July 07, 2026
Bill Streicher/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
How seriously is LeBron James actually considering joining the Sixers?
The last time you sent in questions for our weekly Sixers mailbag, the team's roster looked a whole lot different than it does now.
Is there more massive news coming? Could new Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey really one-up his stunning blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown by signing LeBron James?
That the Sixers are even remotely involved in James' free agency speaks to a stunning shift in how this team is being perceived from even a week ago when the market opened up.
Based on the questions sent in this week, expectations are being tempered around these parts, which is probably for the best right now. From potential backup plans to James to how the Sixers can best position themselves to sell the NBA's all-time leading scorer on coming to Philadelphia, let's dive into your questions:
From @BoysFanNPhilly: Assuming LeBron goes elsewhere, what position would you expect the Sixers to address with that final roster spot? Still seems like they could use another reliable wing.
While I would grant that the single most concerning aspect of the current Sixers depth chart is the trio of backup centers, the Sixers already have four roster spots invested in that position and there are not many rotation-caliber centers left on the market – let alone ones attainable for the veteran's minimum salary.
| PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
| Tyrese Maxey | VJ Edgecombe | Jaylen Brown | Dean Wade | Joel Embiid |
| Labaron Philon Jr. | Anfernee Simons | Justin Edwards | Dominick Barlow | Adem Bona |
| Caleb Love (two-way) | Caleb Love (two-way) | Dalen Terry | Jabari Walker | Ariel Hukporti |
| Rayan Rupert (two-way) | Johni Broome |
The Sixers have 14 players on their roster; they could waive Dalen Terry's non-guaranteed contract if they think two players on the open market could help bolster their depth right away.
Adding a wing capable of at least pushing Edwards for the Sixers' ninth rotation spot would be where I look to first. After his strong rookie season, it was a reasonable hope that by this point Edwards would have established himself as a rotation regular. Despite head coach Nick Nurse's best efforts, it has not quite happened. Edwards is certainly serviceable, but not productive enough for the Sixers to feel good about him being their third wing.
If the Sixers could land a more proven wing presence to supplant Edwards, then use the hometown kid as their fourth wing, this wing mix makes a lot more sense.
Which free agents could fit the bill? The Sixers could still use more shooting, but old friend Matisse Thybulle would add some exciting defensive playmaking. Ziaire Williams can do a little bit of everything. Ochai Agbaji is less proven, but is a former lottery pick made by a Cleveland Cavaliers front office that included Gansey.
The Sixers could also work out a trade for a cheap wing, but their options would be limited based on salary. The obvious target would be Justin Champagnie, whose standout trait is his stellar offensive rebounding. Champagnie may no longer have a role with the Washington Wizards.
More free-agent targets can be found here, but the Sixers can only offer a minimum deal; more trade targets can be found here, but the Sixers currently cannot trade for someone making much more than $3 million.
MORE: Another new star enters, more after shocking first week of free agency
From @niacono99: Can the Sixers waive Dalen Terry and Jabari Walker (non-guaranteed contracts) and open more cap space to offer LeBron more than the minimum?
In short: no.
The Sixers, like most teams in the NBA, entered the offseason without any cap space and remain well over the salary cap threshold. They used the non-taxpayer's mid-level exception to sign Dean Wade, which triggered a hard cap at the first apron. The remainder of that exception went to Anfernee Simons, kicking the previous signing of Ariel Hukporti over to the bi-annual exception.
As of this writing, the Sixers are $3,375,142 below their hard cap at the first apron. They could waive Terry and boost that figure to just under $6 million. But they would still not have an exception with which they could offer James more than his minimum salary, which pays just under $3.9 million with a cap hit closer to $2.45 million.
If the Sixers are legitimately serious contenders for James, they would certainly know whether or not only being able to offer a minimum salary would matter. If they knew that it did, they would not have boxed themselves into a corner like this.
MORE: Anfernee Simons is the shooter this team needs – but at what cost?
From @dreagles.bsky.social: Sans LeBron, which players are currently in our playoff rotation?
This is a good and important question, because for all of the changes that have been made over the last week, the Sixers have arguably lost more rotation players than they have gained. Brown, Wade and Simons are in, but four players the Sixers were reliant on in last season's playoffs have departed:
| Player | Minutes per game in 2025-26 playoffs |
| Paul George | 35.8 |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 33.1 |
| Quentin Grimes | 22.1 |
| Andre Drummond | 12.9 |
There are, for now, only six easy answers: Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe will handle major minutes in the backcourt, Brown and Wade will be relied on at forward and Joel Embiid will start in the middle. Simons, despite being a brutal defensive player, is a very safe bet to project as the third guard in a playoff setting, where his elite three-point shooting will come in handy.
From there, who knows? I would argue Dominick Barlow is this team's seventh-best player, but after his volatile usage during the playoffs last year it would be silly to assume he will be deemed trustworthy next year. He is the next-best bet, though. If Edwards finally puts it all together, he will be the right sort of role player to help fill in the gaps of a playoff rotation.
Somebody needs to play backup center. I believe Barlow, in the regular season and playoffs, should be considered as an option there more often next season. The Sixers might have won Game 2 of their second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks had Nurse gone to Barlow as his backup center earlier. If it is not Barlow, at least one of Hukporti or Bona needs to step up. Neither has proven to be capable of such things yet; Hukporti rarely played during New York's run to a title and Bona's playoff minutes were brutal.
Of course, if the Sixers end up submitting a strong season in the loaded Eastern Conference, Gansey will be in the market for in-season upgrades. But for now, the depth of this team remains pretty bleak.
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