TITLE: Philadelphia 76ers Enter 2026 Offseason with New Front Office and Uncertain Big-Three Future
SLUG: philadelphia-76ers-2026-offseason-preview
CONTENT:
The Philadelphia 76ers head into the 2026 offseason after an unexpectedly solid 2025-26 campaign, a major change in their basketball operations leadership, and lingering questions about the viability of carrying three maximum-salary contracts.
Season Recap
Philadelphia opened 2025-26 as one of only two NBA teams—Cleveland was the other—paying three players at the max. Preseason expectations were muted following a 24-58 record in 2024-25 and persistent health concerns surrounding veterans Joel Embiid and Paul George, who had combined for just 60 appearances the previous year before each underwent knee surgery (Embiid in April, George in July). The pair was set to earn $107 million of the club’s roughly $195 million payroll.
Even though both stars remained in and out of the lineup, the Sixers finished 45-37. Embiid doubled his games played total from 19 to 38 and looked far sharper than a season earlier. George appeared in 37 contests; his longest absence—25 games—was a league suspension for violating the anti-drug policy, not an injury. He was productive upon returning.
Backcourt Breakthroughs
The most significant development came in the backcourt. Tyrese Maxey posted career bests, averaging 28.3 points and an NBA-leading 38.0 minutes per game. The 25-year-old earned a second All-Star selection and his first All-NBA nod, firmly establishing himself as the franchise’s cornerstone.
Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, selected third overall in the 2025 draft, started 75 games and averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Philadelphia was fortunate to draft him at all; the team entered the lottery with just a 64 percent chance of retaining its top-six-protected pick and ultimately rose into the top three.
Behind Maxey and Edgecombe, the Sixers secured the No. 7 seed via the play-in tournament, upset No. 2 Boston in the first round and bowed out to New York in the conference semifinals.
Front Office Overhaul
The playoff run did not save Daryl Morey. Ownership dismissed the president of basketball operations, citing poorly aging long-term deals for Embiid and George and a criticized trade that sent 2024 first-round pick Jared McCain to Oklahoma City for the 2026 No. 22 pick and several future second-rounders. McCain quickly flourished with the defending champion Thunder, and Morey’s “selling high” remark after the deadline drew additional backlash.
Veteran Cavaliers executive Mike Gansey has been hired to head basketball operations, with former Warriors general manager Bob Myers—now the organization’s “president of sports”—expected to assist on major personnel calls.
Offseason Outlook
League rules that penalize high-spending clubs above the tax aprons have made it increasingly difficult to keep three max-level players, leading Denver and Phoenix to break up similar cores last summer. Philadelphia could explore a comparable path, but Maxey is off the table, and Embiid and George did not play enough in 2025-26 to fully rebuild their trade value.
Gansey and Myers must now determine whether incremental moves or a larger restructuring offer the best route to building around the burgeoning duo of Maxey and Edgecombe.
Source: Hoops Rumors
