Philadelphia 76ers season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction
· Yahoo Sports
It’s a new era for the Philadelphia 76ers.
After making the playoffs eight of the last nine seasons — but failing to get past the second round in each of those trips — the Sixers overhauled their front office and roster to seriously contend for an NBA championship.
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It started with the May 12 dismissal of former president of basketball operations Darryl Morey. Then came Morey’s replacement, Mike Gansey, who had plenty of experience with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was Gansey’s ties to LeBron James — and the team’s splash acquisition of Jaylen Brown — that lured James away from Los Angeles for the chance to compete for a title.
The Sixers were the clear winners of the offseason. What comes next?
Here's a breakdown of the Philadelphia 76ers' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:
Philadelphia 76ers offseason review
- Record last season: 45-37 (7th in Eastern Conference)
- Playoff finish: Eliminated in conference semifinals (0-4, against Knicks)
- Coach: Nick Nurse (fourth season)
- 2026-27 title odds: +850 (per BetMGM)
- Projected record : 62-20
- Offseason grade : A
Key roster additions
- F Jaylen Brown (trade)
- F LeBron James (free agent signing)
- F Dean Wade (free agent signing)
- G Anfernee Simons (free agent signing)
- G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (free agent signing)
- C Ariel Hukporti (free agent signing)
- G Labaron Philon Jr. (NBA draft)
Key roster losses
- F Paul George (trade)
- C Andre Drummond (free agency)
- G Quentin Grimes (free agency)
- F Kelly Oubre Jr. (free agency)
- C Johni Broome (trade)
- F Trendon Watford (free agency)
- G Dalen Terry (waived)
Biggest question entering training camp
Will this superteam gel, and is it built to win a title?
- If there was one team that went all-in this offseason, it was the 76ers, who made massive splashes with their trade for five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown and their signing of NBA icon LeBron James. And with that, suddenly, the Sixers have the best starting lineup in the Eastern Conference, from top to bottom. The issue with superteams is that players are forced to sacrifice and alter their traditional styles of play. That might mean Brown taking on a far smaller usage share, or James limiting his jumpshot attempts in favor of play-making. The reality is that there may be a learning curve and period of assimilation. To be clear: this is a good problem for coach Nick Nurse and the Sixers to have. But expectations — both internal and external — will be sky-high, as these moves were clearly made to deliver a championship, which would be Philadelphia’s first in 44 years. The other question lingering within this larger question is whether star center and former MVP Joel Embiid, who has played just 96 of a possible 246 games (39%) across the last three seasons, can stay healthy.
Projected starting lineup and rotation
Starters
- G Tyrese Maxey
- G VJ Edgecombe
- F Jaylen Brown
- F LeBron James
- C Joel Embiid
Rotation players
- F Dean Wade
- G Anfernee Simons
- G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- G Labaron Philon Jr.
- C Adem Bona
- C Ariel Hukporti
- F Dominick Barlow
- F Justin Edwards
What to expect in 2026-27 season
A team that is making a push for a championship. The 76ers are all-in and will have to incorporate new star players Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. It will also be interesting to see how Tyrese Maxey’s role changes with all this; in the games Embiid missed last season, Maxey took on a massive offensive responsibility. As long as the Sixers embrace movement and sharing the ball, the offense should prove to be incredibly difficult to defend. The issue for Philadelphia will be on the other side of the court; the 76ers may struggle to defend opposing offenses. Another thing the 76ers should do is limit the regular-season workloads of James and Embiid, the latter of whom seemingly has worked to get in excellent shape this offseason. Philadelphia may very well end up with the top seed in the East. The real test will be what the Sixers do in the postseason.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Philadelphia 76ers season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction
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