Why the Sixers Could Have the Inside Track to Sandro Mamukelashvili

If the Cleveland Cavaliers' recent roster history is any indicator, Sixers new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey may have a path to landing one of the more intriguing fits when free agency opens on Tuesday.

Apr 29, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) celebrates his three-point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the third quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The NBA is a money-first enterprise. Always and forever.

But the business of relationships is a close second fiddle.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers' recent roster history is any indicator, Sixers new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey may have a path to landing one of the more intriguing fits when free agency opens on Tuesday.

Sandro Mamukelashvili's agent is George Roussakis of Priority Sports & Entertainment. Mark Bartelstein, of course, is one of the highest-profile faces of Priority Sports. It turns out the Cavaliers have a long recent history with Priority Sports.

Let's review.

• Thomas Bryant and Larry Nance Jr. were Cavaliers last season.

• José Calderón, a Bartelstein client, is currently a special advisor for the Cavaliers.

• The Cavaliers acquired Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, Bartelstein clients, ahead of this past season's trade deadline.

• Cleveland traded for Caris LeVert while Gansey was an assistant general manager with the franchise.

• Former Sixer Georges Niang signed with the Cavaliers as a free agent in 2023.

• The Cavaliers drafted Dylan Windler in 2019, during Gansey's time as the Cavaliers' assistant general manager.

Mamukelashvili has a player option for $2.8 million this summer. He will almost certainly decline it to test the free agency waters. John Hollinger's BORD$ valuation model projects Mamukelashvili to be worth $19.4 million.

We'll see if that model holds up, but that's within shouting distance of the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, a resource to which the Sixers have access. None of this is to suggest that Roussakis and Mamukelashvili will be open to taking a discount. But who's to say that Hollinger's model is pinpoint accurate?

After all, Mamukelashvili had his breakout season after four years of being a deep bench reserve. This is not a situation where the player has a rich track record that should make teams eager to fork over that much money.

Mamukelashvili is a tad undersized for the center position, but he has the mass to be a prominent power forward. The real intrigue is that he shot 39% on 3.7 3s per game this past season. He'd be a well-fitting stretch big for Philadelphia, with the aptitude to actually space the floor out of primary and secondary actions.

There may be a better idea of what the Sixers are thinking in the coming days, if they spend money early in free agency. But Mamukelashvili profiles as a strong target for them.

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