Other than disastrous, there is no other word to describe how the 2024-25 season has gone for the Philadelphia 76ers. With an abysmal 24-58 win-loss card, the team has turned in arguably its most disappointing campaign in franchise history, managing to finish with that putrid record despite having one of the more talented teams in the league, at least on paper.
Now, with their campaign officially finished, the 76ers can properly look forward to what’s next for them — and everything starts with the offseason. The front office has to supply the necessary answers to the litany of questions surrounding the squad, lest they suppress their chances of getting back to relevance in the coming years.
For starters, the most immediate question to ponder on at this very juncture is which players should Philadelphia already send off this summer. The 76ers have a significant number of players who could enter free agency, and judging from how this season has gone for them, it is extremely likely that most of those players are as good as gone.
That being said, here are five players who definitely will not return next season.
5 76ers the franchise should send packing this offseason
1. Kyle Lowry
Easily the most predictable one on this list, the time has come for Kyle Lowry to accept the reality that his days of being an impactful player are over. The former All-Star guard has really showed his age this season, and the 76ers do not need his services anymore.
Undoubtedly a favorite of Nick Nurse, Lowry has played more than he should this season and the results have been horrendous. Philly needs to get younger off the bench, and the veteran’s lack of reliable scoring and negligible defense at this point in his career are way too much to simply gloss over.
2. Eric Gordon
Again, the 76ers have to make it a point to get younger next season and override Nurse’s proclivity for veteran commodities. And with the likes of Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes (assuming the team re-signs him) already on the board, there is no more room for Eric Gordon.
Gordon has become an unerring one-trick pony that retaining him won’t realky add anything of value to the team. Outside of his hit-and-miss three-point shooting, he offers barely anything elsewhere. Clearly, he should be a one-and-done in Philly.
3. Lonnie Walker IV
Philly signed Lonnie Walker IV hoping that he can use his NBA absence as fuel to make an immediate impact as a bench scorer. His current numbers reflect his billing as a microwave scorer, but that will be far from enough for him to secure a roster spot next season.
More than anything, the 76ers need some sense of predictability with their role players, and Walker is the exact opposite of that. While he can come in and rain down buckets, he is a below-average shooter for the most part whose defensive acuity wanes and whose decision-making is generally subpar.
4. Andre Drummond
Probably one of, if not the most disappointing offseason acquisition for the 76ers from last year, Andre Drummond has been much less effective and efficient this season. After posting wild numbers in limited minutes last season, he has drastically declined in his second go-round in Philadelphia.
The 76ers need a better option to hold down the fort at center with Joel Embiid hobbled, but even in that respect, Adem Bona should now be the primary option for the team. That only means that Drummond has become expendable, and he should likewise be on his way out.
5. Kelly Oubre Jr.
You might be thinking, “this guy is crazy for even wanting Kelly Oubre Jr. out!”
In the spirit of prudence, you might just be right. But on the other side of things, the 76ers do not fully control what coudl transpire with Oubre in free agency, especially given that he is widely believed to opt out of his deal in hopes of landing a bigger payday.
At this rate, though, Philly has to let Oubre go not only for salary reasons, but also for his dangling fit. While he has been rock-solid for the 76ers in the last couple of seasons, especially defensively, he is far from a seamless player to integrate within the team’s dynamic thanks to his clear lack of a reliable three-point shot and inconsistent shot creation.