2023-24 record: 47-35; lost in first round
Added: F Paul George (four years, $212M) G Eric Gordon (two years, $6.7M); C Andre Drummond (two years, $10M); F Caleb Martin (four years, $35M); G Reggie Jackson (one year, $3.3.M); G Jared McCain (first round, 16th pick); F David Jones (two-way); 2031 second-round pick (acquired from Dallas)
Lost: F Tobias Harris (signed with Detroit); F Nicolas Batum (signed with Clippers); F De’Anthony Melton (signed with Golden State); C Paul Reed (waived); G/F Buddy Hield (sign-and-trade to Golden State); F/C Mo Bamba (signed with Clippers)
Retained: G Tyrese Maxey (five years, $204M); F Kelly Oubre (two years, $16.3M); G Kyle Lowry (one year, $3.3M); F Kenyon Martin Jr. (two years, $16M); G Jeff Dowtin (two-way)
Extended: None
Returning from injury: None
The skinny: I’m doing it again! I’m falling for the Daryl Morey Carnivale! He does his Wizard of Odds thing, and I swoon like a Swiftie at an Eras Tour concert. And, here I am again, after the Sixers persuaded George to come back east to take a run at it with Joel Embiid and Maxey and yet another retooled supporting cast. At least I’m not giving Philly the top spot in the offseason, like I did in 2020 (when they hired Morey and Doc Rivers) or in 2022 (when they signed Melton from Memphis and P.J. Tucker from Milwaukee and extended James Harden for two years and $68 million. Good times.) But it’s close.
And yet, I still remember what Embiid said after the Sixers were eliminated by the Knicks in the first round, when he was asked about the summer to come, with Philly sitting on $50 million in cap space.
“Every single year, it’s always been, one person comes in, and then the following year, they’re gone,” Embiid said then. “The same thing kept happening the last few years. … All of (the recent 76ers’ teams) lasted one year. That’s the problem. Who won (in 2022-23)? Denver. … Jamal (Murray), Nikola (Jokić), they’ve been together for, what, eight years, something like that, seven? You look at some of the teams that have won. Golden State Warriors. They have been together for a long time. I don’t remember the last time you just put a team together and hope that it worked out for one year.”
So, is this built to last — especially with both Embiid’s and the 34-year-old George’s injury histories? Can Caleb Martin recreate his big postseason moments in Miami, replacing Batum? Can McCain break into the rotation? Will Oubre continue to provide the jump he did last season on a prove-it deal?
I don’t know. I’m too busy looking at the shiny watch Morey just pulled out of his pocket.
