Philadelphia 76ers finalize roster for 2018-19 season

The Philadelphia 76ers’ 2018-19 roster is set.

The 2018-19 regular season opens with Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 8 PM E.T. That will be the first of many national T.V. games for a Sixers team that is rapidly growing in popularity.

With preseason now complete, the Sixers are shifting their focus toward the opener. With that comes roster cuts, which have been plentiful in recent days.

DJ Hogg, Matt Ferrell, Emeka Okafor, Darin Johnson, Norvel Pelle and Anthony Brown have all been waived since preseason’s conclusion. Some will stick with the G-League program, while others will search elsewhere for employment.

In the wake of those cuts, the Sixers have finalized their roster for the 2018-19 season. As expected, there were no last-minute surprises.

As Brett Brown alluded to after preseason, the starting five will consist of Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Joel Embiid. In reserve, J.J. Redick, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala and Amir Johnson have all settled into important roles. Landry Shamet might join that group.

Zhaire Smith will miss significant time with injury, but a return date around Christmas could be possible. An elite perimeter defender during his one season at Texas Tech, Smith’s ability to defend 1-3 could benefit the Sixers once he’s healthy.

Jonah Bolden will also look to carve out a role in his rookie season. While Muscala and Johnson will control most of the frontcourt minutes behind Embiid, there’s reason to believe Bolden can fill the Richaun Holmes void.

Following a preseason knee injury, Jerryd Bayless is likely out of the rotation altogether. T.J. McConnell and Furkan Korkmaz will join him in fighting for scraps at the end of the bench. The two-way contracts are occupied by Demetrius Jackson and Shake Milton.

Perhaps the biggest positive is that Jamal Crawford is touring Phoenix — not on the Sixers’ roster.