The Philadelphia 76ers have gone all-in on a Big Three that looks the part of a future NBA champion—on paper. Both structurally and from the raw perspective of talent, the trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey ranks among the best in the NBA.
Unfortunately for the 76ers, even the best-laid plans can fall apart if the minor details of the broader vision fail to fall into place.
Philadelphia has built a roster that should give the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics a run for its money. Embiid is an NBA MVP, George is an All-NBA and All-Defense honoree, and Maxey is the reigning Most Improved Player and a 2023-24 All-Star.
With an interior force, a two-way wing, and a shot creating guard, the 76ers have stars in every phase of the game.
Beyond that trio, however, is a perhaps polarizing roster that will need to answer questions of its own if Philadelphia is going to win a championship. Boston won it all in 2023-24 with one of the deepest rotations in the NBA, constantly turning to a new player for massive contributions in a crucial spot.
Daryl Morey has never been shy about going all-in on a vision, but he'll need three essential gambles to pay off if the 76ers are going to win a championship.
3. Kelly Oubre Jr. is an ideal fit—or a movable trade piece
One of the most significant decisions the 76ers made this offseason was the re-signing of Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency. Oubre was productive for Philadelphia in 2023-24, averaging 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 offensive boards, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in 30.2 minutes per game.
On a team that now has three stars, however, it's fair to question how the ball-dominant Oubre fits alongside a trio of players who will command a significant number of shots and touches.
Oubre is a career 32.7 percent three-point shooter who knocked down just 31.1 percent of his attempts in 2023-24. He's nothing short of dynamic when he's on his game, but he's a volume scorer who knocked down just 31.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes a season ago.
The 76ers are hoping that Oubre will prove to be a strong fit alongside the three stars, but if it fails to work out, they'll be banking on another team being willing to take on a contract with a player option.
Oubre signed a team-friendly deal at two years and $16,365,150, with a $8,382,150 player option for the 2025-26 campaign. His salary will consume less than six percent of the salary cap across the two seasons he could be signed for, with the possibility also existing that he could walk in free agency next summer.
Considering how tight money will be for a team with three players on max-level deals, Philadelphia is gambling on a rival executive being willing to trade for Oubre if it doesn't work out—player option and all.
2. Kyle Lowry is still a championship-caliber player
The 76ers have taken precautionary steps to prepare for the possibility that Kyle Lowry can't live up to expectations. They drafted Jared McCain, signed veterans Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson, and will be prioritizing Maxey above all others regardless.
Philadelphia has placed a great deal of faith in Lowry, however, specifically in the sense that he can still make championship-winning plays in key spots.
Lowry clearly isn't the All-NBA player that he once was, due in no small part to the fact that he's 38 years of age. He played 28.4 minutes per game for the 76ers in 2023-24, however, and there's a strong possibility that he'll see an at least somewhat similar distribution of playing time in 2024-25.
The simple fact in Philadelphia is that, while the star trio has the potential to dominate, no one on the roster has won a championship before—except for Lowry.
Lowry can continue to produce at the rate he did in 2023-24, when he averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 assists, and 1.6 three-point field goals made in 23 games with the 76ers. What they can't afford to have happen, however, is for him to be a net negative who can't be on the court in crucial postseason moments.
Lowry can provide the leadership and poise on the court that a team that hasn't won genuinely needs from its veterans—but he'll need to be able to play at a championship-caliber level to do so.
1. The supporting cast is strong enough to endure a Joel Embiid injury
The unfortunate reality facing any team the 76ers construct is that they must be strong enough to endure a spell with Joel Embiid on the sideline. Embiid appeared in 68 games in 2021-22 and 66 in 2022-23, but missed 43 games in 2023-24 and recently turned 30.
Injury woes typically persist rather than disappear during an athlete's 30s, meaning this 76ers team must be good enough to win at a postseason pace if Embiid goes down.
That reality sank in even further with news of Embiid signing a lucrative contract extension.
JUST IN: Joel Embiid says he is signing a contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers. The one-time NBA MVP will sign a three-year, $193 million maximum extension with the 76ers, with a player option in 2028-2029, sources tell @TheAthletic. pic.twitter.com/BzA0mUO8yc
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 20, 2024
Embiid's injury woes have been blown out of proportion, as critics have made it seem as though he misses seasons at a time. He's been absent for at least 21 games in three of the past five seasons, however, and the 76ers' postseason seeding has been directly impacted.
In 2023-24, was 31-8 when Embiid played—and just 16-27 when he didn't.
The ideal outcome would be for the addition of George to simplify the game for Embiid and thus decrease the likelihood of an injury. The 76ers need to have planned for the worst-case scenario, however, and that means accounting for the possibility that Embiid will miss 20-plus games for the fourth time in six seasons.
If the supporting cast is good enough to win with Embiid out, then the 76ers will have built a true contender. If it's not, then postseason seeding could be an issue once again.