The Philadelphia 76ers have been busy in the offseason as they were aggressive in free agency as well as in the trade market. The Sixers decided to bring in Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Ariel Hukporti at the outset of free agency and then swung for the fences by acquiring Jaylen Brown from the rival Boston Celtics.
A starting lineup of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, Wade, and Joel Embiid is one of the strongest in the league. Add in the possibility of adding a certain future Hall of Famer, and the Sixers will cement their status as true contenders and look to take down the defending champion New York Knicks.
Yahoo! Sports put together some NBA power rankings for the 2026-27 season by using a win projection model for the upcoming season. They ranked Philadelphia at No. 13 in the league:
The Sixers are another team where the model is more bearish than I am. Trading Paul George for Jaylen Brown certainly increases the talent level of the team. The fit may be a bit awkward though as Brown, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid try to work out a balance.
Philadelphia made some other nice moves on the margins. Dean Wade fills a huge need as a 3-and-D forward that is better than departed free agents Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre. Anfernee Simons was brought in on a below-market deal to provide shooting and scoring. And rookie Labaron Philon looks like he could contribute immediately as a savvy point guard with great handle.
This is still a shallow team though, particularly at center. That generally leads to fewer wins in the regular season but a higher playoff ceiling.
The Sixers are another team where the model is more bearish than I am. Trading Paul George for Jaylen Brown certainly increases the talent level of the team. The fit may be a bit awkward though as Brown, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid try to work out a balance.
Philadelphia made some other nice moves on the margins. Dean Wade fills a huge need as a 3-and-D forward that is better than departed free agents Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre. Anfernee Simons was brought in on a below-market deal to provide shooting and scoring. And rookie Labaron Philon looks like he could contribute immediately as a savvy point guard with great handle.
This is still a shallow team though, particularly at center. That generally leads to fewer wins in the regular season but a higher playoff ceiling.
Even without James, the Sixers should still be near the top of the league. The fit could be awkward at first, but coach Nick Nurse and Co. will figure out how to make it all work. Either way, the Sixers are talented and will be fighting their way to reach the mountaintop for the first time since 1983.
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