News 76ers Team Notes

Mintz, Barlow lead comeback attempt that comes up just short vs. Hornets

2025 NBA Summer League - Charlotte Hornets v Philadelphia 76ers

Photo by Garret Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Judah Mintz shined again and newcomer Dominick Barlow impressed, but the Summer Sixers weren’t quite able to complete the comeback vs. the Hornets Saturday.

Somehow, VJ Edgecombe’s stock might be rising faster in the games he hasn’t played in than the one that he did.

The Sixers fell 96-94 to the Charlotte Hornets Saturday night, falling to 0-2 in the Vegas summer league.

Judah Mintz was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points, shooting 5-of-13 from the field while getting to the line 15 times. Dominick Barlow had 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting along with eight rebounds. After another slow start, Justin Edwards went for a 14-point second half. KJ Simpson led the Hornets with 19.

Edgecombe missed his fourth straight game of the summer, but there was reported optimism that he will be able to return for one of the final two games. No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel was also unable to suit up for Charlotte due to injury.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

It will be interesting to see how effective Barlow can be for this team as a non-shooter. A lot of things he does well were on display in this one. He moves his feet well and puts himself in good position to rebound and he has active hands that he’s able to poke and prod with to annoy ball handlers.

This certainly isn’t a great environment for his type of role, especially since he seems to be on the floor with a non-shooter often. Still, he had a nice stretch in the second quarter where he was able to get himself to the basket. Perhaps the most intriguing play of the night was when Johni Broome was posting up near the block, but was still able to find a cutting Barlow for a lob.

It’s been really cool seeing Adem Bona push around centers that are noticeably taller than him. He was able to do that to Kyle Filipowski in Utah and was even more aggressive attacking Ryan Kalkbrenner in this one.

Bona was playing with so much aggression he was trying to rip the ball out of everybody’s hands. He was just as eager to attack offensively as well, and finished with a couple big dunks to show for it. He would finish the game with eight points, three blocks, and two steals. The only downside to a good performance from him is Mark Jones making a Bona-fide pun on commentary every quarter.


Adem Bona SLICING into the paint pic.twitter.com/AmLJ5i7qqH

— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 12, 2025

This isn’t exactly the type of environment for JEdwards to thrive as a Swiss-army knife type of guy, but he has still looked a lot worse this summer than a year ago. He finally showed some signs of life in the third. After knocking down a three he was able to cut down the lane for dunk. Just as impressive as the slam was the bounce pass from Bona that found him.


Jedwards w/ the AND 1 hand slam! pic.twitter.com/ddbwNDBDLZ

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 13, 2025

Hunter Sallis got the start as Jalen Hood-Schifino was inactive, but he still wasn’t able to settle in. The way he moves with the ball in his hands is interesting and he’s had some decent moments creating. He finished with four assists in this one. It’s hard to see him being very effective though if he can’t get that shot to fall.

He looks rough compared to Mintz, who at times is the only guy on this team who can put the ball in the basket. It was his flurry that made it a competitive game in the second quarter, and he did a lot of the leg work in the fourth when they briefly held a lead, though his attempt to tie the game with time expiring was blocked.

The Sixers are back in action again on Tuesday when they take on the Washington Wizards at 8:30 p.m. ET. That game will be on NBATV and NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...e-recap-judah-mintz-adem-bona-dominick-barlow
 
The VJ Edgecombe injury situation has killed any positive feelings about Sixers Summer League

NBA Salt Lake City Summer League - Philadelphia 76ers v Utah Jazz

Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images

Why can’t we have nice things?

Heading into NBA Summer League play in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, I think many fans were genuinely excited about watching the Philadelphia 76ers take the court. Sure, the quality of the on-court play during July is choppy, at best, and the results don’t actually matter, but after months of actively hoping the Sixers would lose games in order to improve draft position, it’s nice to have a pure rooting interest in hoping they win the game you’re watching, even in Summer League. Plus, the Sixers had third overall pick VJ Edgecombe, and watching his development would add an interesting and exciting element.

We had a brief taste of it against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, when the Sixers lost in the final minute, but Edgecombe balled out with 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal, and also showed off some trash-talking chops. For a day or so, everything was golden and Summer League vibes were super high.

Then, everything changed when Edgecombe was ruled out with a bruised thumb, which later morphed into a sprained thumb, and then finally a wrist injury. VJ has yet to retake the floor and it would be surprising to see him out there for the remaining games this week. With this development, all excitement and optimism has left the Sixers Summer League experience.

Now, there are levels to this disappointment. First, it would just be fun to see Edgecombe playing, but if it was a situation like the Dallas Mavericks shutting down Cooper Flagg, we would understand and be OK with the call. Then, there’s his suffering an injury after just one game, bringing back all the familiar “Sixers draft picks are cursed” memories. ‘Is this going to mess with his shot and we have another Markelle Fultz situation’ on our hands?’ Not a reasonable thought for what is reportedly a minor injury, but we’ve been hurt too many times before to not even have a hint of worry across our minds. Finally, it’s yet another weird injury reporting situation from the Sixers. They feel like the only franchise in the league that routinely changes what the injury is on a regular basis. Just be normal, Sixers medical staff!

Add it all up and we’ve gone from being excited about Summer League to kind of just wanting it to be over so we can eventually get to training camp and see Edgecombe out there healthy with the regulars. With all due respect to Judah Mintz, Dominick Barlow and whoever else has been stringing together some solid performances out West, another depressively vague injury situation is the last thing we needed and overshadows whatever else is happening. Just bring everyone home safe and sound and bubble wrap them until October.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...s-sixers-summer-league-philadelphia-76ers-nba
 
Paul George undergoes surgery for injury suffered in workout

Minnesota Timberwolves v Philadelphia 76ers

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Paul George suffered another injury to his left knee that troubled him much of last season.

At this point you might as well call him Procedure P.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported some unpleasant news and that is Paul George underwent arthroscopic surgery on Monday to repair an injury he sustained in an offseason workout.


Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure on his left knee Monday to treat an injury suffered during a recent workout, a team official tells ESPN. George will now begin a rehab program and be re-evaluated prior to start of training camp. pic.twitter.com/cMX6uANlmY

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 14, 2025

This has been confirmed by the Sixers, who said the surgery was performed by Dr. Jonathan Glashow, the same surgeon who operated on Joel Embiid earlier this offseason.

With Charania saying that George will be re-evaluated at the start of training camp, it is likely we won’t know if PG will be ready for the start of the season until we get to that point. It’s also troubling to hear that the left knee is again a problem for George.

He first injured that knee in his second preseason game as a Sixer. Only a few weeks after initially injuring it, he hyperextended the knee again just games into the regular season, and had to deal with another bone bruise. That played a big part in not letting George’s first season in Philadelphia get off the ground, and it looks like that will carry over into his second season as well.

There’s really no good way to look at this, but at least the team got good injury news elsewhere. VJ Edgecombe was reportedly a full participant in summer league practice today after missing the last four games with a wrist injury. Per Ky Carlin of SixersWire, Edgecombe looked good in practice and an update for his status will be provided on Tuesday.


Summer league coach TJ DiLeo on VJ Edgecombe at practice today: “He looked great today. He had a good day. The stuff we saw in the first game.“

A status update for tomorrow’s game for Edgecombe will be provided. #Sixers

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) July 14, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...surgery-knee-injury-2025-nba-offseason-sixers
 
Edgecombe struggles early but finds groove in second half to lead Sixers to win

2025 NBA Summer League - Philadelphia 76ers v Washington Wizards

Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

VJ Edgecombe was scoreless in the first half but dropped 15 points and stuffed the stat sheet in the second half to lead the Sixers over the Wizards in Vegas.

Well, that was a game and they won it, that’s for sure.

With VJ Edgecombe back in the lineup, the Sixers beat the Washington Wizards 74-58 Tuesday night to improve to 1-2 in Vegas.

Thanks to a late three-point surge, Justin Edwards led the Sixers with 17 points along with eight boards. He shot 5-of-14 from the field, all of those makes coming from behind the arc.

With his college coach Bruce Pearle in attendance, Johni Broome impressed with 14 points along with 10 rebounds. He went 5-of-11 from the field.

Edgecombe, who got off to a pretty slow start, finished with 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting. He also went for six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

AJ Johnson led all scorers with 20. Tre Johnson was out for Washington due to hamstring tightness.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

Edgecombe was unable to buy a basket to start this game, missing his first seven shots. It was hard to tell if there were any lingering effects from his wrist injury, because the Wizards might have gotten away with a couple fouls. He still didn’t get on the board until the second half. His first field goal was a struggle, guiding a dunk attempt off the rim.

It was still fun to see his athleticism out there. That alone was able to stabilize better than any other guard on the team at points. He nearly got on the board with another poster dunk, but had to settle for the trip to the line.

He continued to create good looks for himself at the basket, most of them continued to results in fouls though rather than made baskets. He finally got another layup to go after a nifty move, and hit a three moments later that put the game away in the fourth.

It wasn’t nearly as flashy as his debut in Utah, but there were still plenty of positives for Edgecombe’s first game back after missing the previous four.


EDWARDS ➡️ EDGECOMBE ‼️ pic.twitter.com/xoPR4fA1Cp

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 16, 2025

While the rest of the backcourt play was peak summer league sloppy, the other Sixers’ draft pick from this year had his best pro game so far.

Broome looked really good coming out of dribble hand-offs attacking switches. For large stretches of the game, the ball was safest when it was in his hands, and he got some chances to make important decision with the ball. This dump off to Adem Bona was somehow his lone assist of the night.


Johni dropping dimes. pic.twitter.com/wRT1MBjmRB

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 16, 2025

Bona was certainly part of the sloppiness at the beginning of the game. He finished with four turnovers. He was really solid defensively though, and was able to get the ball in the basket when it found him again. His second go around at summer league has certainly been more reassuring than that of Edwards.

The summer Sixers will be right back at it taking on the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. You can catch it on ESPN and NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...mer-league-vj-edgecombe-johni-broom-adem-bona
 
How a weak 2027 draft class could affect the Sixers

2025 NBA Draft - Round One

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

A super long-view of the team’s draft capital and roster construction.

On the heels of Monday’s Paul George injury report, Sixers fans could breathe a sigh of relief on Tuesday as third overall pick VJ Edgecombe returned to summer league play.

Edgecombe’s battle with a thumb sprain appears to have concluded, as he flashed his talent against the Washington Wizards. He would tally 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a very impressive block (1:10 in video below).


Sixers rookie V.J. Edgecombe continues to impress this Summer, scoring 15 points in 30 minutes to go along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block last night pic.twitter.com/21asktPa5K

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) July 16, 2025

Edgecombe’s development may be more crucial to the Sixers than previously thought. ESPN’s Johnathan Givony reported earlier on Tuesday that some NBA executives already have a gloomy outlook on the 2027 draft class:

“The most forward-thinking of those executives are already ringing alarm bells in their front offices for the 2027 NBA draft, which appears to be an especially weak group of rising high school seniors and international players born in 2007 and 2008.”

Givony reveals that college coaches are even shying away from the top high school prospects and are instead heavily focusing on acquiring talent through the transfer portal.

What does this mean for the Sixers?

If you recall the draft lottery this year, the one in which fans and the front office alike were holding on to the chances of the Sixers even getting a draft pick. The one that had them jumping up to the third overall spot, leading to them take Edgecombe. Since the pick stayed with the Sixers, next year's selection is at stake, with the possibility of being sent to the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder if it does not land in one of the top four picks.

Barring an even more disastrous season than the previous, the 2026 pick will be sent to the Thunder. This means the next pick the 76ers have sole ownership of is their 2027 first-round pick, as it pushes back their top-eight protected first-round pick owed to the Brooklyn Nets until 2028.

If Givony’s report holds, and there is little star talent in the 2027 draft class, it becomes evident that the development of rookie-scale contract players like Edgecombe and Jared McCain will be pivotal.

The Sixers could be looking at a 2027-28 roster with a 33-year-old Joel Embiid, who will make $62.5 million that season. Paul George will be 37 that year and has a player option to return to the team for $56.5 million. Unless there are some unforeseen revenue spikes or trades, those two contracts would eat up about 70% of the team's total cap space.

Even if the two injury-prone stars can put together a successful season or two, the optionality for the front office in 2027 just got more difficult. It will be unlikely that teams will value that year’s draft picks equally to even selections in 2026, which may just become more valuable in turn.

Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Duke’s Cameron Boozer, son of former All-Star Carlos Boozer, headline the 2026 draft class with star-level potential.

Despite criticism from NBA executives, the 2027 draft class boasts a couple of names that demonstrate clear league potential.

The top-ranked class of 2026 high schooler is currently 6-foot-7 Tyran Stokes out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, CA.

He has the physical tools to hold his own defensively, notably out on the perimeter, and is unafraid to jump passing lanes or steal some cookies from unsuspecting opponents. His high-flying slashing game has shades of Sixers’ own Kelly Oubre Jr., as he consistently finishes dunks and lobs with ferocity. Almost every dunk is followed by either a flex to the crowd or trash talk to the defender he scored on, bringing palpable energy to the team.

He has room to grow as a shooter from deep, but his shot appears fundamentally sound and consistent from around the court. Against a more formidable defense, he flashes solid playmaking and shot creation.

The other 2027 draft prospect to keep an eye on is 6-foot-11 forward Miika Muurinen out of Finland.

Muurinen is a complete package offensively and is the best shooter in the class. His height allows him to stretch the floor, which he takes advantage of with impressive on-ball skills.

He is comfortable shooting from NBA three-point range, operating in the post, and finishing with touch at the rim.

Muurinen demonstrates a solid basketball IQ, consistently cutting off the ball when the offense stagnates, working patiently on dribble-handoffs with guards, popping out to the three-point line after setting screens, and consistently being in the right spot defensively. The question will be whether his rebounding and paint defense will be hampered by his slender frame at the next level.

Sixers fans know better than anyone that a lot can change within a year. To write off these prospects before getting their first ounce of college coaching is irresponsible, even if hindsight proves the critiques correct.

If college coaches are unwilling to hand out five-star-level money to these prospects, like Givony reported, perhaps they will be hungrier than ever to get themselves NBA-ready. Only time will tell.

The Sixers are already handcuffed for the next few years, and if the scout who said “This is one of the weakest high school classes I’ve seen in a long time” is accurate, the handcuffs will be even more challenging to unlock.

The answer might have to be budding stardom out of their last two first-round picks. McCain oozed potential through 23 games in his rookie season and was on pace to win Rookie of the Year before injuring his meniscus. Through two summer league games, Edgecombe shows great promise as well, but it would be an overreaction to claim he is a budding star.

Hitting on second-round picks will be crucial, as cheap but talented players will offset the top-heavy cap sheet. The Sixers' President of Basketball Operations has a strong history of drafting players in the second round, with names like Isaiah Joe, Paul Reed and, more recently, Adem Bona making a name for themselves or earning second contracts.

This must continue if the Sixers are to survive a weak 2027 draft class.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...class-sixers-future-draft-picks-clippers-swap
 
Discussing the Sixers’ 21st Century Mount Rushmore

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Bleacher Report recently underwent an interesting exercise, examining the Mount Rushmore (i.e. the four most iconic faces) for every team during the course of the 21st century. While some franchises had an embarrassment of riches and had to leave some outstanding players off the list, the article really drove home how bleak Philadelphia 76ers basketball has often been this century, something also covered in our Gordie Jones’ recent ranking of the last 25 Sixers teams.

The first name was Allen Iverson, an obvious inclusion. Not only did The Answer lead the Sixers to their only NBA Finals appearance since Will Smith dropped Willennium, but he stamped one of the greatest cultural footprints of any player in league history. We don’t need to go on.

Next we have Joel Embiid. While the current outlook for the big man’s future is awfully pessimistic and we could potentially be looking at a John Wall Memorial Worst Contract in the League situation, Embiid needs to be on here. The man won an MVP award, and they don’t just hand those out like Major League Baseball letting Jacob Misiorowski in the All-Star Game. Embiid went on about a half-decade run combining historical efficiency on the offensive end with defensive domination. His body may be letting him down, but no sane person could let him down by excluding him from this group.

Now things get slightly murkier with the next name: Andre Iguodala. As someone who will be discussed for the Hall of Fame when he is eligible in 2027, he should be open and shut here. However, he finally received the full respect he deserved after leaving Philadelphia. With the Sixers, he was miscast as an alpha scorer, supposed to take the reins from Iverson after his departure. Philadelphia fans grew increasingly bitter that wasn’t who Iguodala was as a player. It wasn’t until he was able to serve as an elite defensive swiss-army knife, glue guy with Golden State (and Team USA) that Andre reached his ultimate potential. Still, Iguodala peaked as a Sixer with his 2011-12 All-Star campaign culminating with his playoff moment in Chicago during that fun postseason run. For better or worse, he’s the face of an entire era of Sixers basketball.

Finally, we arrive at who prompted this follow-up discussion: Thaddeus Young. Here’s what Bleacher Report wrote on Thad:

“Picking a fourth face is hard, and not the fun kind of hard. You can make a case for Ben Simmons, Lou Williams, Tyrese Maxey, Jrue Holiday, Robert Covington, maybe even James Harden and more. Thaddeus Young’s longevity wins out. He’s third among Sixers in total games played and steals and is fourth in scoring and rebounds over this span.”

Let me say this first. I loved Thaddeus Young. The Night Shift was super fun. I always respected his hustle on a night-in, night-out basis for years. Back when I used to podcast, I went on record numerous times saying Young was my favorite Sixer for many years. That being said, Thad can’t be on a Mount Rushmore purely because he played seven seasons here. He never made an All-Star team and only played 21.3 minutes per game off the bench the only time the Sixers made it out of the first round during his tenure. Mount Rushmore can’t be for memorializing the “pretty good”.

So let’s examine the other candidates. James Harden wasn’t here long enough. Ditto for Jrue Holiday, who was still on the way up when he was shipped out to kickstart The Process. Lou Williams falls into the same bucket as Thad of “pretty good for a longer period of time”. Ben Simmons probably had the highest individual peaks of anyone from this group, but Sixers fans would take dynamite to the monument if his face was thrown up there.

To me, it has to be Tyrese Maxey. Maxey has played five seasons in Philadelphia already, spending a couple as the alpha whenever Joel Embiid is sidelined (sadly, this is often). He made an All-Star team and averaged over 20 points per game during three separate postseason runs, including an iconic 46 points and logo three in a Game 5 win over the New York Knicks that Sixers fans will remember forever. Even if you don’t want to project moving forward at all as part of this exercise, Maxey already has the resume. All due respect to Thad, but instead of honoring some cumulative stats for a bunch of .500 teams, give me the rising star with the jersey every kid in Philadelphia wants to be wearing.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...erson-joel-embiid-andre-iguodala-tyrese-maxey
 
Adem Bona continues solid start to first EuroBasket experience

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Coming off a rookie season for the Sixers in which he showed the kind of athleticism, energy and ability at both ends of the floor to become a rock-solid backup center, Adem Bona has been getting some extra experience this summer with his EuroBasket debut.

Playing for Turkey, Bona is off to a solid start through two games. And on Friday morning, as Turkey beat Czechia 92-78 for their second win in a row, Bona turned in a high-energy performance to finish with six points (3-of-6 shooting), two rebounds and a +2. He also improved his composure — after picking up five fouls in the first game against Latvia on Wednesday, he had just one against Czechia.

Turkey was yet again led by their star, Alperen Sengun, who racked up an effortless 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He’s even got to spend some time playing alongside Bona in double-big lineups. Cedi Osman also added 21 points, after scoring 20 in game one against Latvia.

Sengun’s smooth overhead dish to Bona against Latvia is the pair’s flashiest highlight so far:

Alperen Sengun with the DIME behind his head to Adem Bona for the dunk 👀

(via @trtsporyildiz)pic.twitter.com/uxnyJ0IBHY

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 27, 2025

Turkey are now 2-0, taking a firm lead in Group A over Portugal, Czechia, Serbia, Latvia and Estonia.

Eurohoops interviewed Bona earlier in the tournament, and the young Sixer was rightfully excited about his EuroBasket opportunity:

“The atmosphere within the team is very good, and we have a great bond. The age balance is also very good; we’re a team made of experienced and young players. The bond between us is excellent, and our team chemistry, both on and off the court, is incredible. I’m very excited to be a part of this team. This will be my first EuroBasket, and it’s a huge achievement for me. So, I’m very excited.”

And even though it’s not exactly as big a deal as the real-life achievement of representing Turkey at EuroBasket, another fun moment for Bona this summer was picking up a ridiculously good block rating of 91 in NBA 2K26. It’s tied for the sixth-highest in the game, so Eurohoops asked for his reaction:

“It’s amazing for me. I’ve only been in the NBA for one season, and to get a rating like this after my first year shows how hard I’ve worked. It also shows the trust my team has in me and the opportunity they’ve given me. They’ve given me the chance to do my best. I think this rating is a testament to my hard work for the team. Of course, it’s also a testament to the team’s confidence in me.”

Following the Sixers over the last season has been hard, injury-riddled work. But there’s a lot of young exciting talent to look forward to watching next season, from Jared McCain’s return and new rookie VJ Edgecombe, to seeing what Bona can do in his sophomore year. Hopefully his EuroBasket run only increases his confidence as he builds on all the promise he showed in 2024-25.

Next up, Bona and Turkey face Portugal on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 2:15 pm EST.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76ers-news/77988/adem-bona-first-eurobasket-2025-experience-sixers
 
VJ Edgecombe throws out first pitch at Phillies game

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Who doesn’t love a good crossover episode?

As the Phillies continued their four-game series with the Atlanta Braves Friday night, Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe was in attendance to throw out the first pitch. Whether he made it to the strike zone or not depends on the umpire. The Phillie Phanatic could have done a better job framing it if we’re being honest.

.@vj_edgecombe with the first pitch! ⚾pic.twitter.com/GkI2lAhytT

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) August 29, 2025

Throwing out the first pitch has become a tradition for high profile incomers for the Sixers. Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, Nick Nurse and Jared McCain have all taken part in recent years. No word yet on if Johni Broome accompanied Edgecombe the same way Adem Bona was always seen hanging around McCain. He did get the chance to chop it up with some Phils such as Edmundo Sosa, Nick Castellanos and fellow No. 3 overall pick Alec Bohm.

Nick Castellanos is giving VJ Edgecombe some sort of impassioned baseball advice: pic.twitter.com/KB5wQfdgco

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) August 29, 2025
Edmundo Sosa is the latest to say hello to VJ Edgecombe: pic.twitter.com/f0BHSmpH1S

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) August 29, 2025

Now, time for some old man complaints.

First baseball game ✔️
First pitch ✔️ pic.twitter.com/pQGG5M9bzf

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 29, 2025

For two reasons, it’s a shame that Edgecombe happened to throw out the first pitch on a Friday night. For starters, he had to wear that god awful city connect jersey the Phillies have been rocking since last year. Those would not have done very well in our special edition jersey rankings we recently did.

It’s also a bummer because this game is the Friday night game featured on Apple TV. The local NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast is usually able to get those guys to spend an inning in the announce both. We were robbed of a live introduction for Edgecombe to John Kruk. What could have been.

Though he did get into some hijinks with the Phanatic, stealing the beloved mascot’s keys before returning them while talking to the Apple TV crew. Here a few other posts related to Edgecombe throwing out the first pitch.

Tyrese Maxey having some fun with VJ Edgecombe on Instagram #Sixers pic.twitter.com/SxXle9zph8

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) August 29, 2025
VJ Edgecombe just threw out the first pitch at CBP. Dan Baker was predictably excellent announcing his name. pic.twitter.com/Q2tmbyJDAj

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) August 29, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...e-throws-out-first-pitch-phillies-game-sixers
 
Every Sixers special edition jersey of the Nike Era, ranked

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A true mark of the depths of the NBA offseason is when the hottest news on the block is about which city edition jersey each team will debut for the upcoming season. The uniform rumor surrounding the Sixers is especially exciting, as it appears they are finally bring back the early 2000s look made iconic by Allen Iverson. It certainly has all of us at LB excited about the returning look.

While Nike has perhaps learned the lesson that more is not always better with their city edition experiment, the Sixers have fared better than most teams in the extra jerseys they received, depending on your taste. The 2001 throwbacks will make 12 special edition uniforms the Sixers have had since Nike became the NBA’s jersey manufacturer ahead of the 2017-18 season. So I went back and ranked the first 11 the Sixers have worn so far to see how they’ll stack up against a classic. These uniforms all probably have proper names, but how I remember them is how they’ll be referred to going forward.

11. Shitty Bell (2020-21)

Going with a cream colored jersey for the third time in four seasons, this one was the first that was undeniably a miss. This jersey is the worst combination of ugly and lazy. There’s no name or nickname for the team or the city. The only indicator is a big giant bell which is then covered up by the numbers. The stars coming up the sides on both the jersey and shorts feel disconnected as well. The only good thing about this jersey is it gets easily forgotten due to the other disaster the Sixers had with their other special jersey that season. Don’t worry, we’ll get to that.

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10. Rocky Kits (2018-19)

Of all the tinkering that was done with this list, these uniforms sliding down the list is what moved the most. There are parts of this jersey worth liking. The shorts on their own were a hot item when this look was debuted. The jersey as a whole doesn’t quite come together, and for me that might just be how they looked in the Wells Fargo Center, sorry, the Xfinity Mobile Arena lighting. For contrast, I think they look a lot better in the social media promotional material. The concept was somewhat intriguing, with Philadelphia being the world’s capital for sweatpants and groufits, but this might have been a better idea on paper instead of practice.

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9. Boathouse Rows (2020-21)

This remains a hotly debated topic in the Liberty Ballers Slack channel to this day. I was someone who initially didn’t hate the Boathouse Row jerseys. From a distance, they looked pretty clean out there in an all-black look and some of the additional merch that went with these uniforms weren’t bad. Even forgetting the PR disaster that came with these jerseys, there’s a lot of problems with them. The number being above both the city name on the front of the jersey and the player’s name on the back is an absolute mess. The actual boathouse row being in between the name and number makes it look a bit messier as well, even with the “TTP” being woven into one of the houses.

The real crime of these jerseys though were how they were rolled out. It had been 20 years since Allen Iverson’s MVP season that led them to the 2001 Finals. Not only did the Sixers tease a black jersey, but they used Iverson to promote them. Instead of getting a returning classic most of the fanbase wanted, they got a jersey that paid homage to a part of the city only prep school kids who rowed crew would have a connection to. If you still don’t hate this look that’s fine, but it’s hard to ignore what these jerseys represent.

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8. Reading Terminal Markets (2023-24)

This is the first of many times my personal bias will come out in this ranking. It’s an interesting bias for this team too because frankly, I just don’t like navy blue as a jersey color. While the City of Brotherly Live written across the front of the jersey looks cleaner than another jersey that might pop up on this list, it’s still a bit of a mouthful. Unlike the previous entry, I do remember liking these jerseys a lot more when I saw them on the court as opposed to first seeing them promoted on social media. As someone from the area, the signage and font on the jersey that’s a nod to Reading Terminal Market is a nice touch.

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7. A mouthful (2022-23)

And my bias rears its ugly head again. These jerseys probably aren’t better than what the team used the following year, but I slightly prefer them. The front of the jersey is even busier, with City of Brotherly Love written out in an even bigger font. The rest of the look though isn’t that bad. It was cool to see them use an off-white after going to the cream well for years. It paired really well with the throwback-looking court they paired with these jerseys, with an unpainted paint. There isn’t much to write home about with these jerseys, but it is a good example of how having a solid color scheme can save a team from Nike’s crazy ideas for city edition looks.

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6. OG Spectrums (2021-22)

Is it blasphemous to have these jerseys so low? Maybe!

The point of the list where every jersey is unequivocally good though has been reached. Something the Sixers have done a decent job of this era is making a uniform look like a throwback despite it being a new uniform. Aside from the font that’s being used, nothing about this uniform had been used before. The colors of the spectrum down the side of the jersey is a really nice touch that gives it some life. The logo down on the shorts does the same thing. These were a fan favorites for a reason, and it was nice to see the team make this their regular uniforms in the playoffs.

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5. OG Parchments (2017-18)

The Sixers first dive into the cream colored jerseys was a rousing success. It probably helped that once the Sixers started wearing this jerseys more often, the team started winning a lot more games, including a 17-game winning streak to wrap up the regular season. Nike actually got off to a decent start with their city edition jerseys and these were one of the reasons for that. Cream hadn’t been a color the Sixers had really used but it fit seamlessly into their scheme. They didn’t try to make the design too complicated, just changing the “Phila” font to a cursive font.

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4.. Fleshed out parchments (2019-20)

Sometimes it takes a couple of years to really develop a look and that’s perfectly fine. I think a reason these jerseys aren’t looked at as fondly is they were worn in a year with pretty terrible vibes. That being said, this was a pretty damn good look. It gets some extra points here for having “Philadelphia” fully spelled as opposed to the abbreviation. It looks slightly better with the red numbers as opposed to the blue in the originals. Like the spectrum jerseys, these really have a throwback look despite being an entirely new creation.

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3. S-e-v-e-n-t-i-e-s (2019-20)

Because these were worn in the same miserable season, one that was shortened due to COVID no less, they get forgotten more, which is a shame because I really liked them. I understand if using the same “S” for “seventy” and “sixers” is a bit much for you. Perhaps the jersey would look better if it just said “Sixers” but I like the older feel it gives by being there. It seems like Nike has made a concentrated effort to get teams to stop wearing white, so I’ve been glad to see the Sixers go in that direction with several of their jerseys.

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2. White Rocky kits (2018-19)

Yet another example of the Sixers forcing a white jersey back into the fold. I can’t tell if it helps or hurts the Rocky jerseys that there was a successful version of them created. In a more traditional jersey color, the simplicity of the design really comes through. There was something about the circle of stars that captured the “76er” vibe better than any written form of “Phila” ever could. For good reason, this became such a popular fixture in this season that they became part of the regulars the Sixers wore throughout their playoff run.

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1. White Spectrums (2024-25)

This is perhaps the hottest take on the list and again, it’s due to my bias against navy blue. There wasn’t a lot of hype for these jerseys when they were released, and it didn’t helped that the season they were worn in was quite possibly the most cursed season in franchise history, but man, it is a good look. Just like in 2022, the arena did a good job of throwing back every part of the game to really create the aesthetic. I love how the names are in red while the numbers are in blue, and the spectrum colors up the side come out so much more on a white jersey. I really felt immersed in the Spectrum experience the way most did with the original version of these three seasons prior. It is such a shame that a 24-win season will help such a look be forgotten.

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Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...special-edition-jersey-of-the-nike-era-ranked
 
Why the Sixers haven’t spent their taxpayer mid-level exception yet

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We’re less than four weeks away from the start of training camp, yet the Sixers still have two open roster spots. One of those is reserved for Quentin Grimes, who remains in a restricted-free-agency standoff much like Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey and Cam Thomas. The other might not get filled at all before the season starts.

On Thursday, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line said new Brooklyn Nets forward Haywood Highsmith could be on the move again between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline. In the original version of his article, he noted that since Highsmith is earning only $5.6 million, a team could absorb him using its mid-level exception—either the $5.7 million taxpayer MLE or the $14.1 million non-taxpayer MLE—without having to send salary back to Brooklyn.

“A team like the 76ers, for example, that has planned to take its taxpayer mid-level into the season rather than spending it this summer can use the exception during the season to absorb the salary of a player like Highsmith via trade without having to send any salary the other way,” Fischer wrote.

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Curiously, that line is no longer in the latest version of his article. Perhaps the Sixers let him know that they’re still open to spending the MLE this summer once they re-sign Grimes? Either way, they must resolve the Grimes situation first before they even consider using it.

If a team uses the non-taxpayer MLE, it becomes hard-capped at the first apron ($195.9 million this season). If a team uses the taxpayer MLE, it becomes hard-capped at the second apron ($207.8 million). With 13 players on standard contracts, the Sixers are currently $10.05 million under the first apron and $21.9 million under the second apron. If they spent the full $5.7 million taxpayer MLE, that would leave them only $16.2 million below the second apron.

At the moment, the Nets are the only team that could offer Grimes more than the non-taxpayer MLE. As long as they weren’t interested in signing Grimes, the Sixers theoretically have enough flexibility under the second apron to spend the taxpayer MLE and still re-sign Grimes. However, they’d leave the door open for the Nets to come over the top with an offer sheet that they couldn’t match unless they dumped salary elsewhere.

Besides, the free-agent market has largely dried up at this point of the offseason. Outside of Kuminga, Giddey and Thomas—none of whom the Sixers could pry away with only the taxpayer MLE—many of the best options have been heavily linked to the Warriors in recent weeks. Once the Warriors resolve Kuminga’s restricted free agency, they’re reportedly poised to sign some combination of Al Horford, Malcolm Brogdon, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and Seth Curry.

Malik Beasley is by far the best remaining unrestricted free agent, although off-court issues have complicated his standing at the moment. Although ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that Beasley “is no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation conducted by the Eastern District of New York,” Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports reported he’s “still considered a ‘subject’ of the investigation” and could still be charged with a crime and/or punished by the NBA. While Beasley would be a great value at the $5.7 million taxpayer MLE, another guard is the last thing that the Sixers need, especially if they re-sign Grimes.

Outside of Beasley, the pickings are relatively slim. Trey Lyles, Precious Achiuwa and Russell Westbrook are among the best remaining options, although at this point in the offseason, none of them would likely command more than a minimum deal.

Team president Daryl Morey has long preferred to keep one roster spot open heading into the season to preserve flexibility for in-season moves. That could allow the Sixers to swing a 2-for-1 or 3-for-2 deal without having to shed a contract elsewhere, or they’d have an open roster spot to convert Dominick Barlow or Jabari Walker from a two-way deal to a standard contract. And as Fischer noted, the league’s latest collective bargaining agreement now allows teams to use MLEs as trade exceptions.

However, unused MLEs do begin to prorate downward on Jan. 10 each season. From that date forward, the taxpayer MLE will reduce in value by $32,672 each day. So, while Highsmith would fit into the taxpayer MLE for now, his $5,616,000 salary would be too large for the prorated taxpayer MLE by Jan. 13. If the Sixers hold on to their taxpayer MLE until the day of the trade deadline (Feb. 5), it will shed roughly $880,000 in value by then.

The Sixers could still use their taxpayer MLE to sign a free agent in-season as well. However, if they cross the first apron once they re-sign Grimes, they won’t be allowed to sign any player on the buyout market who was previously earning more than the non-taxpayer MLE. They could also face plenty of competition on the trade and free-agent market with their exception, as a number of other teams have yet to touch theirs as well.

So, don’t be surprised if the Sixers eventually sign Grimes and then call it a summer, leaving one roster spot open heading into the season. The real question is whether they’ll actually spend their MLE at some point during the year. Allowing it to expire would be another wasted asset, but if Paul George and Joel Embiid are in and out of the lineup again all year, the Sixers likely won’t have much of an appetite to add to their luxury-tax bill.

Fret not, though. I’m prepared to roast their asses if (when?) that happens.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...exception-2025-nba-free-agency-quentin-grimes
 
Sixers’ home officially renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena

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The Philadelphia 76ers’ home arena is now officially operating under its new name, Xfinity Mobile Arena.

On Tuesday morning, Comcast unveiled new signage on the outside of the arena formerly known as the Wells Fargo Center—or the Wachovia Center, even—with the help of Gritty and Franklin. The arena is the home of the Sixers, the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and the Philadelphia Wings (NLL). This is the building’s fifth name since opening in 1996 (as the CoreStates Center).

Jared McCain, VJ Edgecombe, Sean Couturier and Travis Sanheim are here for Xfinity Mobile Arena’s signage reveal👀

(via @GraceDelPizzo) pic.twitter.com/ixVZI1UGzG

— On Pattison (@OnPattison) September 2, 2025

In attendance representing the Sixers were Jared McCain and 2025 No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe. They were joined by Flyers players Sean Couturier and Travis Sanheim at the unveiling event.

In reality, this likely won’t mean too much to the average fan—just something for us to remember every time we write an article here… and I’d be willing to bet a “Wells Fargo Center” will slip through the cracks at some point.

However, an interesting tidbit that may actually affect a fan’s experience at the arena comes in the form of an internet upgrade. The WiFi within any sports arena is often spotty at best, and the Center was no exception. The “new” Xfinity Mobile Arena, though, boasts “a WiFi network upgrade so intelligent its blazing-fast speeds are 10x faster”. I’ll believe it when I see it work with an arena full of fans, but that is a change I’d welcome with open arms.

The Sixers will take the court at Xfinity Mobile Arena for the first time on Oct. 10 for a preseason game. Their regular season home opener is set for Oct. 25 when they will host the Charlotte Hornets.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...s-arena-xfinity-mobile-renamed-comcast-flyers
 
If this report about Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers is true …

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The Philadelphia 76ers are no strangers to NBA investigations. In recent years, they’ve faced scrutiny over James Harden’s contract situation, tampering allegations involving P.J. Tucker and Danuel House, and even Joel Embiid’s violation of the player participation policy, to name a few. None of those cases, however, come close to the potential fallout the LA Clippers could face if the latest report proves accurate.

On Tuesday, Pablo Torre dropped a new episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, revealing details of a possible secret $28 million contract between the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard — completely off the team’s salary cap books. And the details are pretty wild.

I encourage you all to check out the full episode for all the insane details, but I’ll highlight the basics you need to know.

Torre’s investigation centers on a tree-planting green bank and brokerage called Aspiration, which claimed to “clear conscience and emissions.” On the surface, it looked like a feel-good cause, backed by high-profile investors such as Robert Downey Jr., Drake, Leonardo DiCaprio, and even Philadelphia fan favorite Doc Rivers. The company went on to raise an impressive $865 million and, by 2021, was valued at $2.3 billion with ambitions of going public.

But cracks soon began to show, and it became clear that things were not all sunny and green at Aspiration. In March 2025, Joseph Sanberg, the co-founder of Aspiration Partners, was arrested for conspiring to defraud an investment fund of at least $145 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Just weeks after his arrest, Aspiration filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

As with any bankruptcy filing, especially one of this scale, there is a mountain of paperwork involved. Among those filings was a detailed list of investors and creditors still owed money. Keep in mind, this document had never been made public until now. The list includes Steve Ballmer’s LA Clippers, along with KL2 Aspire LLC, a company to which Aspiration reportedly owes $7 million.

Torre also examined the public filings KL2 Aspire LLC submitted with California’s Secretary of State, which listed the manager or member as… you guessed it, Kawhi Leonard. As mentioned earlier, Aspiration heavily promoted its star-studded backers, even featuring some in advertisements. However, Leonard was completely absent from all marketing materials — there was no mention or reference to him anywhere.

Torre then reached out to dozens of former Aspiration employees seeking information about KL2 Aspire LLC. He eventually spoke with seven former employees who agreed to be interviewed, providing him with exclusive details about Leonard’s endorsement deal. The agreement, effective April 1, 2022, confirms that KL2 Aspire is indeed tied to Leonard. According to the contract, the company “desires that KL2 cause Leonard to provide the services necessary to promote and market the company as more particularly set forth” in the agreement. Under its terms, Aspiration would pay KL2 $28 million, spread across several installments or quarters.

Torre eventually convinced a key former employee from Aspiration’s finance department to go on record, provided their voice was altered for anonymity. The anonymous source stated that they were told, “These are major contracts and major players you need to be aware of,” and that the company had a “$28 million organic marketing sponsorship with Kawhi.” When asked about the deal, the source explained that it was essentially designed to “circumvent the [NBA’s] salary cap.” They also noted that Leonard’s agreement was the single largest sponsorship deal Aspiration had ever made, saying that “it completely eclipsed every other agreement.” According to the source, even if you combined every other celebrity endorsement — including those of Robert Downey Jr., Drake, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Doc Rivers — they would not have amounted to even a quarter of Kawhi Leonard’s deal.

Torre reached out to all parties involved for comment, including Leonard’s personal team. Leonard’s team did not meet Torre’s deadline, but the Clippers responded, stating: “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”

Finally, the former Aspiration employee confirmed that Leonard’s agreement essentially allowed him to get paid without contractually having to do anything — and, in fact, he didn’t. The agreement stated basic asks that Leonard was expected to be available and participate in five organic comments, likes, or retweets as requested. True to Aspiration’s mission statement, Leonard participated in absolutely zero of these requirements.

Putting it in basic terms: he got paid $28 million for a no-show job.

Torre highlights even more details in his investigation, and I highly encourage everyone to check it out — it’s excellent journalism and impressive investigative work.

But what does this mean for the Clippers moving forward? For Kawhi Leonard? Or for the draft pick and swap currently held by your Philadelphia 76ers?

For the Clippers, this will likely trigger a full-fledged investigation by the NBA. The last time a team circumvented the salary cap was with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000, involving Joe Smith. David Stern, the NBA commissioner at the time, did not go lightly on the punishment: the team received a $3.5 million fine, had two contracts voided, and was stripped of five draft picks (two were later returned, but the penalties still hampered the team for nearly a decade).

For Leonard, there is a real possibility that his contract with the team could be voided. The NBA faces a difficult path ahead, as it will need to set a strong and clear precedent to prevent similar situations in the future. If the league issues only a slap on the wrist, it won’t deter other teams from attempting similar maneuvers.

As many of you know, the Sixers currently hold two assets from the LA Clippers: an unprotected 2028 draft pick and a future pick swap. In all previous investigations involving stripped draft picks, the NBA has never targeted assets owned by a different team. If any picks are stripped in this case, it will likely involve picks currently held by the Clippers or their future draft capital.

If Leonard’s contract is voided, it would certainly hurt the Clippers in the short term. While they have a deep roster, a relatively healthy Leonard is a game-changer in the highly competitive Western Conference. Without him, the team would likely be a play-in contender at best. Long-term, if draft capital is stripped, it would drastically reduce their chances of maintaining a competitive team. Many had pegged the Clippers as a potential destination for future stars, but without draft assets, they may be left hoping for a long shot — such as Giannis Antetokounmpo reaching free agency.

In short, this is a serious story with significant allegations that the NBA will need to examine in the near future. The ramifications could reshape the league landscape and potentially affect assets held by the Sixers in a positive way.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/nba-...ers-contract-steve-ballmer-nba-cba-salary-cap
 
Kate Scott to call Vikings-Steelers game for Westwood One

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The first game of the 2025-26 NBA regular season for the Philadelphia 76ers is on October 22 in Boston, while the initial preseason contest falls on October 2 in Abu Dhabi against the Knicks. Until then, how is Kate Scott, the Sixers play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports Philadelphia, supposed to keep busy? How about making some history by becoming the first female play-by-play announcer to call an NFL game for Westwood One, the league’s official audio broadcast partner.

Sports broadcaster Kate Scott has been assigned to call Vikings-Steelers on Sept. 28 for Westwood One, the official network audio broadcast partner of the NFL.

She will become the first female play-by-play announcer to call an NFL regular-season game on the network.

Read more:… pic.twitter.com/JxKNTVy3eY

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 3, 2025

Here’s a bit more information about the Vikings-Steelers game broadcast from the article on The Athletic:

“According to Westwood One Sports vice president and executive producer Mike Eaby, Scott will break a sports broadcast barrier as the first female play-by-play announcer to call an NFL regular-season game for Westwood One. She will be partnered with former Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph. The Steelers-Vikings will be held at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the NFL’s international series. (The game will broadcast exclusively on NFL Network with Joe Davis, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver and Jamie Erdahl as far as the TV side.)”

Scott has previously done NFL work as part of the preseason broadcast team for the Seattle Seahawks, while previously having done radio work covering San Francisco 49ers games. She is also part of one of the commentary team options for the Madden NFL 25 video game. Additionally, Scott has extensive experience calling Pac-12 football games and doing College Football Saturday Night alongside Mike Golic.

The Philadelphia Eagles play later in the day on September 28 against Tampa Bay. But if you’re tuning in earlier that morning for some Vikings-Steelers action, maybe turn on the Westwood One broadcast to hear a familiar voice. Congrats to Kate on making another bit of sports broadcast history.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...o-call-vikings-steelers-game-for-westwood-one
 
Can Hunter Sallis overcome his rough Summer League?

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It may not feel like it, with restricted free agency far from wrapped up, but the NBA season is right around the corner. The preseason will kick off soon, with media day and training camp later this month. It’s time for a preview of the Sixers’ roster as they are (mostly) ready to start the season.

While the main roster is still awaiting a resolution with Quentin Grimes to be finalized, the Sixers have had all three of their two-way contracts sorted out since Summer League. The Sixers have gone a bit older in filling those spots — all three players are currently at least 22 years old. Despite that, Philadelphia will hope to be less reliant on their new two-way guard than last season, when Jeff Dowtin Jr. literally ran out of available NBA games to play due to how thin the roster got.

The Sixers are currently using just one of those slots on a rookie in Hunter Sallis, an undrafted guard from Wake Forest. A four-year college player, Sallis is a 6-foot-5 guard with a 6’9.75” wingspan. He spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Gonzaga before transferring ahead of his junior year. After coming off the bench with the Bulldogs, he would start his final two seasons, where he averaged 18.1 points per game along with 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals. He shot 47.9% from the field in college, but his three-point splits are where things get interesting.

Sallis made 40.5% from deep in his first year at Wake Forest, but dropped down to 27.7% his senior year — despite being a high volume shooter as a starter, averaging 5.2 threes a game at Wake Forest. His junior year was the only time he made over 30% of his threes, let alone 40.

There were plenty of opportunities for Sallis to showcase himself with the Sixers in summer league, especially after VJ Edgecombe missed most of it with an injury. He didn’t exactly take advantage though. Over seven games he averaged 6.1 points per game on shooting splits of just 28%/12.5%/76.5%. He had a fair amount of ball-handling responsibilities but struggled to take care of it, averaging 1.9 turnovers to 1.7 assists.

It’s not atypical for a rookie guard to struggle in the unstructured environment that is summer league. It’s also not uncommon for the Sixers to use up one of their two-way spots on a player that’s viewed as a project. Terquavion Smith and Julian Champagnie come to mind. A 22-year-old with four years of college experience doesn’t exactly fit that bill though. While he had one excellent year on high volume, his track record as a shooter isn’t the most reassuring.

For once, he is entering a Sixers team that might be alright on spacing. If the team is revolving around the backcourt of Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Edgecombe and presumably Grimes, being a shooter doesn’t necessarily have to be a prerequisite. Joel Embiid is still on this team though, and the spacing in the front court gets very shaky after Paul George.

Regardless of those bigger roster concerns, Sallis’ fate is almost certainly destined for the Delaware Blue Coats. Should he make it through training camp, the Sixers will definitely want to see if a more structured environment can bring out the scorer he was in college. Presumably, he’ll be given a lot of chances to initiate offense. Perhaps he won’t need to hit as many outside shots, but that could go either way.

The Sixers haven’t really had any success with their “project” two-ways in the Daryl Morey era. Smith for example, is already playing oversees. Champagnie did not see much professional success until he found his way to the San Antonio Spurs. Even Ricky Council IV, who was able to give some contributions for the Sixers in 2023-24, was waived by the team this offseason. Perhaps Sallis can buck that trend, but his first impression at the professional level was not the most encouraging.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ews-hunter-sallis-two-way-wake-forest-gonzaga
 
Report: As Cam Thomas agrees to qualifying offer, what can we expect for Quentin Grimes?

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One more restricted free agent is finally off the market. ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported that Cam Thomas is signing the one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to stay with the Nets.

Restricted free agent Cam Thomas is signing a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to return to the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN. Sides were unable to reach a new deal so the QO gives Thomas a full no-trade clause and 2026 unrestricted free agency with 10+ cap space teams. pic.twitter.com/GJCp29rCp1

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 4, 2025

A salary of $6 million is clearly low following the season Thomas just had. He may not be the most well-rounded two-way guard, but he’s an impactful player who can deliver on fairly high usage. He put up 24.0 points per game with a very solid 57.5 true shooting percentage last season, while also launching 7.8 threes a game (made at a 34.9 percent clip). Doing that on a team without much offensive help while facing a lot of attention from opposing defenses? Thomas had a pretty good career year.

As Charania explained in a full story on Thomas’s deal, some larger offers were on the table. Various contract possibilities were discussed, but in the end Thomas declined the following offers:

  • Two years, $30 million with a team option for the second season
  • One year, $9.5 million with incentives up to $11 million, without the no-trade clause

It’s a bit surprising Thomas had an option to potentially make $5 million more next season and turned it down. With his qualifying offer, though, he gets that no-trade clause, so he guarantees that he stays put in Brooklyn where he can keep raising his value as the team’s top option, and only has to stay for one year before testing free agency again in 2026 to pursue a bigger pay day. Out of all the restricted free agents left, this probably made more sense for Thomas than anyone else.

Now, there are just three restricted free agents remaining: Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga, and the Sixers’ own Quentin Grimes.

The reported potential offers coming Grimes’ way have varied over the course of the offseason, but figures have often ranged as high as $15 million to $20 million per year. With that in mind, it would still be far more surprising to see Grimes accept a deal as low as the qualifying offer — which for him would be a one-year, $8.7 million contract. And with the Sixers ideally being healthier next season, and having more guard competition around when Jared McCain returns and new rookie VJ Edgecombe, Grimes isn’t always going to get the kind of touches he had to close last season on such a tear. That doesn’t bode as well for him raising his value if he wants to find a bigger contract elsewhere. Cashing in with more than the qualifying offer obviously makes sense.

Nevertheless, with such little money available around the league and the Sixers not exactly having any bidding partners, those lofty annual salary figures could still drop. This is why we did hear reports last month that there has been some “buzz” that Grimes could accept the qualifying offer himself.

For now, though, the wait continues to see how much Grimes actually lands in his inevitable return to Philadelphia.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/nba-...ts-quentin-grimes-sixers-contract-free-agency
 
Report: Ben Simmons ‘questioning whether he even wants to continue playing in the NBA next season’

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The overall trajectory of Ben Simmons’ professional playing career is going to make for an interesting documentary one day. Philadelphia’s first overall pick in 2016 made an All-NBA team in 2020 and his third All-Star team in 2021. Then, he infamously passed up a wide-open dunk in the 2021 playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks, with the Sixers going on to lose the game and the series. Simmons would sit out the next season with a back injury, and transitioned to life as a role player across the last three seasons in Brooklyn and Los Angeles with the Clippers.

A role player may not be what Simmons wants to be anymore. Per reporting by Stefan Bondy, who covers the New York Knicks for the New York Post, Simmons may not even want to play in the NBA next season. From the article:

“Ben Simmons has generated interest from the Knicks and another team but is also questioning whether he even wants to continue playing in the NBA next season, The Post has learned.

The former All-Star and Rookie of the Year, who has struggled recently with injuries and handling the public pressures of the league, is an option for the Knicks because of his upside as an elite defender and athlete to fill their backup point guard spot, a league source said.

However, Simmons, who has accumulated DNPs the past few seasons, and over $200 million in career earnings, is sending a message that he isn’t sure “if he wants to continue,” another source added.“

It may seem crazy to us for a 29-year-old like Simmons to pass up on the prospect of a $3.6 million veteran’s minimum salary. But as Bondy notes, Simmons has made a ton of money already playing in the NBA, not to mention endorsement deals. If he has had a competent financial planner, he’s already set for life and will make much more than that $3 million or so already each year by way of interest and capital gains. If he doesn’t want to spend his entire life practicing and playing basketball, then he really doesn’t need to do so.

To me, Ben never came across as a ‘Ball is Life’ kind of guy, but more like the sort of person who was very talented at something so he followed that path to achieve the corresponding fame and riches (not calling him out for that, it’s a completely reasonable thing that nearly any of us would do if given the chance). Plus, back issues are no picnic, and maybe playing through any pain or discomfort in that area isn’t worth it. If it actually comes to pass that Simmons doesn’t play another NBA game, I won’t be completely surprised. I will be watching the documentary someday though.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/nba-...ts-to-continue-playing-in-the-nba-next-season
 
Will a homecoming be Dominick Barlow’s chance to stick in the NBA?

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Dominick Barlow was not originally on a summer league roster when the Sixers began play in Salt Lake City. The Sixers went into the session by adding undrafted rookie Hunter Sallis to a two-way spot, but had the other two occupied by players who finished out the previous season in Jalen Hood-Schifino and Alex Reese. That changed just ahead of the Vegas games as Reese was waived, Jabari Walker was signed and the Sixers used their final spot to bring in Barlow.

Another player that went undrafted, Barlow, who originally went to high school at St. Joseph’s Prep, spent his first two seasons in the league going up and down between the San Antonio Spurs main roster and G-League team. He appeared in 65 NBA games over those two seasons before signing a two-way with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2024 offseason. In 35 games with the Hawks, he averaged 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game and was converted to a standard contract for the rest of the season in March. Atlanta waived the unguaranteed portion of his contract for this season.

He only appeared in two games for the Sixers in summer league, but shot 60% from the field in both of those games. He dropped 19 points along with nine rebounds and three steals in his debut. He followed it up with eight points and five boards the next game in just under 14 minutes of action.

As a 6-foot-9 forward, Barlow profiles as a jack-of-all trades while being a master of none. His sturdy frame gives him the ability to be a strong defender and rebounder in the post. Over the course of his career, he’s averaged nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks per 36 minutes. Shooting has never been his forte. He’s been a 25% three-point shooter in the NBA, never averaging more than 0.8 attempts in a season. There isn’t much hope for a ton of improvement there as he’s a career 68% free throw shooter. Last season with the Hawks, he shot just 63.6% from the line.

Between his height and shooting limitations, Barlow has all the makings of what people in baseball call a “four-A” player. He might be skilled enough to the point where he can dominate the G-League, but doesn’t quite possess enough to be useful at the next level for an extended period of time.

That’s not the worst thing to have on a two-way contract though. Players that fit that bill are certainly helpful for a game or two in a pinch. Last season, the Sixers needed those guys for more than just a pinch. Justin Edwards, Jeff Dowtin Jr. and Jared Butler all started multiple games, with Dowtin even running out of available two-way dates in the NBA before the season ended.

If the Sixers are that reliant on their two-ways for minutes again, they’ll be in another battle in the lottery to retain their first round pick, this year top-4 protected until it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder. If they need someone to play some spot minutes in the front court for a night or two — a guy that can just grab a few rebounds and play solid defense — Barlow might be able to give that to them. While he might not help space the floor a ton, that doesn’t mean he’d be a total nothing on offense in those situations. In summer league he showed some ability to get himself open through rolls or flashing into the dunker spot.

While this two-way spot likely isn’t being used on some gem hiding in plain sight, it is being given to a player who’s shown some ability to hang at the NBA level before. Who knows, if everything goes wrong again, he could get an extended opportunity.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...arlow-sixers-two-way-spurs-hawks-st-joes-prep
 
If this is the end for Ben Simmons, he’ll continue to leave us wanting more

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The 2016 Sixers draft party was the last one they’d host at PCOM, which felt more like a grade school gym than an NBA establishment. While their state-of-the-art practice facility across the river in Camden was still being built, a player the franchise believed would be a cornerstone of The Process was about to be selected first overall.

There was no suspense there. Ben Simmons had been the consensus No. 1 pick throughout his one-and-done season at LSU. Sure, guys like Brandon Ingram and Jaylen Brown worked out for the Sixers, but they didn’t get a public photo op with the team’s true foundational piece, Joel Embiid. With those two in the fold, it felt like — after the losing and league-staged coup — things were beginning to come together.

Simmons was billed as the next Magic Johnson — a jumbo-sized playmaker who tantalizes in the open court and plays an unselfish brand of basketball. We saw glimpses of it, but unlike Johnson, Simmons always left fans wanting more.

Sadly, if he decides to step away from the NBA before his 30th birthday, that will likely be his lasting legacy. Despite a Rookie of the Year award, three All-Star appearances, two All-Defensive Team selections and an All-NBA nod, it will always feel like Simmons could’ve been so much more.

With how spectacularly Simmons flamed out in Philly, people seem to lose sight of how spectacular he was as a rookie. He averaged nearly a triple-double (15.8 points, 8.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds) for a team that won 52 games, captured the East’s third seed and won a playoff series. Embiid was beginning to scratch his MVP-level surface, but as you’ll recall, an orbital bone fracture after a collision with rookie Markelle Fultz cost the big man the final eight games of the regular season.

Prior to Embiid’s injury, the Sixers had won eight straight games. There was concern his absence would stall the team’s attempt to climb the East standings. At just 21 years old, in his first NBA season, Simmons rose to the occasion. Over the next seven games (he barely played in the season finale, a blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks), he averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.6 assists. The buyout additions of Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli, along with JJ Redick and Robert Covington, provided Simmons with the ideal procession of shooters. The team closed the regular season on a ridiculous 16-game winning streak.

Though Simmons’ postseason output was marred by a one-point Game 2 performance in Boston in the second round, he was mostly really good during that playoff run. Despite that forgettable outing, Simmons averaged 16.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists during the 2018 postseason. It’s not hyperbolic to say the Sixers don’t beat the Miami Heat in the first round without Simmons, considering Embiid missed the first two games and was still rounding into form when he returned.

The next season saw the acquisition of Jimmy Butler. If folks were still considering it The Process at that point, it was over in that moment. The team acquired a star player to support their budding young superstars in the hopes of winning a championship. While Embiid and Butler famously became close, it was actually Simmons who initially formed a bond with the mercurial forward. Who could forget the “headband brothers”? Tobias Harris came on board a couple months later. The expectations were sky high.

While Simmons took a massive leap defensively during that postseason — Brett Brown made the decision to put Simmons on Kawhi Leonard, which helped stymie the superstar (save for … you know) — his struggles in halfcourt offense were exacerbated by Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors defense. Brown also made the decision to shift Simmons off the ball and give the keys to the offense to Butler. That was sort of the beginning of the end for Simmons here.

While 2019-20 was a lost season for the Sixers in a bunch of ways — not the least of which was letting Butler walk and signing veteran big man Al Horford — it was likely Simmons’ best pro season. He made his second All-Star team, made the All-NBA Third Team, All-Defensive First Team and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. While he suffered his first documented back injury in February — after arguably the best combined game for Simmons and Embiid ever against the LA Clippers — the pandemic gave Simmons time to get healthy and be ready for the NBA bubble.

There was a considerable amount of optimism around Simmons heading into Orlando. Not only was Simmons playing the best basketball of his career, but Brown also made the decision to remove Horford from the starting lineup and make Shake Milton the team’s de facto point guard. In the first exhibition games the Sixers played in Disney, Simmons even took (and made) some threes. Unfortunately, a knee injury in the third regular-season game down there cost Simmons the rest of the season. The Sixers stood no chance against the Celtics and were swept in the first round.

There was renewed optimism for the 2020-21 season. Brown was out and Doc Rivers took over as head coach. Not long after, the team tapped Daryl Morey to run the front office. Morey quickly went to work fixing the previous regime’s mistakes. On the night of the 2020 NBA Draft, Morey selected Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed. He also swung two trades to shed Horford’s contract and Josh Richardson, acquiring Seth Curry and Danny Green to provide Embiid and Simmons optimum spacing.

While the team had a tremendous amount of success on the court, a rift began between Simmons and Morey just a couple months into the season. With the Rockets putting superstar guard James Harden on the trade block, Morey unsurprisingly pursued a deal for the player he enjoyed so much success with in Houston. The main return for the Rockets would have included Simmons — both financially and from a basketball standpoint. Ultimately, The Beard wound up in Brooklyn, but the damage had been done. Simmons was prepared to be a Rocket, to the extent he reportedly began house shopping in Houston.

Simmons’ displeasure reflected in his play as he put up career-worst numbers across the board. The back issues that plagued him the year prior also returned. Despite that, the Sixers had success as a team and captured the East’s No. 1 seed, mostly thanks to an MVP-caliber season from Embiid. Simmons then had a weird, up-and-down playoff run, which culminated in the lasting image most Sixers have of him — The Pass.

If you’re reading this, it’s likely seared into your memory.

Rivers and Embiid were too forthright in their response to Simmons’ postseason struggles for the point guard’s liking. Then the ensuing holdout and trade to the Nets ended things. It’s hard to believe how fast it all went by. After a mostly disastrous stint with the Nets, Simmons played 18 games for the LA Clippers after being bought out last season. He played sparingly and was a non-factor as the Clippers fell to the Denver Nuggets in seven games in the first round.

You can see the physical toll the back surgeries have taken. Simmons is nowhere near the athlete he once was. Since he didn’t do much to improve the other aspects of his game, here we are.

So, was Simmons misunderstood or immature? Maybe both.

There had always been a vibe that Embiid and Simmons basically got to do whatever they wanted. Simmons had this weird habit of wanting to leave the arena as fast as possible after every game. There was even a game where Simmons beat Brown to the podium — never seen a player address the media first before or after that. He was generally curt with the press, though some of the incessant shooting questions were a bit much (especially when Simmons was playing extremely well otherwise). Overall, he was just sort of a weird cat.

And of course, the relationship with Embiid was never perfect, but got downright bitter at the end. We’ll always have that one All-Star Weekend in 2020.

You love to see it pic.twitter.com/zk0Mi6DaIU

— Nick McKain (@nwmckain) February 17, 2020

The peaks and valleys were wild. He’d turn in some of the most impressive two-way performances you’ve ever seen, but then simply disappear in other games, especially in the playoffs. Looking back now, it just feels sad. After years of mediocrity and the struggles of The Process, Simmons provided hope. It’s hard to remember that now, but it was there. Full transparency, there was a night or two when I pondered if it would be Simmons who would eventually become an MVP candidate.

Alas.

Why didn’t it work out? Physical health? Mental health? Did Simmons simply not love the game?

We might never know, which feels fitting for Ben Simmons — a player who often scratched the surface but never hit his ceiling.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...sixers-nets-clippers-agent-retire-joel-embiid
 
Do the Sixers have the worst salary-cap situation in the NBA?

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The Sixers entered last offseason with more than $60 million in cap space. One year later, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report believes they might have the NBA’s worst salary-cap situation.

“Unfortunately, the investment in Paul George looks to be a significant miscalculation,” Pincus wrote. “George’s game has declined due to injury; Joel Embiid’s health is a significant question mark. Very quickly, the franchise became over-leveraged with a mediocre roster.”

Pincus put the Sixers just ahead of the Orlando Magic, who will soon find themselves in second-apron hell after maxing out Paolo Banchero and trading for Desmond Bane this offseason, and the Phoenix Suns, who will be paying Bradley Beal nearly $20 million annually for the next half-decade not to play basketball for them. The Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets rounded out the top five, while the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks made the list as well.

The Sixers have yet to resolve Quentin Grimes’ restricted free agency, so it’s impossible to render final judgment on where they rank relative to the rest of the league. If they wind up landing Grimes on a team-friendly steal of a deal, that could help ease the pain of the Embiid and George contracts.

But since it’s early September and we have nothing better to do—other than watch the Eagles lay waste to the Micah Parsons-less Dallas Cowboys, that is—let’s break down the argument on either side before issuing a verdict.

The case for it


I mean… did you watch last season?

George scuffled through 41 injury-ravaged games and then suffered a knee injury this offseason that required him to undergo an arthroscopic procedure. Embiid played only 19 games amidst his recovery from the meniscus injury that prematurely ended his 2023-24 campaign, and it remains unclear whether he’ll be cleared for training camp in a few weeks.

The Sixers are spending nearly $107 million combined on Embiid and George this season. That’s almost 70 percent of this year’s $154.7 million salary cap. If those two can’t get and stay healthy, it won’t matter how promising the Sixers’ young backcourt is.

The Magic and Cavaliers will face tough financial decisions in the next few years that will likely require them to jettison key members of their rotation, much like the Celtics have been doing this offseason. The difference between them and the Sixers is that their core rotation players still have positive trade value. If the Magic eventually have to part ways with Franz Wagner or Jalen Suggs, they should get a haul for either one. The same goes for the Cavaliers with Jarrett Allen or Darius Garland. Meanwhile, the Sixers might have to attach additional assets just to offload the contracts of Embiid and/or George.

That’s among the reasons why the 2025-26 season may be a make-or-break campaign for the Sixers. If Embiid and/or George have a bounce-back year and avoid any catastrophic ailments, the Sixers’ future could start looking brighter. But if last year was a sign of things to come for them, the Sixers might be stuck with those contracts for the next few years.

The case against it


With 13 players on standard contracts, the Sixers currently have roughly $185.9 million in salary on their books. That leaves them $10.05 million below the first apron and $21.9 million below the second apron. Grimes eventually figures to gobble up a majority of that breathing room under the second apron, although the Sixers will likely try to preserve enough flexibility to maintain access to the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception.

Unless some team signs Grimes to a larger-than-expected offer sheet out of nowhere—which likely would have happened by this point in the offseason—the Sixers should not be in real danger of crossing the second apron this year. The Cavaliers are the only team above it for now, but that likely won’t be the case in 2026-27.

Since the Sixers have already signed Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey to max deals, they don’t have any major contract decisions on the immediate horizon. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond are set to become unrestricted free agents next year, but it’s not as though the Sixers have another $30-plus million player waiting in the wings. (Not yet, anyway.) Jared McCain won’t become eligible to sign an extension until the 2027 offseason, and his new deal won’t kick in until the 2028-29 campaign. Meanwhile, VJ Edgecombe is just beginning his four-year rookie-scale contract, so he won’t be extension-eligible until 2028.

The Sixers still figure to have some tight margins to stay under the second apron every year, particularly if they do re-sign Grimes at some point. However, unless Grimes and/or Oubre unexpectedly break the bank at some point over the next 12 months, the moves that the Sixers have done on the margins this offseason set them up for some semblance of stability this year and next.

Compare that to the Cavaliers, who are nearly $20 million over the second apron this year and are already projected to be more than $21.5 million above it next year. If they flame out again in the playoffs this coming season, the calls to break up their core will only grow louder. The Magic aren’t in quite as dire straits, although they will owe the quartet of Wagner, Bane, Suggs and Paolo Banchero nearly $155 million next season. The 2026-27 salary cap is currently projected to be in the neighborhood of $165 million.

The verdict


In some respects, it’s easy to see why someone would say the Sixers have the league’s worst salary-cap situation. Embiid and George are considered among the NBA’s worst contracts at the moment, if not the two worst. Having two massive, negative-value contracts is an enormous impediment in the second-apron era, as teams are being increasingly cautious about their long-term commitments.

The one silver lining is that the Sixers’ front office has been cooking around the margins this offseason, and they appear to be acutely aware of their proximity to the second apron. Teams likely won’t cross that line more than twice over a four-year span—otherwise, their first-round pick seven years into the future automatically gets moved to the bottom of the first round—so the Sixers almost assuredly won’t even consider doing so until George and Embiid are healthy and they’re a legitimate championship contender.

Staying under the second apron brings with it a host of benefits, including access to the taxpayer MLE and the ability to aggregate contracts in trades. The Cavaliers can only hand out veteran-minimum contracts at the moment, as they didn’t get any mid-level exception this offseason since they crossed the second apron.

So, even though the Sixers may have the two worst contracts in the league, they might not have the NBA’s worst salary-cap situation. That dishonor might belong to the Cavaliers by virtue of how far over the second apron they project to be both this year and next, although the Magic and defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder might not be far behind them.

If only someone had warned the Sixers about assembling a three-max build before they did so. Oh well.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76ers-analysis/78050/do-sixers-have-worst-salary-cap-situation-in-nba
 
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