How 76ers’ Trade With Clippers Gives Team Incredible Flexibility, Even After Jaylen Brown, LeBron James Moves

The 76ers bought themselves some roster flexibility on Tuesday.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Philadelphia traded forward Johni Broome and a second-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for cash considerations. The deal will keep the Sixers below the first and second aprons even after acquiring LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Broome was the 35th pick in the 2025 NBA draft, but was limited to 11 games as a rookie last season and tore the meniscus in his right knee in February. The 24-year-old averaged 0.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 5.0 minutes per game during NBA action, but in 18 G League appearances he averaged 22.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks in 33.2 minutes per game. Broome has some upside, with the profile of a solid rebounder, a high-IQ defender and a good passer for a big man.

While Broome might have been a solid long-term rotation piece, by moving his $2.15 million salary for next season, Philly put itself in a much more flexible situation moving forward. Trading him opened a roster spot to add Caldwell-Pope and also kept them below the first apron ($209 million), with a total salary mark at $207.3 million, just above the $200 luxury tax mark.

Philadelphia 76ers Johni Broome poses for a photo during media day. — Johni Broome is on the move after playing limited minutes for the 76ers as a rookie in 2025–26. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Sixers will not be hard-capped at the first apron moving forward, can receive players in sign-and-trade deals and can use the full mid-level exception. While the latter two issues likely won’t matter this offseason, the first could. It means they have the ability to add players with bigger salaries if a trade becomes available.

Before landing James, Philadelphia imported Brown’s massive $57.1 million salary for next season, which hurt its cap sheet. They then made a few smart additions. They split their $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception between Dean Wade ($9 million) and Anfernee Simons ($6 million), then used their bi-annual exception to ink Knicks big man Ariel Hukporti to a one-year, $3.4 million deal. Those were all cost-effective additions that didn’t hurt the team's bottom line.

After releasing Dalen Terry and trading Broome, the Sixers were able to add James officially for $3.9 million this year as part of his two-year, $8 million deal. Caldwell-Pope will also sign a one-year, $3.9 million deal, but only $2.4 million of that will count against the salary cap as a veteran’s minimum deal.

Philadelphia’s roster looks formidable on paper. James and Brown have been added to a starting lineup that already includes Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. Now, Wade, Simons, and Caldwell-Pope are in, plus first-rounder Labaron Philon Jr., third-year forward Justin Edwards and backup center Adem Bona.

It’s a deep group and the fact that the franchise was able to put it together while remaining clear of the first apron is an enviable piece of accounting work. It now has the ability to see how this roster works together and go make a move if it needs to. That’s a freedom Eastern Conference contenders like the Cavaliers and Knicks can’t currently match.

President of basketball opertaions Mike Gansey has done excellent work this offseason.

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