The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the most top-heavy payrolls in the NBA, which means that not a lot of money goes around their role players. It also does not help that the ownership group has been incredibly frugal over the last few years –– a huge tidbit that has drawn the ire of fans and pundits alike. That stance, however, appears to be headed toward an overdue shift this summer.
Bob Myers, president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment which owns and operates the 76ers, has recently hinted that the front office will be ready to spend significant money this offseason. As per Sixers on SI's Austin Krell, the former Warriors executive mentioned the non-taxpayer mid-level exception as something they can take advantage of this summer, implying that Philly's brain trust will not shy away from throwing money at free agents.
Of course, the non-taxpayer mid-level exception presupposes an ampler spending power than its taxpayer counterpart. For 2026, it is projected to hover around $15 million. For a team like the 76ers with nearly all of its cap space eaten by the stars, that is a critical tool under their disposal which they can maximize to lure in quality role players.
Bob Myers signals a huge change coming to the 76ers this summer
The 76ers will enter the offseason as an over-the-cap team, although they will most probably be under the first tax apron. That is precisely what will allow them to make use of the exceptions. Aside from the extra financial legroom to allow them to pursue pricier free agents, that will also open some window for them to partake in sign-and-trade scenarios while taking in more salary than they send out.
The team's bench ended up being a dud come playoff time, but the 76ers actually trotted out a relatively deep lineup to begin the season. Injuries and the Jared McCain trade obviously sapped their second unit of firepower, but the roster had a lot of players who were deserving of playing time.
Building a deep bench will only prove to be more difficult with Embiid's contract extension finally kicking in, but the exception will give the 76ers brain trust more breating room to operate in order to usher in quality players to fill out the roster. Aside from the draft, they can definitely exploit that opening to replace some of their more limited players or keep those who are too vital for them to lose.
Philadelphia has become frustratingly cheap as of late, but it is high time for that to change. If they remain faithful to their self-imposed edict to snap their title drought, they will have to shell out significant money. As such, their usage of the exceptions available to them could just be litmus test to see if there will indeed be a change in philosophy as Myers hinted at.
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