At 6:00 p.m. on Monday on the East Coast, 2025 NBA free agency will open, and players whose contracts were set to expire after the 2024-25 campaign will be free to negotiate new contracts with all teams around the league.
While the most critical components of the Sixers' roster for 2025-26 are already cemented, President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and co. have a significant amount of work to do to turn around the franchise's fortunes following a miserable 24-58 campaign.
The first step was nailing the 2025 NBA Draft. The Sixers drafted VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick, before using the No. 35 overall pick on Johni Broome. After a flurry of player and team option decisions, the Sixers are now set to enter free agency in hopes of surrounding Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Edgecombe with a blend of youth and experience. Their supporting cast was clearly insufficient last year, and the next few months will be about remedying that for Morey's front office.
For the eighth time, here is my annual free agency primer, diving into every conceivable possibility as far as transactions and roster construction go. Buckle up:
Starting Point
Here is where the Sixers' roster stands entering free agency:
• Joel Embiid (remaining contract: $55.2 million in 2025-26, $57.9 million in 2026-27, $62.6 million in 2027-28, player option for $67.2 million in 2028-29)
• Paul George (remaining contract: $51.6 million in 2025-26, $54.1 million in 2026-27, player option for $56.5 million in 2027-28)
• Tyrese Maxey (remaining contract: $37.9 million in 2025-26, $40.7 million in 2026-27, $43.5 million in 2027-28, $46.3 million in 2028-29)
• VJ Edgecombe (remaining contract: $11.1 million in 2025-26, $11.6 million in 2026-27, team option for $12.2 million in 2027-28, team option for $15.4 million in 2028-29)
• Kelly Oubre Jr. (remaining contract: $8.3 million in 2025-26)
• Andre Drummond (remaining contract: $5.0 million in 2025-26)
• Jared McCain (remaining contract: $4.2 million in 2025-26, team option for $4.4 million in 2026-27, team option for $6.7 million in 2027-28)
• Ricky Council IV (remaining contract: $2.2 million in 2025-26; non-guaranteed, team option for $2.4 million in 2026-27; non-guaranteed)
• Justin Edwards (estimated remaining contract: $2.0 million in 2025-26, $2.4 million in 2026-27, $2.6 million in 2027-28; non-guaranteed)
• Adem Bona (remaining contract: $1.9 million in 2025-26; partially guaranteed, $2.2 million in 2026-27; non-guaranteed, team option for $2.4 million in 2027-28; non-guaranteed)
• Johni Broome (unsigned)
• Alex Reese (two-way contract)
• Hunter Sallis (two-way contract)
Explaining relevant salary cap terms
The NBA has a salary cap, but it is not a hard cap like the NFL's. Teams are afforded the opportunity to go over the salary cap, and the vast majority of them end up doing so by the end of the offseason. The biggest reason this happens is because of an essential aspect of free agency: a concept known as Bird rights.
When a team has Bird rights on a player, it means they are allowed to sign them for a certain amount of money without having cap space. But there are three different levels of Bird rights, which determine how much money a team can offer their free agents. The levels of Bird rights are determined by how long the player has gone without changing teams via free agency. The three types of Bird rights are as follows:
• Non-Bird rights, which are for players who have switched teams via free agency in the last year. These players are allowed to be offered up to 120 percent of their salary from the previous season.
• Early Bird rights, which are for players who have not switched teams via free agency in the last two years. These players are allowed to be offered up to 175 percent of their salary from the previous season.
• Full Bird rights, which are for players who have not switched teams via free agency for at least three years. Once a team owns Full Bird rights on a player, they can offer that player up to the league's maximum salary regardless of their cap space situation.
Additionally, you have probably heard in recent months about the NBA's first and second aprons, salary cap thresholds which, if a team exceeds, enforce significant roster construction limitations. The Sixers will almost certainly clear the first apron while remaining under the second apron. As a team over the first apron, these are the key restrictions facing the Sixers:
• Teams over the first apron are not allowed to take back more salary than they send out in any trade.
• Teams over the first apron cannot acquire players being signed and traded.
• Teams over the first apron cannot access the non-taxpayer's mid-level exception or bi-annual exception, only the taxpayer's mid-level exception.
• Teams over the first apron cannot use trade exceptions created in the previous season.
Sixers free agents
• Quentin Grimes (restricted, Full Bird): Retaining Grimes, 25, needs to be the Sixers' absolute top priority in free agency after what he accomplished in his first two months with the team. Grimes arrived from Dallas as an established defender and excellent three-point shooter. But with increased ball-handling duties on a depleted team, Grimes emerged as a legitimate three-level scorer, posting absurd numbers despite having next to no help. Grimes will likely never have such a significant offensive role for the Sixers again, but his newfound scoring juice just adds to a strong baseline of value generated by the 3&D skillset that makes him an ideal fit on any team.
Luckily, the entire situation plays into the Sixers' hands. Grimes' status as a restricted free agent means that the Sixers can match any offer sheet he signs with another team. And the complete lack of financial flexibility throughout the NBA means there is just not much money for Grimes. The Brooklyn Nets have significant cap space, but they are the only ones. If the Nets do not make a run at Grimes, the best offer sheet any team can sign him to would be a four-year deal worth about $60 million -- the entirety of the non-taxpayer's mid-level exception. The Sixers would like to pay him less than that, but it would be a relatively easy decision for them to match a deal of that size and keep Grimes around.
Because of that, teams might not even bother. Resources are scarce this summer; they are also precious. Teams generally do not want to spend 48 hours waiting for a decision on whether or not their offer sheet will be matched. If a team inks an offer sheet, it is usually because they believe there is a genuine chance the deal will not be matched.
Because of all of this, there is a chance Grimes' restricted free agency becomes a lengthy process. Grimes has every right to decline offers from the Sixers that will be beneath his value, but the Sixers have every right to refuse offering Grimes money that he cannot actually command on the market he is in. Ultimately, it is the Sixers in possession of real leverage, and it should enable them to keep Grimes. Some have speculated about sign-and-trade possibilities, which are generally a lot more interesting in theory than realistic in practice. If you want a deeper exploration of that concept, click here.
• Guerschon Yabusele (unrestricted, non-Bird): Yabusele was the last addition to the Sixers' roster last summer, and turned out to be the organization's most shrewd free agency signing. The hope was that Yabusele could be a viable rotation player at power forward if needed. Instead, he became a positive contributor not only at the four, but also a small-ball center, a role he had very little experience in beforehand.
With his toughness, consistency, opportunistic passing and much-improved stroke from long range, Yabusele quickly earned the adoration of coaches, teammates and fans alike. He fits an archetype uniquely valuable to the Sixers as a player who can form a frontcourt partnership with Embiid and also serve as a quality backup to the centerpiece of the organization. There are not many players available fitting that description.
However, Yabusele is a non-Bird free agent. The Sixers' best offer to him through that mechanism is barely above the minimum, a price Yabusele can easily beat on the open market. Their best chance at keeping Yabusele, then, will be their only source of spending power in free agency above Grimes' Bird rights and minimum deals: the taxpayer's mid-level exception, which tops out at two years and $11.6 million:
Season Salary
2025-26 $5,685,000
2026-27 $5,969,250
Total $11,654,250
Other teams should have interest in Yabusele, and many of them can offer him much more enticing deals if they want to prioritize the 29-year-old as a target. If the Sixers extend this offer to Yabusele, it is unlikely that they will have the best offer on the table. But if no other team blows it out of the water, perhaps Yabusele would return -- especially if he gets a second-year player option, which would allow him to return to free agency with Early Bird rights next summer after another good season. After all, it was the Sixers who gave him a chance to return to the NBA after a half-decade of playing overseas. Yabusele has genuine appreciation for that fact and the love he received from Philadelphia fans. Will that be enough?
• Eric Gordon (unrestricted, non-Bird): Gordon declined a $3.4 million player option right at the buzzer on Sunday, and Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the veteran sharpshooter will explore the free agency market but could end up returning to Philadelphia. Minutes later, a source told PhillyVoice that there is genuine mutual interest in Gordon coming back to the Sixers, who value his three-point shooting and believe he can be a valuable mentor for Edgecombe, his teammate in international play for The Bahamas.
Gordon was outstanding in the month of January, helping the Sixers stage a brief turnaround, but struggled mightily otherwise. A starter on opening night, he ended up falling out of head coach Nick Nurse's rotation altogether before making a comeback, starting again, and then suffering a season-ending wrist injury.
Gordon returning on another minimum deal would net the Sixers over $1 million in salary cap savings versus the option he could have picked up, and he will also end up making a bit more money anyways thanks to the gradual increases of the league's salary cap.
The question Gordon must answer before deciding to return: for a player with plenty of career earnings, not many years left and in turn not a whole lot of chances to finally capture a championship, do the Sixers offer him the best opportunity to win at the highest level?
• Kyle Lowry (unrestricted, Early Bird): Lowry will be 40 years old by the end of the 2025-26 season, which would be his 20th NBA campaign. At the end of a difficult year in which injuries limited him to 35 games -- most of which were completely ineffective -- Lowry said he wants to play one more season, and he wants it to be for his hometown team.
At this point, the Sixers cannot have Lowry factor into their basketball plans. Not only is he too liable to being injured, but his complete lack of explosion at this stage of his illustrious career has rendered him a non-creator offensively with limited defensive capabilities. Lowry shot just 35.0 percent from the field in his first full season with the Sixers, and he only made 12 two-point shots all season.
However, Lowry's value as a presence in the locker room has been immeasurable for the Sixers and their young players. Maxey, McCain and Edwards are among the many to build close bonds with Lowry, and they have all raved about the importance of his mentorship. Lowry's close connection with Nurse also helps him serve as a bridge between the players and coaches.
In past years, the Sixers have liked carrying 14 players on their standard roster when the season begins, leaving a spot unoccupied for the sake of maximizing future flexibility. In general, that strategy has merit. But given the number of injury-prone players on the Sixers, they would be better off filling their roster at 15 players if they want to retain Lowry for his veteran presence.
• Lonnie Walker IV (unrestricted, non-Bird): Walker had his $2.9 million team option declined before the June 29 deadline, an unsurprising move despite the Reading, PA native impressing in a small sample with the Sixers late in the season. Walker was hours away from having to commit to finishing out his season in Lithuania when the Sixers called and signed him. A concussion interrupted Walker's NBA return, but his three-point volume was predictably excellent and he showed impressive flashes elsewhere. Committing a roster spot and guaranteed salary to him ahead of free agency made little sense given the guard-heavy nature of the Sixers, but it does not mean he cannot be brought back down the line.
• Jared Butler (unrestricted, non-Bird): The same is true for Butler, whose $2.3 million team option was declined on Friday. Butler might have an easier sell than Walker in terms of fitting into next year's Sixers, as he fits a more traditional mold of a table-setting reserve point guard. The Sixers liked Butler enough to make a rare trade for a two-way player, then quickly converted him to a standard deal. He could be an option at the back end of the roster, but retaining him will likely not be a focus.
• Jeff Dowtin Jr. (restricted, Full Bird): Dowtin spent the entirety of 2024-25 on a two-way deal with the Sixers, and prided himself on being available for all 82 games despite only being eligible to suit up for 50. Dowtin is no longer eligible for a two-way deal with four years of NBA service under his belt, and that comes with good news and bad news. Life on a two-way is challenging, and Dowtin knows that better than almost anybody. The bad news, though, is that teams will now have to convince themselves that Dowtin is deserving of a standard deal for him to sign, and his resume might not be quite good enough to earn that in the summer. But Dowtin is a steady point guard that Nurse has significant belief in, so a return should not necessarily be ruled out entirely.
• Jalen Hood-Schifino (unrestricted, non-Bird): Hood-Schifino was the least notable piece of the most notable trade in NBA history, then got waived and ended up finishing the season with the Sixers on a two-way deal. He is eligible for another two-way contract, but the Sixers might be more likely to use their lone vacant two-way spot on a center with the first two deals going to Alex Reese and Hunter Sallis. Hood-Schifino is probably a long shot to return to Philadelphia, but he should get a two-way somewhere, especially if he has a good Summer League.
Trade targets
Monday evening marks the beginning of free agency, but that coincides with an uptick in trade activity, which actually began earlier than usual this year. The Sixers could be players in trades, especially because their collection of draft picks is in a pretty good place with plenty of second-rounders. Their lack of medium-sized contracts, though, will make lots of trades challenging to pull off.
As the Sixers are going to surpass the first apron, the key reminder here: they cannot take back more salary than they send out in a trade. If they desire a player with a $10 million salary, they cannot get it done without sending at least $10 million in salaries out. Just keep that -- and the salaries already on the Sixers' books -- in mind when pondering these targets:
PJ Washington, Dallas Mavericks (remaining contract: $14.1 million in 2025-26): Washington might be the best fit for the Sixers of any player in the NBA they could conceivably trade for, though Dallas also being a win-now team would complicate matters. The Mavericks would probably ask for the Sixers to give up a 2028 unprotected first-rounder from the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal, and that might be a bit too rich.
Obi Toppin, Indiana Pacers (remaining contract: $14.0 million in 2025-26, $15.0 million in 2026-27, $16.0 million in 2027-28): The Pacers were slated to pay the luxury tax for the first time in a whole lot of years next season after their run to the NBA Finals, allowing them to re-sign Myles Turner without subtracting from their excellent depth. In the wake of Tyrese Haliburton's torn Achilles, perhaps they will reconsider that now. If so, trading Toppin would make things easier financially. He would fit perfectly in Philadelphia from a positional perspective, and his offensive skillset would provide a real boost.
Corey Kispert, Washington Wizards (remaining contract: $13.9 million in 2025-26, $13.9 million in 2026-27, $13.0 million in 2027-28, team option for $13.0 million in 2028-29): The Sixers might covet more defensive-oriented wings than Kispert if they survey the trade market, but he is a fairly valuable offensive player whose three-point shooting helps accentuate other parts of his game.
Herb Jones, New Orleans Pelicans (remaining contract: $13.9 million in 2025-26, $14.8 million in 2026-27): No matter how badly Sixers fans want Jones, there is still little evidence that the Pelicans are willing to trade one of the NBA's best perimeter defenders. If Jones ever became available, the Sixers should be interested -- he is the ideal role player in any starting lineup.
Kelly Olynyk, Washington Wizards (remaining contract: $13.4 million in 2025-26): Olynyk makes for a reasonable archetypal replacement for Yabusele, but he might make a bit too much money to justify trading for him right now. His fit in Philadelphia has always been stellar: he is a genuine floor-spacer who can play the four or five and has passing skills that really help a half-court offense.
Jonas Valančiūnas, Sacramento Kings (remaining contract: $10.3 million in 2025-26, $10.0 million in 2026-27; non-guaranteed): While Valančiūnas would never share the floor with Embiid, he would be a significant floor-raiser for the Sixers when Embiid is off the floor as one of the NBA's better rebounders and a reliable interior scorer. His contract structure would afford the Sixers some flexibility.
Royce O'Neale, Phoenix Suns (remaining contract: $10.1 million in 2025-26, $10.8 million in 2026-27, $11.6 million in 2027-28): Phoenix did little to trim salary in their trade of Durant. Perhaps their influx of rotation pieces could enable them to move O'Neale, a steady wing defender with a reliable three-point stroke.
Sam Hauser, Boston Celtics (remaining contract: $10.0 million in 2025-26, $10.8 million in 2026-27, $11.6 million in 2027-28, $12.4 million in 2028-29): Hauser is one of the single best three-point shooters in the NBA and is on a valuable contract, yet it appeared he was going to be traded this summer as the Celtics looked to cut costs. Since their two major pre-draft trades, it has become less likely that Hauser will be moved, but the possibility remains.
Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers (remaining contract: $9.1 million in 2025-26): Another potential financial casualty if Indiana decides to duck the tax after all, Mathurin will be a restricted free agent next summer if he is not extended before the start of the season. He is not exactly a stylistic fit in Philadelphia as far as what the Sixers need -- his primary utility is on-ball scoring -- but there is significant talent there, as Mathurin showed at points during the NBA Finals.
Simone Fontecchio, Detroit Pistons (remaining contract: $8.3 million in 2025-26): The Pistons have three key free agents this summer in Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley. It would have been easier to imagine Fontecchio becoming available had Beasley's talks of a three-year deal with Detroit been put on pause by serious gambling allegations. Fontecchio is a perfectly serviceable wing who is not going to be exploited on either end of the floor, but he might be more important than anticipated in Detroit.
Georges Niang, Boston Celtics (remaining contract: $8.2 million in 2025-26): Niang is far more likely than Hauser to be traded by the Celtics, and maybe a return to Philadelphia could be beneficial for both Niang and the Sixers. The veteran stretch four provided more than just floor spacing during his tenure with the Sixers as a well-liked teammate and fan favorite. The Sixers need to add at least one player capable of logging minutes at power forward consistently.
Kenrich Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder (remaining contract: $7.1 million in 2025-26, team option for $7.1 million in 2026-27): Williams would be another good option to eat up minutes at the four, but he seems too integral to the championship locker room in Oklahoma City. Williams is a jack of all trades, a player without a clear weakness, even if nothing he does blows the average viewer away.
Jevon Carter, Chicago Bulls (remaining contract: $6.8 million in 2025-26): A tough-minded guard, Carter applies lots of ball pressure at the point of attack and is a good three-point shooter capable of exploding on occasion. Even after trading Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro, the Bulls might have too many guards.
Ousmane Dieng, Oklahoma City Thunder (remaining contract: $6.6 million in 2025-26): The more likely victim of any potential numbers game in Oklahoma City, Dieng is a former lottery pick who has yet to emerge in a meaningful way. Given the incredible depth possessed by the Thunder, the best chance Dieng has of becoming a rotation wing in the NBA is with another team.
Ochai Agbaji, Toronto Raptors (remaining contract: $6.3 million in 2025-26): Another former first-round pick yet to find his best self, Agbaji shot 39.9 percent from three-point range on significant volume for the Raptors last season, representing a significant leap as a shooter.
Saddiq Bey, New Orleans Pelicans (remaining contract: $6.1 million in 2025-26, $6.4 million in 2026-27): Bey was just traded to New Orleans alongside Jordan Poole in exchange for Olynyk and CJ McCollum, but New Orleans has enough on the wing to flip him if they would like to. The Villanova product has not played since he tore his ACL near the end of the 2023-24 season.
Haywood Highsmith, Miami Heat (remaining contract: $5.6 million in 2025-26): A former Sixers developmental project, Highsmith caught on as a steady two-way wing for the Heat, where he is a trusted piece for head coach Erik Spoelstra. An influx of young players could force him out, and perhaps Miami would rather get something for him now than see him walk next summer.
Nick Richards, Phoenix Suns (remaining contract: $5.0 million in 2025-26): Phoenix traded for two centers within moments of each other during the draft, and suddenly, Richards is more of a luxury than a necessity. Richards and Drummond have identical cap hits. Would the Sixers give up a second-round pick to upgrade?
Kevin Love, Miami Heat (remaining contract: $4.1 million in 2025-26): This one feels far-fetched, but Love reportedly had interest in coming to the Sixers before joining Miami when he was bought out by the Cavaliers. He is not a playoff-caliber rotation player these days, but he is a stretch big with skill as a passer.
Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets (remaining contract: $3.5 million in 2025-26, $5.4 million in 2026-27): Another Villanova product, Whitmore is still looking to put it all together and impact winning. He is undoubtedly a gifted offensive player, and while Whitmore currently projects to be the last member of Houston's new-look rotation, the Rockets could use their free agency spending power to find a more reliable piece.
Julian Champagnie, San Antonio Spurs (remaining contract: $3.0 million in 2025-26; non-guaranteed, team option for $3.0 million in 2026-27; non-guaranteed): A decently productive wing on an incredibly team-friendly contract, Champagnie got his NBA start with the Sixers on a two-way deal during the 2022-23 season. He was eventually waived, but got claimed by the Spurs and blossomed into a helpful player.
Brice Sensabaugh, Utah Jazz (remaining contract: $2.6 million in 2025-26, $4.8 million in 2026-27): Utah has a plethora of young players and might not have enough rotation spots for all of them. If they looked to consolidate, Sensabaugh's massive three-point volume could appeal to the Sixers.
Justin Champagnie, Washington Wizards (remaining contract: $2.3 million in 2025-26; non-guaranteed, $2.6 million in 2026-27; non-guaranteed, team option for $3.0 million in 2027-28; non-guaranteed): Another Champagnie on another extremely valuable contract, Justin is Julian's brother and just had a career year for the Wizards.
Duop Reath, Portland Trail Blazers (remaining contract: $2.2 million in 2025-26): Reath is a better player in theory than in reality so far, but true centers capable of knocking down three-point shots will always receive extra chances.
Craig Porter Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers (remaining contract: $2.2 million in 2025-26; partially guaranteed, team option for $2.4 million in 2026-27; non-guaranteed): Ty Jerome appears to be on his way out of Cleveland, and even after the Cavaliers added Ball it could mean more opportunities are coming for Porter, an intriguing ball-handler. At this point, he probably has more value to the Cavaliers than the Sixers.
Free agent targets
This is the main event: a comprehensive list of players the Sixers can sign as free agents. The list will be a lot more narrow than last year's, when the Sixers entered the summer with a massive amount of cap space. This year, the Sixers are already loaded at guard, and their free agency spending can only be done through the aforementioned taxpayer's mid-level exception and veteran's minimum deals.
We'll start with players who could be options at the tax MLE if their markets crater (and Yabusele leaves the Sixers), before going to more realistic options at that number, and on down until clear minimum options.
Wishful thinking at the Tax MLE
Trey Lyles: In reality, Yabusele is the top name on this list. But if he ends up departing, Lyles might be the optimal replacement on the market. He is somewhat similar -- at least in terms of the boxes he checks off. Lyles is a reliable floor-spacing stretch four, and despite not having enough size to play center consistently, he can slide up to the five in a pinch. While the 29-year-old Canadian would be a slight downgrade from Yabusele, it would not be as much of one as people think.
Bruce Brown: It has been a weird few years for Brown since departing from Denver after helping the Nuggets win the NBA Finals. He has battled injury issues quite a bit, but is hitting the open market with a chance to rebuild his value in the right situation. He is a bit smaller than ideal for a Sixers team that could use more of a 3.5 than 2.5 on the positional spectrum, but Brown has a whole lot of toughness.
Gary Payton II: A mainstay in Golden State, Payton has the size of a smaller guard but routinely defends guards well above his listed frame. He will never be too good of a shooter, but has improved enough on that front to not be completely ignored by opposing defenses. The Sixers appear focused on players who help establish and maintain a healthy culture. Payton fits that description.
Tim Hardaway Jr.: News of Beasley being under investigation for allegedly gambling has upended Detroit's free agency, and it could lead them to renouncing all of their free agents and creating a decent chunk of cap space. Hardaway remains an extremely high-volume three-point shooter who appeared to be an important part of the Pistons' locker room amid a stellar turnaround last season, after being acquired from Dallas for Grimes.
Jake LaRavia: LaRavia had his fourth-year team option declined by the Grizzlies, a move Memphis regretted almost immediately. He was traded to the Sacramento Kings and had a strong close to his season. Younger teams with more spending power in free agency than the Sixers should make more competitive offers to add a rotation-caliber wing with upward mobility.
Luke Kennard: Kennard is one of the game's best shooters -- and one of the most underrated in recent history -- and any team would be wise to sign him at this price point if possible. His pathway to consistent minutes with the Sixers would be a bit tricky if Grimes returns.
Clint Capela: A veteran rim-running, shot-blocking center, Capela might have offers at this number from teams that can make him their full-blown starting center. If not, his best chance of starting might be joining the Sixers, where Embiid missing time is inevitable -- even if it happens by design. Capela could solidify the backup center spot that has been a revolving door behind Embiid, but it would prevent Bona from blossoming.
Ziaire Williams: Williams was salary dumped to Brooklyn last summer and had a solid year for the Nets. The Sixers' chances of signing him are likely low for the same reasons mentioned with LaRavia: younger teams with more money to spend would probably beat their offer.
Day'Ron Sharpe: Sharpe is in the same basket, as Brooklyn should be able to retain him -- especially if they trade Nic Claxton at some point this summer. But he has been undervalued for a few years. Sharpe is an outstanding rebounder and could be a quality backup five for most teams.
More realistic options at the Tax MLE
Luke Kornet: Kornet has become one of the best backup centers in the NBA in Boston, but likely could not play alongside Embiid since abandoning the three-point shooting that used to be the hallmark of his game. The Celtics will have real competition when it comes to retaining Kornet, which they probably should have had last summer.
Dante Exum: Miscast as a lead ball-handler back when he was a lottery pick in the same draft as Embiid, Exum went overseas and then came back to the NBA as a wing with secondary ball-handling chops. It is the ideal utilization of his length and skills, and an improved three-point shot has done him a lot of good.
Taurean Prince: The Sixers might just need an innings-eater capable of playing at the four, and Prince has been that for years. He has a strong wing frame and makes open threes at an excellent rate. The upside might not be off the charts, but the floor is pretty reasonable.
Trendon Watford: Watford is a tall forward with real skill as a ball-handler, and he happens to be a close friend of Maxey. The Brooklyn Nets could have something here, and with their financial might this summer it is hard to imagine the Sixers outbidding Brooklyn for Watford's services.
Precious Achiuwa: Achiuwa spent the first few years of his career playing for Nurse with the Toronto Raptors, and had a brief moment as a member of the New York Knicks, which came at the Sixers' expense. He is a very different player than Yabusele -- they could not be any less similar, in fact -- but he is also a hybrid between power forward and center. If Nurse is a believer in Achiuwa as an athletic frontcourt presence capable of causing chaos, maybe the Sixers replace Yabusele with someone similar positionally and very different stylistically.
Kevon Looney: Another long-time Warriors piece, Looney's role in Golden State moving forward is unclear. He is also a well-respected veteran. But he is a center and nothing more; paying what it would likely cost to add him would probably not be worth blocking Bona.
Minimum players
Alec Burks: Burks is a tall ball-handler and scorer whose first stint with the Sixers was brief and underwhelming. But if the team is indeed experiencing a philosophical shift towards maximizing ball-handling at all times, one way to lean into that would be adding a player like Burks.
Larry Nance Jr.: A well-liked veteran center, Nance could go for above the minimum if the market breaks right for him. He has made real strides as a three-point shooter in recent years. If the Sixers follow the recent trend of playing double-big lineups that felt archaic just a few years ago, maybe they would try a Nance-Embiid lineup. Nance's brother, Pete, had a pair of two-way stints with the Sixers last season.
Damion Lee: Lee is a high-volume three-point shooter and more of a shooting guard than a wing, which probably puts him in a difficult spot to make the Sixers.
Cory Joseph: Joseph had a surprising resurgence down the stretch of last season for the Orlando Magic, and might be able to earn more playing time by returning there than he would get by joining the Sixers.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl: Keep the Villanova products coming! Robinson-Earl is a 24-year-old big with strong three-point volume in his young NBA career. He is a bit undersized for a center at 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, but has played the five plenty. Could he be a cheap Yabusele replacement competing with Bona and Broome for minutes?
Jordan McLaughlin: If the Sixers do not bring Butler back but want to add a competent ball-handler at the end of their bench, McLaughlin would be an interesting option. He is not an explosive playmaker, but a reliable table-setting point guard who rarely is out of his own depth.
Dalano Banton: Banton is another tall ball-handler -- and a player Nurse coached in Toronto. He briefly seemed to be emerging as a rotation-caliber player in Portland, but things took a turn for the worse. He profiles as a change-of-pace option at this juncture.
Paul Reed: The return of BBall Paul? Reed did not play a ton for the Pistons until he was suddenly important in the playoffs. Reed seemed ready to move on by the time the Sixers waived him to clear cap space last summer, so a return should not be expected.
Cameron Payne: Speaking of former Sixers, Payne was a very helpful piece for the Knicks in the regular season and then fell off a cliff in the playoffs. If he can sign with a team that will offer him consistent minutes, he will -- that is why he left the Sixers for New York last summer. The Sixers are not such a team right now.
Javonte Green: An extremely athletic wing defender, Green still does not have much offensive utility, limiting his value to a team. But the juice he can provide might become valuable a handful of times over the course of a long 82-game season.
Lamar Stevens: Perhaps a better version of that archetype is Stevens, a graduate of Roman Catholic with stellar defensive intensity on the wing. He has never grown into becoming a reliable shooter, but he still is a sensible target for the Sixers on a minimum deal.
Chuma Okeke: Okeke spent time with the Sixers last year on a pair of 10-day contracts and played well before heading to Cleveland and finishing the season with the Cavaliers. His team option for 2025-26 was predictably declined, so he is now a free agent. Okeke has ideal size on the wing, and if he makes enough open threes can be a useful contributor for a team.
Anthony Gill: Gill has spent the last five years in Washington, and has not played all that much for the Wizards. His 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame is what the Sixers might be looking for in a wing.
Kessler Edwards (restricted): Edwards is a long wing who was on a two-way deal with Dallas last year and became vital after the trade deadline as the Mavericks got wiped out by a brutal injury bug. Edwards would be the first Pepperdine product to play for the Sixers since Malcolm Thomas in 2014-15.
Torrey Craig: Craig finished the 2024-25 season in Boston and appeared to be a hit in the Celtics locker room. More important than being liked is being able to play, and Craig has shown signs of gas being left in the tank. He is a big wing that the Sixers could ask to eat up minutes at the four.
Chris Boucher: Another former Nurse disciple, the Sixers might sign Boucher just to ensure he can no longer put up season-best games against them. In all seriousness, Boucher is a unique player at his size and can conceivably play the four or five in various lineups.
Joe Ingles: Ingles spent last season in Minnesota, where he did not play a lot but was predictably a valuable component of the Timberwolves' strong chemistry. He probably does not have enough juice to warrant a signing beyond the hope of being that kind of locker room presence, and if the Sixers have one of those next season, it will be Lowry.
Lindy Waters III: Waters is a quality three-point shooter, but not quite enough of a wing to make tons of sense for the Sixers. He could emerge as a rotation regular if he has the right opportunity in the right situation. If he were just a few inches taller, the fit in Philadelphia would make more sense.
Thomas Bryant: Bryant and old friend Tony Bradley made up a backup center platoon for the Indiana Pacers during their run to the NBA Finals. Bryant has become a decent three-point shooter, adding a different dimension to his game.
Sandro Mamukelashvili: If the Sixers want to target a cheap stretch five, they could pursue Mamukelashvili. The Spurs need backup center help and could look to retain the 26-year-old, but perhaps they will be replacing Mamukelashvili with Yabusele. Try saying that five times in a row.
Bol Bol: It feels like the league is just as clueless as far as what to make of Bol now as it was when he fell in the draft. So far there has been little indication that a rotation contributor is somewhere there, but the tools remain tantalizing.
Jaxson Hayes: Hayes fits a traditional mold of a screen-setting, rim-running center that does not offer much else. It speaks volumes that he was the Los Angeles Lakers' only true big in the playoffs and they still tried to stay away from him, but he does have outlier athleticism at the position.
Mason Plumlee: The Sixers love passing bigs, and Plumlee is a center capable of making important reads with the ball in his hands. If he is not promised minutes and can be the team's third-string center behind Bona, the fit is sensible.
Taj Gibson: Gibson is another player who can probably only be signed if locker room leadership is a key part of the appeal at this point, and the Sixers will keep Lowry if they want a player like that.
Seth Curry: Curry was a very good Sixer and had a strong rapport with Embiid. His days of being a regular piece of an NBA team are likely behind him, but he is a viable depth guard.
Doug McDermott: McDermott has a somewhat similar skill set and a wing frame, which gives him a leg up over smaller players, even if he is not exactly a stopper.
Monte Morris: Arguably the best version of Butler's archetype is Morris, whose lone season in Phoenix was a disappointment. Him signing as a depth piece would have been inconceivable a year ago, but now? It is not impossible
Landry Shamet: Shamet had a brief moment for the Knicks in the playoffs; they tried playing the former Sixers first-round pick out of necessity. He can still get threes up at a high clip and make a decent number of them, and despite limited size and athleticism, he plays with great effort.
Delon Wright: Unlike the other guards listed earlier, Wright has enough size and defensive versatility to be playable against wings on occasion, even if it is not his optimal role. That is a point in his favor.
Marvin Bagley III: Best known for being picked way too early, Bagley is still an athletically gifted player who can rebound at an excellent rate. His younger brother, Marcus, finished last season with the Sixers on a pair of 10-day contracts.
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