Everything is coming together for the 2026-2027 Philadelphia 76ers. Going into the NBA offseason, following a second-round sweep against the New York Knicks, the Sixers revamped the front office with hopes that the new President of Basketball Operations, Mike Gansey, could turn a Play-In team into an instant contender. So far, the future is promising.
The Sixers are going to add LeBron James in what is likely the biggest steal in the history of NBA free agency. One year after the Los Angeles Lakers paid LeBron James $52.6 million, the Sixers got him for a total of $7.94 million (via Spotrac estimate) across two seasons. If the 2026-2027 NBA season is his last, then they would have paid him roughly $4.0 million one year after he was an All-Star for the Lakers.
Not everybody wins the LeBron sweepstakes
The Sixers had one roster spot open, but they are going to have to cut ties with somebody to make the money work. In addition to LeBron moving somebody off the roster, the expectation that the veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will soon be on his way to South Philadelphia as well calls for another roster casualty. It’s the unfortunate part of the game.
Dalen Terry was the first name that Sixers fans blurted out when it became clear that somebody had to go. It’s an obvious move for the front office, as Terry’s $2.5 million contract won’t be guaranteed until January 10. The Sixers picked up Terry last season on the free agency market. He started the year with the Chicago Bulls before getting traded to the New York Knicks. The eventual champs flipped Terry to the New Orleans Pelicans, who then waived him. The Sixers scooped up Terry on a two-way deal, before converting him to a standard contract on April 10. He played 14 games for the team last season.
With the Caldwell-Pope rumor flying, Jabari Walker might be the next player staring down the waiver wire. The 23-year-old former second-round pick spent three seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers before landing a two-way contract with the Sixers ahead of last season. In February, they converted the forward to a standard deal. He finished the year with 64 appearances, averaging 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds. The Sixers will likely roll out James at power forward, with Dean Wade as the obvious backup
Are there any sneaky candidates?
Since Terry and Walker’s salaries aren’t guaranteed until January 10, they are the obvious candidates to let loose to simply open two spots, but if the Sixers prefer to keep somebody like Walker, then there are sneaky candidates to move via trade. Let’s go with an unlikely one in Justin Edwards. The stock is down on Edwards currently, but he’s just 22 and obviously came out of Kentucky way earlier than expected after his freshman season. The pressure will be high on the wing next season, but it’s hard to imagine the Sixers will get him moved right away.
The backup big battle will be something to keep an eye on this summer. The Sixers currently have three centers behind Joel Embiid, who have to earn every minute by October. The newly signed Ariel Hukporti can’t be moved until mid-December. Adem Bona has a lot to prove, but it feels too risky to cut ties with one of the more experienced centers on the team when Johni Broome is sitting right there.
After an impressive college career at Auburn, Broome was viewed as a head-scratching pick for the 76ers in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. When everybody saw his rookie season, the pick was even more confusing. He appeared in 11 games, averaging just five minutes on the floor. Currently, Broome’s $2.15 million is guaranteed for the upcoming season. Next year’s $2.52 million salary on his deal won’t be guaranteed until early 2028. It’s going to be a lot harder to trade Broome, instead of taking the first two routes, but it’s something to keep in mind.
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