First, Labaron Philon Jr., then Dean Wade; Mike Gansey has taken no time to address the gaping holes in the roster that his predecessor, Daryl Morey, created. With the limited financial flexibility remaining after Wade's arrival, Gansey had the opportunity to turn to Andre Drummond to once again play backup to Joel Embiid, but instead decided to sign former New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti. How will this one pan out?
The 76ers' salary situation forced Gansey down a cheap alleyway
Overnight, the Philadelphia 76ers' roster has been completely revamped with the addition of Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. However, while the squad is now in a stronger position, the financial landscape of the franchise has not shifted.
Per Shams Charania, Dean Wade agreed to sign a four-year, $39 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Free agent forward Dean Wade has agreed to a four-year, $39 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Several contenders pursued the former Cavaliers forward, who has become an indispensable defending and shooting frontcourt piece. pic.twitter.com/VSw15tkITO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
Before acquiring Hukporti, the signing of Dean Wade saw the 76ers hard-capped at the second apron ($209,015,000), which left Mike Gansey with around $16 million in salary (excluding exceptions) to fill three remaining standard-roster spots. The former Cleveland Cavaliers executive must squeeze every dollar of his limited finances to maximize the Sixers' roster depth, which is likely the reason he opted to sign Hukporti to a one-year, $3.4 million deal.
While the 76ers undoubtedly wanted an established center to feature as Joel Embiid's understudy due to his horrendous injury record, their current salary situation and the going price for reputable big men forced the franchise into scouring the market for more affordable options.
For example, Zach Collins has just put pen to paper on a two-year, $17 million extension for the Chicago Bulls -- a secondary option who averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds during just 10 games last season. Mike Gansey was never going to be tempted to commit such a large chunk of the team's salary on similar profiles that have yet to pass the difficult test of playing second fiddle to Joel Embiid.
Re-signing Andre Drummond seemed like the obvious decision
Finding a capable understudy for Embiid has been a task the Philadelphia 76ers have failed at time and time again. Players have egos, and knowing that no matter how well you perform, you will never start ahead of your teammate is not an easy fact to accept. However, at the second time of asking, Andre Drummond appeared to have gained an impressive understanding of the role -- and for a low price.
Before becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Andre Drummond was reportedly earning $5 million a season while playing for the 76ers. Now a year older, it wouldn't be ridiculous to assume that Philadelphia could tempt the physical center to return to the franchise for a slightly reduced fee.
If the Sixers could have tied Andre Drummond down to a one-year, veteran minimum contract, the front office would still have been left with a significant percentage of their salary cap to acquire LeBron James to join their newly formed superstar roster.
While Hukporti is hardly a wildly more expensive option, it is money spent with a risk attached, whereas Andre Drummond had already proven what an asset he could have been to the 76ers. Over 54 appearances during the 2025-26 season, Hukporti averaged 9.2 minutes on the floor, scoring 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds, while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor.
In comparison, Drummond recorded 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game -- albeit in 19.5 minutes of action per matchup. The statistics are not wildly different; the 32-year-old veteran knew exactly what was expected of him when he was walking into the building on a daily basis -- the same can't be said about Ariel Hukporti.
Resigning Andre Drummond may not have been the perfect solution, but it was an effective answer that was not shrouded in mystery. However, it is becoming more difficult to question the decision-making of Mike Gansey after he continues to impress in his new role with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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