The Philadelphia 76ers are sitting in 3rd in the Eastern Conference with the regular season coming to a close next week. The Sixers’ impressive play since the All-star break has fans and media in the city optimistic for a deep playoff run. The vast parity across the league this season is something that has not been seen in almost a decade and gives this team a real chance. However before the playoffs are in full swing, I want to take a look ahead to next season.
Philly will have a number of off-season decisions to make when it comes to contract negotiations and free agency. Will James Harden re-sign with the team? Will Tyrese Maxey be given his rookie max extension? Will Tobias Harris be moved in the last year of his contract? Which bench players will be returning and which will look to play elsewhere?
All the uncertainty should be concerning for the Philadelphia 76ers’ front office and fans of the team. When considering all the questions posed above, will there be any changes to the team’s starting lineup when opening day comes around for next season in October? Here is my prediction for the 2023-24 Sixers starting lineup.
Center
Starting at center for the Philadelphia 76ers, number 21 from Cameroon, Joel “The Process” Embiid. This should come as a surprise to literally no one. Embiid is currently under contract with the Sixers through the end of the 2026-27 NBA season and is the cornerstone of this franchise. This team has been built to maximize Embiid’s strengths and he is the unquestioned leader of the franchise.
At 29 years old, Embiid is in the middle of his prime basketball age. For the last two seasons he has been the runner-up for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award and this season he is currently the front-runner. Priority number one for the Sixers always is keeping Embiid happy, and with Harden at point guard, he sure seems to be happy and has taken his game to new heights. Embiid has made it publicly known that he would like to play his whole career in Philadelphia and as long as this team remains competitive, he will be the one constant Philadelphians can count on.