Top 3 Priorities for Philadelphia 76ers During 2026 NBA Offseason
So ends another Philadelphia 76ers season. It was at times riveting, frequently frustrating, more than occasionally confusing, and relative to preseason doomsdayists, kind of a success(?).
The question now, on the heels of getting spanked swept by the New York Knicks in Round 2, is simple but salient: Where do they go from here?
We know they need depth, lest head coach Nick Nurse play Tyrese Maxey into vanishing cartilage. But where must it come? Better yet, how aggressive will (and should) they be about getting it?
Critical offseason decisions abound. Though Maxey and VJ Edgecombe give the Sixers their backcourt of the present and future, nothing else is settled after them.
Clarity is currency in the NBA. Philly needs to acquire some.
3. Hash Out the Futures of Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes
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Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes are entering unrestricted free agency this summer. Both of them could be in line for raises from their sub-$9 million salaries.
That is problematic for the, shall we say, financially conscious Sixers. They enter the offseason about $18.2 million below the luxury-tax line. This does not include new deals for Grimes or Oubre or the salary of the No. 22 pick.
Philly is facing an either-or proposition if it's unwilling (yet again) to pay the tax. Oubre probably looms as the higher priority in that case, purely out of positional need.
In the event entering the tax isn't a deal-breaker, the Sixers still need to answer the question of how much both players are worth, and whether they're the right fit for what comes next. Grimes in particular profiles to be a divisive figure.
Shelling out even non-taxpayer mid-level money ($15 million) could be seen as a turnoff when he's playing behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and even though Philly ranked in the 89th percentile of points allowed per possession with the trio playing together, the long-term viability of that look remains in question.
Then again, letting either Grimes or Oubre walk for nothing isn't the best asset management. So if the Sixers aren't bent on paying them, they should be trying to facilitate sign-and-trades with squads who do.
2. Acquire At Least 1 Properly Sized Wing
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VJ Edgecombe's defensive intensity has shored up a big chunk of Philly's perimeter defense. Standing 6'4", though, he shouldn't be saddled with guarding power wings.
The same goes for the 6'4" Quentin Grimes, assuming he's even back. Justin Edwards has the size, at 6'7", but isn't a high-end enough option at either end of the floor.
Paul George should not have to sponge up too many of these reps going into his age-36 season unless the plan is give him another 25 games off around February. Kelly Oubre Jr. is not that guy. Dominick Barlow's malleability should be a tool in the belt, not the engine powering defensive hopes.
Philly seems to be aware of all this. It may have checked in on Kawhi Leonard's availability at the trade deadline. Whether the Sixers revisit that over the offseason, their interest speaks to how tightly their hands are tied.
Meaningfully beefing up the wing rotation probably isn't happening via free agency. Pickings are slim, and Philly won't have the non-taxpayer mid-level to spend unless it cuts ties with Grimes and Oubre or sheds salary elsewhere. Viewing the draft as a lifeline is equally difficult when the Sixers will be selecting in the 20s.
Trades aren't an easy solution, either. The Sixers do not have any middle-of-the-pack expendable salaries. Absent a sign-and-trade scenario using Oubre or Grimes, they'll have to take a bigger swing.
Are they prepared to go that route? Could they finagle a package for a mid-tier option (Tari Eason (restricted), Herb Jones, Naji Marshall), using sign-and-trade permutations? Can they afford to sign someone like Dean Wade or Spencer Jones (restricted) outright?
A lot hinges on how Philly approaches what should be its top priority.
1. Pick a Lane
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The Sixers' top offseason priority is more existential than a singular gap or dilemma. They need to pick a timeline and then map out how they plan to follow it.
Do they legitimately hope to be in the contender's mix next season? If so, are they building their roster while planning to have Joel Embiid full-time? Part-time? Less? The same question applies to Paul George.
If climbing the competitive ladder is the immediate goal, are the Sixers prepared to transact like it? Or will they pearl-clutch future first-rounders and perpetuate their nauseating annual tradition of cowering in fear of negligibly impacting Josh Harris' net worth?
Is the organization actually more concerned with the bigger picture following the emergence of VJ Edgecombe alongside Tyrese Maxey? What does that look like? Can they move Embiid or George for value? More imminent cap flexibility? Both? Neither?
In the event see Philly takes a zoomed-out approach without being able to youth-anize the roster, is it content to spin its wheels in the middle, buying time until PG and Embiid are more readily movable or come off the books?
Oh, and regardless of which line the Sixers choose to straddle, is head coach Nick Nurse the right person for the gig? Does he fit a rebuilding-ish vision? Is his seat the easiest to attempt upgrading if winning now remains the priority?
Before the Sixers do anything, they must first have an honest conversation about what they're trying to be, who helps get them there and how quickly they intend to become it. Nothing else, at this point, matters more.
Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
