76ers Offseason Preview: Free Agency, Draft Assets and Joel Embiid’s Future

The Philadelphia 76ers have become Tyrese Maxey's team. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The 76ers had a changing of the guard during the 2025–26 campaign, and it will color everything they do moving forward. A roster built around veterans Joel Embiid and Paul George has shifted dramatically and is now led from the backcourt. Getting swept by the Knicks in the second round was a disappointing way to end the season, but Sixers fans should be excited about the future.

Philly earned the seventh seed in the East thanks to a 109–97 win over the Magic in the opening play-in game. The reward was facing a Celtics team buoyed by the return of Jayson Tatum. Buoyed by the return of Embiid, who was recovering from an appendectomy, the Sixers authored a miraculous comeback from down 3–1 that culminated in a Game 7 victory on the road. All that momentum was stopped cold against the Knicks, who dominated their second-round series.

Embiid only played 38 games this season as he battled several injuries. Meanwhile, George was on the court for 37 regular-season games, due to knee surgery recovery and a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. Those absences allowed the team’s lead guards to shine.

More: 76ers Season Grades—Evaluating Philadelphia’s Rollercoaster Year After Second-Round Sweep vs. Knicks

While he’s been evolving into a superstar over the past three seasons, Tyrese Maxey fully seized control of the team this season. He set career-highs in points (28.3), rebounds (4.1), assists (6.6), steals (1.9) and minutes per game (38.0). Meanwhile, rookie VJ Edgecombe established himself as a legit Robin to Maxey’s Batman. The No. 3 pick from the 2025 draft averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 35.0 minutes per game. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.

Maxey and Edgecombe’s emergence this season reinforced that Daryl Morey and the team’s front office should be focused on building around them and turning the page for the franchise.

76ers’ 2026 free agents

76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. is among the 76ers’ key players hitting free agency. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Sixers have a few free agents who impacted the team this season that they’ll have to make decisions on. Kyle Lowry plans to retire, so he’s off the board. Starter Kelly Oubre Jr. and key rotation guard Quentin Grimes are unrestricted free agents, and the team has decisions to make there. The issue is that Philadelphia will have no cap space to work with.

The massive money owed to Embiid ($58.1 million), George ($54.1 million) and Maxey ($40.8 million) will take up around $153 million next season. That likely leaves the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the taxpayer MLE available, depending on who they re-sign and for how much.

Unrestricted free agents

• Quentin Grimes
• Kelly Oubre Jr.
• Andrew Drummond
• Kyle Lowry

Team options

• Dominick Barlow
• Trendon Watford
• Dalen Terry

Restricted free agents

• MarJon Beauchamp
• Tyrese Martin

Barlow, Watford, Edwards, Adem Bona and Johni Broome are all signed, but none of them have guaranteed money on their deals. Other than the MLE and minimum contracts, there isn’t a whole lot Philadelphia can do unless it dumps one of its big contracts.

Draft assets

This is the one area in which the 76ers can improve their roster without costing themselves a ton of money. In December 2020, they sent their own first-rounder (No. 17) to the Thunder along with Al Horford, and the rights to Théo Maledon and Vasilije Micić, in exchange for Danny Green, Terrance Ferguson and Vincent Poirier. Luckily, they were able to regain a first-rounder when they sent Jared McCain to Oklahoma City for the No. 22 pick, plus a second-rounder in 2027, and two 2028 second-rounders.

McCain, who Philadelphia selected with the 16th pick in the 2024 draft, has shown flashes of serious upside with the Thunder, so it’s yet to be seen if this trade winds up being a good one. Given that McCain was firmly behind Edgecombe in the guard rotation, the deal made sense on paper.

That’s all the Sixers have right now, as they also shipped their second-rounder (No. 47) to the Thunder in 2021, and it now belongs to the Suns.

They do own their first-rounder and three second-rounders in the 2027 draft.

Joel Embiid’s future and other possible offseason moves

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has struggled to stay on the court over the past three seasons. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The issue hanging over the 76ers is Embiid. The former MVP is under contract for three more years at around $188 million, with the third year being a player option for $67.3 million. He’s 32 and has only played 96 regular-season games over the past three years.

When he was on the court this season, he was effective, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 blocks in 31.6 minutes per game. He’s no longer the dominant, game-wrecking big man he was from 2020 through ‘24, but he can be effective if he can stay on the floor. That's a big “if” these days. In the postseason, he showed flashes of the all-around game that made him a star, but his inability to stay healthy and make consistent contributions is an issue.

George has only managed to see the floor for 78 games during his two seasons in Philadelphia. He has battled injuries and a long suspension and hasn’t played up to his contract when he has been active. This season, he averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals in 30.7 minutes per game. He is scheduled to make $54.1 million next season and holds a player option for the 2027–28 campaign for $56.6 million, which he is all but certain to pick up.

Given that the team is set to be run by Maxey and Edgecombe for the foreseeable future, Philadelphia’s best hope would be finding a trade partner for Embiid and/or George. Finding a taker for one or both of them would open things up tremendously, even if the Sixers had to take back a bad expiring contract. That could free up cap space for next summer. As of now, they’re pretty stuck unless they can find cost-effective trades.

Morey & Co. have a decision to make this summer. They can either go all-in for another run built around this group and hope Embiid and George can stay healthy, or try to blow it up and rebuild around their emerging backcourt duo.

What they do this summer will determine the future of the franchise in the short and long term.

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