Sixers offseason preview: Free-agency priorities, front-office hires and the futures of Joel Embiid and Paul George

The 76ers are set to enter an offseason that they hope will set the stage for several transformational summers. After the firing of team president Daryl Morey, they will be on the hunt for a new lead executive to handle day-to-day decisions. In the years to follow, they will likely focus on building around the dynamic backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

But in the interim, they have to deal with the realities of a top-heavy roster centered around two aging stars who have struggled to stay on the court. Joel Embiid and Paul George are owed $300 million over the next couple of years and there isn’t much getting around that. Or is there? We asked our experts if the Sixers have any chance of starting with a clean slate in the near future, who their biggest free-agent priority should be this summer, and more. Here are the Sixers’ four most pressing questions.

Gina Mizell, Sixers beat reporter: Not this offseason. If George can build on his strong finish and carry that into next season, it is possible he could command interest at the trade deadline. But that is more likely to occur this time next year, when he (finally) becomes an expiring contract.

Embiid’s contract, meanwhile, is even more difficult to move. He was bullish that he expects to play more next season because he believes that he and the medical/training staff have figured out how to manage his knee. And if that’s the case, how do the Sixers strike a style of play that caters to Embiid’s presence and the guards’ dynamic speed and athleticism?

Gabriela Carroll, Sports trending writer: Yes and no. Embiid is just a very hard player to trade, and with him still on the roster, the Sixers are naturally incapable of fully refocusing on Maxey and Edgecombe. That said, Edgecombe’s development over the next few seasons is the single most important factor in the Sixers’ long-term potential, and they should treat it as such.

David Murphy, Sports columnist: If we’re talking about moving on from Embiid, then there is no realistic avenue. That’s if we assume a basic level of competence on the part of the NBA’s other 29 front offices. To move Embiid, the Sixers would need to attach significant draft capital that they would then be unable to use to build around Maxey and Edgecombe. They are more likely to find a palatable deal for George, but that is a long shot, too.

In all likelihood, the youth movement will need to begin with George and Embiid still in the fold. That means prioritizing Edgecombe as a primary scorer and running the offense through him as the 1b to Maxey, even when Embiid is available to play.

Mizell: Figuring out a way to navigate the three-max-player conundrum is the obvious answer, but, as noted, it might not be immediately solvable. So perhaps it’s creatively building some depth that can both foster the development of Maxey and Edgecombe and alleviate a smidgen of their heavy minutes loads. Bob Myers acknowledged this during his news conference, saying, “The truth is, depth may be more important than it’s ever been.”

» READ MORE: Which Sixers Should Stay or Go? Swipe and decide.

Carroll: Shoring up the depth. Maxey and Edgecombe played massive minutes last season, and Nick Nurse tightened up the rotation even further in the playoffs. Depth separates the good from the elite, and the Sixers’ lack of depth stood out in a major way against the Knicks.

Murphy: Stock up on whiskey? The immediate priority is figuring out what to do with the No. 22 pick in June’s draft. Pretty granular, but also a lens through which to view the bigger, sexier questions. Morey valued the pick first and foremost as a potential trade chip. That could be an indication that Sixers scouts viewed the actual draft talent in that range as “meh.” Or, it could indicate the opposite, which is why Morey thought the pick would have good trade value. Who knows?

The important thing is for the new guy to figure out the overall blueprint and timeline for contending with Maxey and Edgecombe in the post-Embiid/George era. I don’t think there will be any thought of trading Maxey because of concerns about fit. It would’ve made more sense to keep Morey around to do that dirty work. The long-term blueprint is a strong multiposition defense on the wings and a rim-running, rim-protecting center. The timeline is a serious window of contention beginning in the summer of 2028, when George is off the books, Embiid is entering the final season of his contract, Edgecombe is extension eligible, and Maxey will be heading into his 28-year-old season, the last on his current contract.

Unless the Sixers can deal No. 22 for a more valuable pick in the future, they’d be wise to take a hard look at multidimensional bigs Zuby Ejiofor (St. John’s) and Morez Johnson (Michigan). Johnson probably won’t be on the board at No. 22, but Ejiofor is currently projected as an early second-round pick. You wouldn’t have to sell me hard at all at scooping him up well before then.

Mizell: I’ll go with Oubre, who arguably has played the most impactful basketball of his career with the Sixers. His wing length and athleticism are coveted across the league, and he has made a concerted effort to play more under control with the ball in his hands and to become a more efficient shooter.

If Grimes departs, it would be unfortunate for the Sixers to go from a surplus of enticing young guards to losing Jared McCain and Grimes in less than a year. But after last summer’s restricted free agency saga, Grimes was inconsistent as the sixth man this season and, other than a terrific Game 5 in Boston, was not good enough during the playoffs.

Carroll: Oubre was more consistent over the course of the year, and is one of the best unrestricted free agents available on the market. He shot a career-best 36% from three, something the Sixers struggled with last year. Of those two, the Sixers should prioritize Oubre, but there’s a version of the offseason that is successful even if they bring back neither.

Murphy: Neither. The Sixers need to be realistic about their chances of contending next season. They don’t have a viable path to a top-four seed unless Embiid and George transform into the players they were three years ago. They’d be much better off keeping their options open in the other direction.

With the rise of the Hawks, Raptors, and Hornets, and the return of the Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton, and the lurking Heat, the Sixers could easily wind up as one of the five worst teams in the East without an explicit tank. Factor in the potential rise of the Mavericks and Jazz in the West, and the Sixers could end up with the eighth- or ninth-best lottery odds in a year where they own their own pick. Grimes would be the pick if both players were willing to re-sign at their current salaries. But it’d be silly for the Sixers to overpay for a player in order to become slightly more competitive this season.

Mizell: Ah, the decade-long question. The Sixers are in need of more traditional size, whether it’s at power forward or center. Andre Drummond also is a free agent, and could be seeking a more defined role than his fluctuating one in 2025-26. If Adem Bona returns (his contract becomes fully guaranteed July 7), he needs to make significant strides with his fundamentals and in cutting down on foolish fouls. To provide an early scan of the open market, some big men who will be unrestricted free agents include Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams III, Nikola Vučević, Kristaps Porziņģis, Jusuf Nurkić, John Collins, and Rui Hachimura.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid’s future is a secondary concern for the Sixers compared to VJ Edgecombe’s

Carroll: Pre-NCAA Tournament, picking a player like Michigan Wolverines star Aday Mara in the draft seemed like the easiest solution to the Sixers’ backup center issue, but he played himself into the lottery. The Sixers should look for a rebounder in the draft, even if it comes in the form of a power forward like Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr., or Arizona’s Koa Peat. The other option could be to spend big money on someone like Knicks backup Mitchell Robinson or Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein.

Murphy: Kind of a hybrid of my last two answers. Makes no sense to worry about Embiid’s backup at this point. The next time they are relevant, the question will be about Embiid’s replacement. They’ll eventually be able to find the guy they need if they build the rest of the roster right.