Five Sixers roster curiosities entering the 2025-26 season, including the big three and a guard logjam

After the 76ers drafted VJ Edgecombe third overall in June, the offseason turned quiet for them. Even quieter with Quentin Grimes’ restricted free agency continuing to linger into September.

That has prompted some outside frustration — or apathy — about the roster for the 2025-26 season. The disenchantment is understandable, given the Sixers are coming off a woeful 24-58 season. The run-it-back approach also was a virtual necessity, since they remain locked into multiyear, max contracts for Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.

» READ MORE: Sixers guard Jared McCain is ‘on pace’ to be ready for training camp

Yet the Sixers also are banking that getting healthy means getting back to competitive status — perhaps contender status, which they held this time a year ago. That means several “returning” lineups and player combinations will still feel new, given the lack of in-game experience last season. The Sixers also have subtracted one significant contributor (Guerschon Yabusele), and added a couple of new faces besides Edgecombe who will compete for rotation minutes.

Here are five roster curiosities heading into the season.

When George signed with the Sixers last summer, coach Nick Nurse highlighted the ideal “1-3-5” star fit at point guard (Maxey), wing (George) and center (Embiid). Maxey had just made his first All-Star team in 2023-24. George had just been an All-Star for the ninth time, and played in 74 games. Embiid, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player, had just won a gold medal with Team USA after undergoing knee surgery earlier in the year.

Then, those three logged only 294 minutes across 15 games together in 2024-25.

So, how much will they actually play together in the upcoming season? And, as 30-somethings with injury history, how much juice do Embiid and/or George actually have left? Does Embiid flash glimpses of his dominance in early 2024, when he was scoring more than a point a minute while establishing a lethal two-man game with Maxey? Will George look like the two-way stalwart, or the player who struggled to explode past defenders and to the basket?

Those questions cannot be answered in early September. A cautious approach — scheduled games off, minutes restrictions, etc. — with both players heading into and throughout the regular season would be understandable. Perhaps required.

That would again affect the Sixers’ ability to build on-court chemistry and timing before a theoretical return to the playoffs. Yet even a noticeable improvement in availability would take a needed load off Maxey, who shouldered far too much last season before being shut down due to his own finger injury that severely hampered his shooting ability.

But right now it is unclear, at best, if that 1-3-5 star fit will ever approach Nurse’s original vision.

The Sixers’ long-term future lies in the backcourt with Maxey, Edgecombe, and Jared McCain. Add Grimes to that group for at least the upcoming season, assuming he takes his qualifying offer or he and the Sixers finally agree on a new deal.

That means the Sixers are expected to deploy a significant dose of smaller, three-guard lineups. McCain and Grimes both demonstrated they can add some lead-guard responsibility to their scoring pop, allowing Maxey to play some off the ball. McCain’s and Maxey’s defensive limitations can be countered by Grimes’ and Egdecombe’s prowess on that end of the floor. And Edgecombe can use this early development period to work on his ballhandling and playmaking behind the scenes, while freely unleashing the athletic and disruption tools that shot him up draft boards.

The bigger immediate question might be who among that group closes games. Edgecombe is the easy answer for the odd man out, at least initially. Still, this is not exactly a bad problem to have.

It is also worth pondering how these guard-heavy lineups could impact the more traditional wings such as veteran Kelly Oubre Jr., who has turned into a starting staple for the Sixers during the last two seasons.

Yabusele’s NBA revitalization — he averaged 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while playing in 70 games on a veteran minimum contract — was one of the few bright spots of the Sixers’ dreadful season.

He’s now a member of the New York Knicks. Who replaces him? In the starting lineup, the ideal answer might be nobody, paving the way for a three-guard group (or Oubre at small forward), along with George at power forward and Embiid in the middle. Of course, assuming such a scenario will consistently unfold is unwise.

» READ MORE: Five predictions for the Sixers’ 2025-26 season

Enter Trendon Watford and Jabari Walker, two forwards who don’t quite fit the same profile as Yabusele.

Watford has intriguing skills as an offense initiator for his position, and happens to be one of Maxey’s closest friends. Walker, who is regarded as a steal on a two-way contract, does the high-energy dirty work and is a strong rebounder. Neither player is the consistent outside shooter that Yabusele is, but they have focused on improving that aspect of their game to better fit the modern NBA.

The Sixers also added Dominick Barlow on a two-way deal during the summer league.

Two other positives amid the dreadful 2024-25 season were Justin Edwards and Adem Bona, who took advantage of unexpectedly heavy minutes during their rookie seasons. How will they build on that, in what the Sixers hope will be more complementary roles?

Edwards, who impressed with his instant knack to do the right thing with the ball, has the frame to play either forward spot and the willingness to take on challenging perimeter defensive assignments. Bona is a high-flying athlete with a developing offensive game, and may need to step up as Embiid’s backup.

Bona’s role could depend on the availability — and productivity — of Andre Drummond. The veteran struggled with a significant toe injury much of last season and, even when he was on the floor, rarely looked like the stout backup to Embiid in 2021-22. A similar sentiment surrounds Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon, who are at the end of successful careers and looked their age for the majority of last season.

All three players are back with the Sixers. Will their bodies allow them to bring anything more than locker-room and on-the-bench leadership?

The Sixers waived Ricky Council IV in July, opening up a roster spot.

That is not an uncommon strategy for teams at this point in the calendar. It allows the Sixers to add a player for needed depth at a certain spot, or take back an additional player in a trade without needing to waive somebody currently on the roster.

How — and when — will they fill it? Stay tuned.