There is plenty of excitement for the Philadelphia 76ers going into the 2026-2027 NBA season, understandably so.
The city and fan base deserve these good vibes after many years of injury woes and early exits in the playoffs. Let's not forget that reality checks are inevitable at some point, though.
And with plenty of excitement come expectations that might be too high for players to meet. As a result, there are players who are poised to possibly disappoint next year.
Before we get into the list, understand that this isn't a prediction of players who will have a bad year- rather, a list of players who are poised to disappoint based on the level of expectations placed on them going into the year.
Keep those expectations in check
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
It's strange. On one hand, I want to say the Sixers might have a steal in the 33-year-old wing because he's a buyout candidate. Before KCP signed with the Orlando Magic in 2024, the Sixers had interest in him. They watched him sign a $66 million contract that was very clearly an overpay. After waiting two seasons, the 76ers have him on the books for $2.4 million.
On the other hand, he came to the team attached to the LeBron James excitement. Shortly after LeBron decided he wanted to continue his career with the 76ers, his old friend Kentavious agreed to a buyout with the Grizzlies and signed with the 76ers. Sixers fans are going to want to see a lot out of Caldwell-Pope, since he has two titles under his belt. But he hasn't been an efficient three-point shooter since his 2023-2024 run with the Denver Nuggets.
Ariel Hukporti
Mike Gansey cooked this summer--there aren't many doubts about that--but there's a small chance he bats 1.000. Every move he made was met with praise, so fans have been optimistic about Ariel Hukporti.
Coming from the New York Knicks, Hukporti landed on the free-agent market after two years. The Sixers signed him to a $3.4 million contract. I know that the Sixers had the blockbuster summer, but the Knicks just had the winning season. It's hard not to trust the instincts of their front office right now. They decided against offering Hukporti a qualifying offer, then went ahead and signed the former Sixers center, Andre Drummond.
The hope is that Hukporti was simply buried behind a talented duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, and he'll be able to put up a strong fight in the battle behind Joel Embiid. He just might end up being third in the pecking order, waiting behind Adem Bona.
Labaron Philon Jr.
Seeing as though he's a rookie, Labaron Philon Jr. has the highest upside on this list. The 20-year-old out of Alabama landed on the Sixers as their No. 22 overall pick in the NBA Draft. The Philon selection helped 76ers fans cope with the unwanted Jared McCain trade. Some are even going so far as to say he wins it for them, as they are confident he could be the better player as early as next season.
Confidence is great, but the bar of expectations is getting quite high for Philon. From Nick Nurse suggesting he could have a day-one role, to fans boasting that he's more valuable than Jared McCain, who just played a role in the Western Conference Finals with a recent champion, Philon is in a very tough position before logging a single minute in the NBA.
The Sixers don't have a ton of room for mistakes, making them a tough roster for a rookie to develop on. The best way for players to learn and grow is to play, but it might be harder for Philon to crack the rotation right away after the 76ers' blockbuster summer.
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