Nick Nurse discusses Sixers’ ‘really good’ offseason, next steps for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and more

LAS VEGAS — Nick Nurse’s view entering the 76ers’ offseason was similar to the outside consensus — that his team did not have much financial “wiggle room” with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George all on max contracts.

Then the Sixers pulled off the stunning blockbuster trade for All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown. They surrounded that big swing with complementary moves, adding Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Ariel Hukporti in free agency and drafting Labaron Philon Jr. The Sixers are now among the threats in a deep Eastern Conference.

“Sitting here right now,” Nurse told a small group of reporters from a Las Vegas hotel Saturday, “I think, obviously, we’ve had a really good summer so far. … It was some good teamwork, some good maneuvers.

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“I’d like to think we got better at several positions: younger, faster, depth, shooting, rebounding. There [were] a lot of areas to address, and I think we addressed some of them.”

One giant potential free-agency domino could still fall, of course, if all-timer LeBron James chooses to sign with the Sixers. Nurse did not comment on that possibility, since he does not hold the front office’s role in recruitment and negotiation. Bob Myers, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s president, already made his pitch as a guest on Game Over podcast hosted by James’ agent, Rich Paul.

Nurse, though, lauded the early collaboration with new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, saying he could “feel a good organizational blueprint” entering the offseason. The coach has long been impressed by Brown’s versatility on both ends of the floor, his year-by-year improvement, and his winning resume as an NBA champion and Finals MVP.

“He’s sitting in his prime,” Nurse said of Brown. “It’s amazing that he’s going to be a Sixer.”

Now Brown joins the dynamic backcourt of Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, along with the 2023 MVP (though oft-injured) Embiid. The goal is for this configuration of top-end talent to be healthy enough to gain consistency — Embiid, Maxey, and George played only 36 games together in two seasons — while building enough depth “to have some more gas in the tank to make a longer [postseason] run.”

After a thrilling comeback to upset the Boston Celtics in the first round, the Sixers were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. Nurse acknowledged he “pushed all the chips in [for] Game 2 in New York,” and that it was difficult to rebound after they lost that down-to-the-wire matchup.

“It’s a hell of a lot longer tournament than one round,” said Nurse, who won the 2019 NBA title with the Toronto Raptors. “ … We were tired as hell Game 1 [in New York]. We were spinning from that. They were on a heater of beyond proportions, and it was like, ‘We’ve got to knock them off this heater,’ and Game 2 was our chance to do it.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t make enough shots in the fourth quarter, because they were wide open. … The gas tank was pretty low. We just need some more depth. We need a little bit more experience. We need to not be totally drained out of that after one round.”

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Here are three more takeaways from the wide-ranging offseason conversation with Nurse.

Nurse reiterated that he would not hesitate to immediately insert Philon into the rotation, a belief rewarded by the crafty guard’s terrific start to Summer League play. He totaled 24 points and six assists in the Sixers’ overtime win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday afternoon at Cox Pavilion, after compiling 18 points and seven assists in Thursday’s opening win over the Detroit Pistons.

“I just feel like he’s talented enough,” Nurse said. “I think we liked him enough as a staff. … I think he’s going this direction [up] quickly. I think he’s got some confidence to him that I don’t think he’ll be afraid. I think he’ll make the most of the opportunity.”

Nurse offered similar (and warranted) trust in Edgecombe to become a Day 1 starter last season, and in then-rookie Jared McCain to instantly contribute before his 2024 knee surgery.

Wade, meanwhile, is what Nurse called an “opportunity scorer” and, more importantly, a rebounder and versatile defender at 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds. Hukporti’s addition means a competition with Adem Bona for the backup center job — which becomes a starting role when Embiid is sidelined — is “all in play, as of now,” Nurse said. The coach also believes Simons, in addition to his high-volume shooting, can handle the ball and play in the pick and roll.

“We may be a touch small at times [or] whatever,” Nurse said of the guard group. “But I’ll certainly take the speed and athleticism. Then it’s just up to our staff to put them in the right spot.”

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Though Brown has become the Sixers’ flashy offseason addition, much of their present and future will be fueled by Maxey, an All-NBA third-team selection last season, and Edgecombe, who finished third on a terrific NBA Rookie of the Year ballot.

When asked where Edgecombe can most develop in his second NBA season, Nurse highlighted extending his three-point range — he connected on 35.4% of his 5.6 attempts, but had a knack for crunch-time makes — to provide more spacing for teammates. Nurse also wants to see Edgecombe progress toward becoming a lockdown perimeter defender, and to go coast-to-coast more frequently when he gets the ball in transition.

“Instead of two of those a game,” Nurse said, “I’d like to see 10. Or at least try. I just think there’s a little bit more pace he can add to his game offensively.”

For Maxey, Nurse again emphasized the midrange game between his explosive drives to the basket and deep three-pointers.

“He’s got that in his game,” Nurse said of Maxey, who ranked fifth in the league in scoring last season (28.3 points per game). “He’s just so good at the other stuff [that] he doesn’t hardly ever get put in those positions. But I think it’s an area of growth for him.”

At Embiid’s end-of-season news conference, he expressed optimism that the Sixers’ medical and training staff had “figured out” how to manage his knee following multiple surgeries. He expects that will make him more available after logging 96 total games the past three seasons. Last month, Myers reiterated that Embiid had no procedures scheduled, allowing him to spend more time on basketball work.

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When Nurse was asked Saturday if he shared Embiid’s optimism that the big man will be able to play more in 2026-27, Nurse said, “I do” but did not elaborate much further.

“I think that he’s feeling pretty good,” Nurse said. “I think he’s working pretty hard right now. So I do think I share his optimism.”