a player as late as No. 22 and expect him to contribute meaningful minutes as a rookie. It is even rarer to expect him to do so in dynamic fashion. The Sixers expect both out of Philon.
“My initial thoughts are he’s a really talented scorer, right?” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said on draft night. “Really, really fast and explosive and can really, really get it in the bucket.”
The Sixers selection of Philon did not come without some raised eyebrows, most of them from folks wondering about the end game. Didn’t the Sixers just trade away Jared McCain, another undersized guard whose upside would be capped by his inability to share the court with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe? Is Philon really the kind of player who will meaningfully improve the Sixers’ chances of fielding a championship team around Edgecombe and Maxey after Joel Embiid and Paul George are gone? Where, exactly, does Philon fit in a world where the best NBA teams are physical and positionless and can switch on defense 1 through 5?
The answer: who cares.
The healthiest way to look at the Sixers right now is to forget about the bigger picture. They are not chasing a championship right now. Not next year, anyway. They are no longer all-in. The mission statement is no longer parade-or-bust. The Sixers have operated in that mode for most of the last decade. It is exhausting even when it is warranted, which it currently is not.
Could they surprise us? Sure, there’s a chance. It would involve a lot of ifs: Edgecombe taking a big Anthony Edwards-sized leap toward his full potential, Maxey continuing to take his remarkably consistent steps toward greatness, Embiid and George consistently being the players they were when they were at their best in the postseason. If all of that happens, then, yeah, maybe the Sixers could belong among the Knicks and the Pacers and the Heat and the Cavs and the Celtics and have as good of a shot as any of them at the NBA Finals. Maybe they could outpace the Hawks and the Hornets and the Wizards and the Raptors. Sure. If everything breaks right, then maybe they could.
Mike Gansey said first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. has “got good instincts, good hands.”
The more likely scenario is that the Sixers can be a fun team to watch on a nightly basis, a team that can carry a city through late-winter doldrums between the Super Bowl and opening day. That should be their goal right now. Build toward a championship, and put out a good product while doing so.
The strongest argument for Philon is that he can play a significant role in that mission. Can a 6-foot-2, 176-pound guard have a role on a championship team that is built around Maxey and Edgecombe? Sure. Miles McBride had a role on a team led by Jalen Brunson. The Thunder traded for Jared McCain despite having Cason Wallace, and then they drafted Bennett Stirtz. De’Aaron Fox entered the NBA weighing less than Philon with similar length measurements. Likewise with Monte Morris, who averaged over 20 minutes per game in the Western Conference finals while playing alongside Jamal Murray and Gary Harris.
“He’s on the slighter side — he has to get stronger,” Gansey said. “But if you look at his freshman year at Alabama, he really guarded. I think this year he had to carry a huge offensive load, so I think he took a little step back there, but I know it’s in him. He’s got good instincts, good hands. He’s tough. He’ll get into people. He’s competitive. We just can’t have enough guards. In Cleveland, we needed guards, because it’s the playoffs, it’s half court, you need to go get a bucket. I think Labaron can go get one any time he wants.”
That last point is a significant one. Buckets are the point of basketball. It is fun to watch guys who can get them at will. McBride is fun to watch. McCain is fun to watch. If Philon is the guy McCain was for the Thunder this postseason, then the Sixers will at least have two additional years of him plus a few extra second round draft picks.
“You need as many guards as you can that can go create a shot,” Gansey said. “Tyrese was No. 1 in minutes last year, VJ was up there as a rookie … we need depth at that guard position. I think he can come in and play some minutes and take a load off those two. I think he can play with Tyrese a little bit.”
If that’s what happens, then it is a win, even if it isn’t a direct line to a title.
The NBA has always been the pro sports league whose fans are most susceptible to the existential malaise that can accompany the clear understanding of a team’s place in the grand scheme of things. Only 12 of the last 36 championships have been won by a team that was not led by Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Steph Curry, or Tim Duncan. Dating back to 1991, seven teams account for 28 of 36 titles. That reality is what inspired The Process. The Process led to a desperate quest to make it pay off. The best way to watch the Sixers the next couple of years will be with a little less desperation.
During his news conference following the NBA draft’s first round, new 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey vocalized a desire to aggressively explore acquiring a second-round pick.
“We’re always going to make calls,” Gansey told reporters from the Sixers’ facility late Tuesday, “and try to turn over every stone and see what’s out there. We have roster spots. We have playing time.
“So trying to get someone that can fit [coach Nick Nurse’s] system and the way we want to play, the character piece, we’re going to try to look at it all and try to get someone who can fit.”
Yet Wednesday night’s second round of the draft was uneventful for the Sixers. No move enticing enough materialized for Gansey, even while possessing several future second-round picks. So the Sixers exited the draft with one selection, after Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. surprisingly slipped to them at No. 22 overall.
Gansey’s first roster-building checkmark is complete. Next up is free agency beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, likely with limited financial flexibility given Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George all remain on max contracts for multiple seasons. Embiid and George are considered difficult to trade because of their age and injury history.
The Sixers used the prudent best-player-available approach in selecting Philon, who is crafty with the ball in his hands and significantly improved as an outside shooter and facilitator in his second college season. That pick also continued to lean into their dynamic young guard rotation featuring Maxey, an All-NBA third-teamer last season, and VJ Edgecombe, who finished third on a terrific NBA Rookie of the Year ballot.
Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. is crafty with the ball in his hands and significantly improved as an outside shooter and facilitator in his second college season.
“Adding me, it’s a blur,” Philon said from Barclays Center after his selection. “You’ve got two guys that are really shifty, two guys that know how to handle the ball, and a guy that can jump out the roof. That means everything in the backcourt. I feel like Coach Nurse is going to have a fun time with that.”
Perhaps that is another deliberate step in the Sixers establishing an identity, a necessity that Bob Myers, the president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, emphasized the same day the franchise formally introduced Gansey earlier this month.
That also means the Sixers still have positional gaps along the wing and in the frontcourt. Starting small forward Kelly Oubre Jr., sixth man Quentin Grimes, and reserve center Andre Drummond all are unrestricted free agents (so is reserve guard Kyle Lowry, but he is expected to retire). The availability of Embiid and George also remains unpredictable, though both former perennial All-Stars expressed optimism about their health entering the offseason last month. Rebounding and three-point shooting were team weaknesses last season.
So when North Carolina’s Henri Veesaar, a stretch-big man who was widely projected as a first-rounder, continued to tumble down the second round, an outsider could have considered his fit with the Sixers. Instead, the Atlanta Hawks traded for the 52nd overall pick to select him.
Teams have been permitted to negotiate with their own free agents since the New York Knicks’ title officially ended the NBA season. The Sixers also must make team option decisions on Dominick Barlow ($3.4 million for 2026-27), Trendon Watford ($2.8 million), and Dalen Terry ($2.6 million) by Monday.
Once the market fully opens, the Sixers will have the nontaxpayer midlevel exception (about $15 million), or could split that salary figure on multiple players. They also will be able to sign players to veteran minimum deals.
The Sixers will have decisions to make on several unrestricted free agents, including Kelly Oubre Jr.
Before then, it remains possible that the Sixers agree to terms with undrafted rookies — who typically sign two-way contracts — in the coming hours or days.
Productive players can be found via that route. Barlow, a starting forward for the Sixers for much of last season, was not selected in the 2022 draft. Neither was former Sixer Julian Champagnie, who eventually morphed into a sharpshooting starter for the San Antonio Spurs team that just advanced to the NBA Finals. And the second round progresses, agents sometimes angle for their clients to go undrafted in order to have more choice in their playing destination.
Yet the Sixers exited the 2026 draft with a potential first-round steal in Philon, and without a second-round selection.
Tuesday night marked the true start of the Mike Gansey era for the Sixers.
After a season that saw the team’s playoff hopes end in a series sweep to the New York Knicks, the Sixers hired former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Gansey as their new president of basketball operations. The NBA draft was Gansey’s first attempt to improve last year’s roster, and he used his team’s only scheduled pick — No. 22 overall — on Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr.
From being called the steal of the first round to concerns on how Philon will fit with the team, here’s everything they’re saying about the 76ers latest addition …
Best pick of the night?
Philon played two years at Alabama, making appearances in the Elite Eight as a freshman and the Sweet 16 as a sophomore before losing to Duke and Michigan, respectively. During his sophomore year, he averaged 22 points, 5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.
At ESPN, Bobby Marks listed Alabama’s former Mr. Basketball as the best pick of the night.
“I ranked the Alabama guard as the 13th-best prospect in the draft,” Marks wrote. “What stood out for me is how Philon took the constructive criticism from the 2025 draft combine and applied it this past season. He improved his 3-point shooting from 32% to 40%.
“The biggest takeaway is that NBA teams wanted to see Philon as a primary playmaker — he averaged 5.1 assists as a sophomore at Alabama. With the 76ers, Philon will join an explosive backcourt with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.”
Labaron Philon Jr. arrives for the first round of the NBA basketball draft Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
‘The upside is tremendous’
As a freshman, Philon averaged 10.6 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals — earning SEC All-Freshman honors and becoming a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week. After his first year, he tested the NBA draft waters before ultimately deciding to return to school where he had a breakout sophomore season.
“His stock did take a knock here over the past month or so,” said CBS Sports reporter Matt Norlander. “So there was a time where I thought his camp probably believed they would be somewhere in the top 16 or so. Instead, they fall into a really good situation, honestly. I do like the fit here with Mike Gansey now running the show in Philadelphia and did extensive work on him.
“I’m of the opinion that if Philon puts it all together, I do think he’s going to be one of the 10-12 best players in this draft class when we check in five years from now. I’ve seen him in person plenty of times. He can be a blur with the ball. And knowing what his role is going to be, like, there’s some really established people there in Philadelphia. And being a wingman to Maxey amongst other players, I think it’s a really good value pick and I think the upside is tremendous.”
"I do think [Labaron Philon Jr.] is going to be one of the 10-12 best players in this draft class when we check in 5 years from now."@MattNorlanderpic.twitter.com/AROixyXAqa
Philon dropping to the No. 22 pick surprised plenty of people, including former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins.
“I think he dropped more than he should have, but I’m super excited for the kid,” Cousins said on Bleacher Report’s draft show. “He gets to learn behind Tyrese Maxey. They obviously pick up some more depth as far as guard play. I’m not mad at the pick. This is an exciting player. I think he’s going to be great in Philly. I think Philly will love him right away. He can fit next to a star or he could be a star, that’s the greatness that comes with Philon.”
When asked if it could be the steal of the draft, Cousins responded: “It could be, possibly.”
“Obviously, I don’t think you get to maximize him in his rookie year as much as you can because he plays behind a Tyrese Maxey and a VJ Edgecombe. So there’s not as much opportunity when you have those franchise guys in place. But, I think he could be a really, really good depth piece for this Philly team.”
Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. (0) celebrates after a 3-point basket against Auburn last March.
‘A terrible fit for the Sixers’
However, other analysts don’t believe Philon is the best fit for a Sixers team that already has Edgecombe and Maxey in its starting lineup.
“I got two thoughts,” said Kevin O’Connor on Yahoo Sports! Draft Live show. “One, it is a good value pick for Philadelphia. Philon is a steal here from a pure player standpoint with his creation ability. He is a very good basketball player. But two, this is a terrible fit for the Sixers.
“I mean, they’re just too small in the backcourt. You drafted VJ Edgecombe last year, he should be like your two, not your three. And now you have Maxey and Philon. That’s too small to play competitive playoff basketball.
“So I think it raises the question for the Philadelphia 76ers, is this actually a team that cares about right now, competing today? Or is this purely a future-based move? Do they actually want to contend this year or not? … Are the Sixers actually serious about winning today with Philon? I think the answer very clearly is no.”
The move comes four months after the Sixers traded Jared McCain for a bevy of picks, including the pick the team used on Philon. But some are wondering why make that trade only to replace McCain with a player that has similar deficiencies.
“It’s not that [Philon]’s a bad pick, it’s just you can’t pass on a guy like Cameron Carr, who’s the perfect fit alongside Maxey and Edgecombe,” said 97.5 The Fanatic’s Sam Oshtry. “[Philon is] 6-foot-2. Nick Nurse couldn’t find minutes for Jared McCain because he was too small and couldn’t defend. You just added a 6-foot-2 guard to the rotation. Yeah, you needed guard depth. But this guy has no starting potential alongside Maxey and Edgecombe.”
In terms of overall grades for the first-round pick, most outlets are giving the Sixers a very positive review, including a trio of B+ rankings …
Bleacher Report (B+): “This is a tremendous value for the talent. That matters. It would just score a little higher if Philadelphia had more of an obvious opening for Philon.” — Zach Buckley
The Athletic (B+): “A scoring guard with a splendid array of finishes, Philon should add some juice to the non-Tyrese Maxey minutes in Philly once he gets his NBA sea legs. The Sixers have no viable backup point guard at the moment, so Philon could play right away. Philon also ends up being the last in the wave of eight point guards who projected to go between picks No. 5 and No. 25.” — John Hollinger
CBS Sports (B+):“Philon gives Philadelphia a dynamic scorer who attacks with pace, has worked his way into a shotmaker, and showed more defensive chops as a freshman. A gifted shot creator, Philon stuffed the stat sheet as the focal point of one of college basketball’s fastest offenses, and did it with 50/40/80 shooting splits. If he can tap back into some of the defensive tools he showed as a freshman, there could be real value here.” — Adam Finkelstein
At the broadest, most general philosophical level, Mike Gansey aced his first test as Sixers president on Tuesday night. He looked at his draft board, saw a player he’d graded as the best talent by a significant margin, and then he selected that player. The process was sound.
As insignificant as it may seem, plenty of front offices mess it up. They prioritize things like roster construction or positional fit and they allow motivated reasoning to cloud the reality that all of the perfect players are long gone by the 22nd pick in the NBA draft. You must defy the odds just to select a player who ends up deserving a spot in a playoff rotation, let alone one who can make a decisive impact at a position of need. In Labaron Philon Jr., a sophomore guard from Alabama, the Sixers saw a talent so obvious that they didn’t feel like there was a choice to make.
“He’s someone that fell into our lap, so to speak,” Gansey said.
Of course, the real test is whether they are right. Not just about Philon, a dynamic ballhandler and shooter who averaged 22 points per game last season and who some mock drafts had going in the top 15. Gansey and his front office must also be correct in their evaluations of the players they could have drafted instead of Philon. Zuby Ejiofor, Chris Cenac Jr., Joshua Jefferson, to name a few. Each of those three possesses the size that Philon lacks and that a roster like the Sixers’ will eventually need on the wing alongside Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Each went off the board in the six picks after Philon. Two of them went to Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls (Ejiofor to the Hawks at No. 23, Cenac to the Celtics at No. 27). History will be written by the teams that got it right.
All you need to know about how the Sixers feel about Philon can be derived by the fact that they saw fit to draft him despite the overlap in skill sets with Maxey and Edgecombe and also the player they traded away for the pick they used to draft the Alabama guard. When Daryl Morey dealt Jared McCain to the Thunder with ownership’s approval, the thought was that the 2024 first-round pick’s long-term utility would be capped by his inability to play alongside two other smallish guards. He and Philon are hardly carbon copies of each other. Philon is a little longer in terms of standing reach and wingspan, and he is a quicker, more dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. But they both exist in the same general bucket, with the same limitations with regard to Maxey and Edgecombe.
Sixers first-rounder Labaron Philon Jr. averaged 22 points in his final season at Alabama.
Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of Tuesday’s first round, Gansey and Sixers coach Nick Nurse both spent a lot of time talking about how similar Philon is to Maxey and Edgecombe.
“He’s another fast, kind of exciting guy that kind of plays a lot like Tyrese and VJ,” Nurse said. “It’s another guy with the speed, athleticism, quickness, deep range, some creativity with the ball. He’s a pretty good pick-and-roll player already, probably more advanced than a lot of guys coming out. I think he sees all the pieces of the pick-and-roll.”
Nurse and Gansey both hemmed and hawed when asked whether they envisioned using all three of their young guards on the court at the same time.
“I don’t see a lot of minutes, but maybe in certain situations we can,” Gansey said, while also deferring to Nurse.
“I think it’s a little early to answer that,” he said.
Both downplayed the significance of the question. Games are more than long enough to accommodate three guards playing starter minutes at staggered intervals. Maxey and Edgecombe both finished among the league leaders in playing time last season, perhaps counterproductively so. In a world where each averages 32 minutes per game, that would leave another 32 where one or the other is on the bench.
“My mindset is he’s talented,” Nurse said of Philon. “Let’s figure out how we’re going to get him on the floor.”
Nick Nurse and Mike Gansey saw a lot of similarities between new Sixer Labaron Philon Jr. (right) and VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey.
The Sixers will have a good problem on their hands if Philon ends up good enough to warrant more minutes than are available. It will mean the minutes he does play are valuable. The Knicks won an NBA championship with Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, and Jose Alvarado. The Spurs had Dylan Harper playing starter minutes off the bench behind De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. The Thunder had a slew of guards contribute, including the smallish McCain and Cason Wallace.
“You look at our roster, we need help at every position, one through five,” Gansey said. “Obviously, we have the big four, and I think he fits. He’s another guard so now we can kind of focus in other areas on the roster.”
However Philon turns out, the pick does offer us a little more evidence on what to expect out of Gansey and this Sixers roster. They didn’t use the No. 22 pick to select a player who might someday help alleviate the roster’s clearest current need (size on the wing). They didn’t trade it for a veteran who might’ve made them better in the short term. They didn’t use it to entice a team to take on Paul George’s contract. They did what a team in their position should be doing. They had an opportunity to draft a player they think will someday belong in a championship-caliber rotation, and they availed themselves of that opportunity. That is how it is going to need to be done: piece by piece.
Mike Gansey made his first move as 76ers‘ president of basketball operations on Tuesday, selecting Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr., with the No. 22 overall pick.
After his official introduction on June 11 as the team’s new leader, the draft was the first item on the docket. In his opening press conference, Gansey said explicitly that he viewed the 22nd overall pick as one of the critical tools to improve next year’s roster. He liked the range of players expected to be available for the Sixers at 22, but as the Alabama guard dropped down the board, he became the obvious choice.
“He was the highest guy on our board at 22,” Gansey said. “We had him higher than that. You look at our roster, we need help in every position, one through five. Obviously we have the big four, but we need guys outside of it. I think he fits. He’s another guard, so now we focus in other areas on the roster, but he’s someone that just fell in our lap.”
The guard played two seasons at Alabama, averaging 22 points, 5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in his sophomore season.
Nick Nurse said he sees Philon as a player who “can play right away,” and the Sixers needed to add depth at every position. Tyrese Maxey averaged the most minutes per game in the NBA last season. VJ Edgecombe was 11th. Gansey said he doesn’t necessarily see Philon playing alongside those two in a three-guard lineup, but expects him to give both of those players more rest next season, and to get Maxey working off the ball more.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse needed more guard depth last season as Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe played big minures.
Philon was also the right culture fit with his competitiveness and hunger, Gansey said. He emphasized that he’s looking for “fountains, not drains.” and wants players who want to be in Philadelphia and will help build a team culture that’s been missing the last few seasons.
“His mentality, I think fits the way I want guys, and especially with Coach Nurse,” Gansey said. “Nick wants guys who play the right way, play with some edge and toughness.”
No. 22 overall was the only pick the Sixers owned heading into draft night, but it might not be the only selection the Sixers make in this year’s draft. Gansey said the team will “be aggressive” in attempting to trade back up into the second round if a player they like is available.
If the Sixers bypass the second round, free agency will be the team’s next big opportunity to improve the roster ahead of opening night.
Picking Philon doesn’t necessarily mean that pending free agent Quentin Grimes is out the door, Gansey said, adding that the front office was engaged with both Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. as free agency approaches. But it does open up the opportunity for the Sixers to let Grimes walk and use that money to upgrade at other positions, if they so choose.
Labaron Philon Jr. arrives for the first round of the NBA basketball draft Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
“It just takes a little pressure off Tyrese and VJ, when you have another ballhandler,” Gansey said. “We’re going to have to get another ball handler too. We can’t rely on a rookie point guard, but I just think he’s just too talented, too young, that where he was at the draft, we couldn’t pass up.”
NEW YORK — The 76ers entered the NBA draft fresh off a playoff series that exposed their roster shortcomings.
That decisive second-round sweep by the New York Knicks showed that the franchise needed to double down on what it received from cornerstones Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. They needed more speed, more scoring, more shooting, more rebounding, more everything.
The Sixers’ first attempt at improving came with the selection of Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22 overall on Tuesday, christening the Mike Gansey era as president of basketball operations.
Let’s take a closer look at Philon’s career at Alabama, how he fits with the Sixers, and other areas of the Sixers’ roster that can still be addressed.
What Philon brings to Philly
Philon arrived at Alabama as a homegrown talent who proved to be a big-time scorer, earning Alabama’s Mr. Basketball high school honors.
Before leaving town for Link Academy in Missouri for his senior season, Philon played three seasons at Baker High School in Mobile, Ala., and averaged 35 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a junior. That scoring ability didn’t immediately translate to college in his freshman season at Alabama, when he averaged 10.6 points, 3.3. rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 37 games.
Alabama’s Labaron Philon (right) averaged 10.6 points, 3.3. rebounds and 3.8 assists in 37 games as a freshman.
Philon realized that he didn’t put together a strong enough campaign to enter the NBA. He went through the process and returned to school for another year, where his tape was more undeniable. As a sophomore, Philon averaged 22 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5 assists. That was good enough to get buzz as a lottery pick before dropping to the Sixers at No. 22.
Philon’s skill set features a crafty handle, ability to finish at the rim, and shooting range from deep. He can function in the screen-and-roll and is creative in open space. He made 57.4% of his two-pointers and 39.9% of his three-pointers last season, and those numbers are made more impressive by the fact that Philon was often the center of attention for Alabama and created a large share of his own shots.
Most important, Philon’s numbers weren’t empty calories. His production contributed to winning in both seasons for the Crimson Tide, as he helped direct a team that made the Elite Eight as a freshman and the Sweet 16 this past season. Each time his team met a No. 1 seed, losing to Cooper Flagg’s Duke team in 2024-25 and eventual champion Michigan in 2025-26.
How Philon fits in Philly
The Sixers have too many holes to fill in one draft. They entered Tuesday with voids in the backcourt and frontcourt. The franchise hit on Maxey and Edgecombe in recent drafts, but those stellar guards were near the top of the league in minutes played. Paul George and Embiid played inspired basketball at times when available, but they were not healthy nearly enough. George played only 37 games because of injury and suspension and Embiid called his 38 games played a “successful season” after he managed 19 games the season before.
There were several players on the board who could have helped the Sixers when the 22nd pick rolled arrived. And several of them were names that slipped down the board as Arizona’s Koa Peat, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., and Philon were available. The Sixers appeared to take the best player available, as president of basketball operations Mike Gansey intimated that they would.
During the draft process, Iowa sharpshooter Bennet Stirtz, who was picked 16th and joined former Sixer Jared McCain with the Oklahoma City Thunder, made a poignant statement. He said every team can use more shooters and ballhandlers. That’s what Philon will bring to Philly, another player who can create and score when Maxey goes to the bench.
He’s adept at getting downhill and making buckets in the midrange and over bigger bodies, which will be needed on a Sixers team that received most of its scoring from four players. That he is a strong three-point shooter will be a bigger boon for the Sixers after trading McCain at the deadline in February and struggling to make shots from deep in the postseason.
Alabama guard Labaron Philon (right) shot 39.9% from three as a sophomore.
The Sixers also trotted Edgecombe out as a secondary ballhandler often in his rookie season. But that typically amounted to him creating offense for himself or initiating and getting out of the way. There wasn’t much in between as he continues to improve his ballhandling. Philon can take some of that pressure off Edgecombe and do more to find Embiid and George, who have grown more dependent on their teammates to get them the ball at this time of their careers.
What the Sixers still need to address
Rebounding was a major issue for the Sixers last season. As was on-ball defense and communication. As were turnovers. Those things won’t all be addressed in the draft or free agency. The Sixers can add reinforcements at forward to lower the usage of a smaller lineup around Embiid. They can also retain Kelly Oubre Jr. or Quentin Grimes to keep depth and talent on the wings.
But because of their contract obligations, there are some things that can only be fixed from within. Maxey, George, and Embiid are all on max contracts, limiting who the Sixers can add to the roster. That means those players will have to do more. It’s hard to ask Maxey to be better than he was during the regular season, when he carried the franchise to the playoffs and earned All-Star and third-team All-NBA honors. That leaves George and Embiid, whose availability will remain the biggest factor in this team’s success.
