Three Players Whose Sixers Futures Are Up in the Air

The Sixers go into the summer of 2026 with three unrestricted free agents from the core of their rotation. Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond were all on contracts for more than the league minimum this season. Their departures would represent the biggest opportunities for change in the Sixers' roster come free agency.

Do they have futures with the Sixers?

Oubre

"Yeah, I love it here. Of course," Oubre said when asked about his interest in a second return to the franchise on Sunday.

But it seemed quite obvious that Oubre is interested in redeeming his value on the open market after years of playing for what he perceives as being below his worth.

"But I feel like this is not my first rodeo. I've averaged 20 points in this league. Still found myself barely getting any contracts. But at the end of the day, I've learned so much. The game of basketball has reinvented itself to me through different lenses and different eyes throughout my tenure here. I'm forever appreciative for the opportunity to play for this city. Obviously I don't like how it ended, so I always say I like to finish what I start. This is a bit sour for me," Oubre said.

Oubre then went on to separate himself from whatever journey awaits him this summer.

But at the end of the day, man, it's already written. God already has it written up upstairs. It's just going to follow through. So I hope I did myself a good service by being more efficient, slowing down and just playing better overall basketball. Just continue to grow as a human being and as a player. So it's already written and we'll see where the chips fall," he said.

Oubre may be waiting for God's plan to unfold, but his family will be a priority in determining what's next.

"Somewhere where I'm loved. Somewhere where my family can be comfortable. I have a family now, so it's not like I'm thinking for myself and being able to do spontaneous stuff. So I just want my kids to have somewhere that they can call 'home'," Oubre said of what he will prioritize on the market this summer.

"I'm going to go out there, I'm going to grind. I'm going to put my hard hat on and go to work. But what I do is for my family and I just want them to be able to just be stable somewhere and to not have to worry about anything when it comes to their lives being uprooted and figuring out things on the fly. I want my kids to grow in a stable environment, in a place where they are wanted. Like I said, though, it's already written and I'm ready for whatever."

Verdict: It was a good three-year run for a great value find in free agency during the height of the James Harden trade saga. But Oubre is clearly in the mood for a robust payday and long-term stability. The Sixers haven't operated like a team that would be flexible enough with their cap sheet to offer that. Sunday felt like the end.

Grimes

The Sixers' sixth man described his season on the qualifying offer as "solid". That is more or less a realistic descriptor. He certainly wasn't the player whose camp thought he was worth $30 million annually last summer.

When asked to talk about his upcoming free agency in two different questions at his exit interview on Sunday, Grimes claimed he had not thought about free agency yet. That seems difficult to believe considering he used every last second of the offseason to accept the qualifying offer.

Verdict: Given his utility as a bench guard, identity as a spark plug scorer and age, it would not be surprising if the Sixers re-upped him on a balloon deal for the purpose of having tradable salary at the 2027 deadline. But he is not the player they should want to be committed to on a long-term pact. If someone else offers that and more of an on-ball role, adios.

Drummond

The proud rebounder was not asked to discuss his upcoming free agency at exit interviews on Sunday. But even in a much better season than his first year in return to Philadelphia, Drummond's warts were obvious.

Verdict: The Sixers' best player is a center who needs to be deployed mostly in drop coverage. Having Drummond as a primary backup to play the exact same style and offer none of the skills Joel Embiid has became pointless. You need a stretch big to open the floor when Embiid is out so that you can more efficiently play through Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers need a big who can step into coverage and guard in space. Drummond should get a contract somewhere, but his services aren't paramount in Philadelphia.

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