Before the Philadelphia 76ers reached free agency, there was little to be excited about. Fresh off a second-round sweep and still tasting the bitterness of the Jared McCain trade, the Sixers' stock was way down before it received a slight bump due to the selection of Labaron Philon Jr.
The 20-year-old just wrapped up a run at Alabama and became the 22nd overall pick for the 76ers in 2026. After the team faced depth issues and a ton of question marks at the point guard position beyond Tyrese Maxey in 2025-2026, Philon seemingly entered a situation where he could be a rotation lock for 2026-2027. Suddenly, that idea is questionable.
The moves that break the lock
Two new stars entered the picture just weeks after Philon was selected. Jaylen Brown and LeBron James are not only two players who will lock in starting positons, but they are going to be on the ball plenty.
If Maxey's status as a ball-handler is in jeopardy--you can bet that Philon's is as well. Truth be told, that was his biggest advantage. Anfernee Simons is the clear-cut top reserve guard for the Sixers currently. Nick Nurse will likely be comfortable with him having reps as a point guard, but that's not his natural position. A Philon-Simons backcourt combination was something to get excited about, but the Sixers are going to find ways to work in Maxey, Brown, James, and maybe even a sprinkle of VJ Edgecombe with different lineups as well.
Labaron Philon might've been a rotation lock before, but now it's worth questioning.
Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice recently predicted that Philon would start the year as one of three depth pieces, alongside Justin Edwards and Jabari Walker. That's a group of expendable players, who might find it difficult to come by playing time. That's a tough dose of reality for the rookie.
How can Philon change the chart?
There are simply two paths to Philon earning as much playing time as possible in 2026-2027.
The first is simply standing out. It's obviously easier said than done, but Nick Nurse has utilized the young and inexperienced players in the past when the time called for it. Philon seems to be working with the right people this offseason to get up to speed and build as much chemistry with his veteran teammates as possible. He's putting in the work, now it just has to translate.
The other path is opportunities opening up via injuries. The Sixers have struggled with staying healthy in the past, and spots in the rotation will inevitably open up if guys are missing time. It's not what the rookie will wish for, but it's possibly the path that will open up playing time for Philon, as he's far from a lock to earn steady minutes in 2026-2027.
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