August 17, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey is just about done his first offseason as an NBA lead executive.
Now that the 2026-27 Sixers have a schedule, everything about the team's dream offseason – trading for Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James – feels a bit more real.
Suddenly, only six weeks remain until the team convenes for Media Day before training camp gets underway. Brown will be there, so will James, and so will many holdovers Sixers fans are very familiar with.
With 14 players signed to standard contracts, the Sixers are not planning to fill their vacant spot before the season begins because of how close they are to their hard cap at the first apron. But only two players, Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert, have signed two-way contracts with the Sixers. That leaves a spot open, and recent Sixers history suggests that every two-way slot has value.
Kicking off the week with 5 Sixers thoughts, detailing the Sixers' plan for its third two-way contract and more:
The Sixers have extracted an enormous amount of production from the two-way market over the years; all three of Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker and Justin Edwards are both members of the team's current standard roster and two-way success stories.
Unlike in prior years, the Sixers' current plan, PhillyVoice learned last week, is to enter training camp without its third two-way contract signed.
The Sixers have only given one player a training camp invite via an Exhibit 10 contract; eventually they will sign a handful of players to deals and all of them could be in the mix to earn the team's final two-way spot. They would not have a narrow field of options; should none of their camp bodies stand out, the Sixers could look around the league and try to pluck a player off another team's fringes.
While the Sixers have not completely ruled out the idea of signing another two-way player before the season begins, there is a "strong chance" they will leave the spot open heading into training camp, a source told PhillyVoice on Tuesday.
Last offseason, the Sixers signed four players with NBA experience to Exhibit 10 deals about a week before training camp began. They were all fixtures for the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League at different points of the season, but one of them – MarJon Beauchamp – ended up signing a two-way contract on Christmas Day and hanging onto that spot for the remainder of the season.
MORE: Mike Gansey talks Jaylen Brown trade, LeBron James signing and more
There are many new faces involved with the Sixers, and that has led to the team having a presence at Citizens Bank Park lately. New Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey joined head coach Nick Nurse at a Phillies game earlier this offseason (Gansey may have jinxed a Jesús Luzardo no-hitter that night, but the left-hander has been dominant ever since). On Aug. 4, Gansey returned to the ballpark to throw out the first pitch to Phillies ace Zack Wheeler:
Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey throws out the first pitch to Zack Wheeler at tonight’s Phillies game: pic.twitter.com/XcYabVsNKy
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) August 4, 2026
Gansey and his family spent a few minutes chatting with Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, a fellow Ohio native. Schwarber told the Gansey family he has yet to attend a Sixers game since arriving in Philadelphia in 2022 and said he hoped to change that this season.
Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey and his family met fellow Ohio native Kyle Schwarber. pic.twitter.com/2PCyNhbRT1
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) August 4, 2026
Gansey was not the only new member of the Sixers to hear their name announced by legendary Phillies public address announcer Dan Baker that week. Hours after his introductory press conference at a local recreation center last Thursday, Jaylen Brown took the mound and threw out the first pitch to another player with a No. 7 jersey, Phillies shortstop Trea Turner:
Jaylen Brown throws out the first pitch to Trea Turner at tonight’s Phillies game: pic.twitter.com/8g8qvp4Y86
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) August 6, 2026
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Earlier this month, Barlow spoke with PhillyVoice at length about his offseason work, how he fits into the Sixers' new-look roster and more. He was particularly open about the work he has put in as he reworks his shooting mechanics after an early-season elbow injury jumbled them up quite a bit.
As Barlow described it, his elbow injury forced him to compensate with his wrist and elbow. That caused wrist discomfort. The elbow is fully healed now, and its starting point is Barlow's new focus as he loads up three-point shots. Courtesy of the Sixers, here is a decent look at what the shot looks like:
Via Sixers IG, a good look at Dominick Barlow’s reworked shooting mechanics. Elbow placement is noticeably different, which he told me last week was the key as he works on corner threes: https://t.co/uKNaRYKpxS pic.twitter.com/GHQSGHh5FJ
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) August 5, 2026
Barlow will never have the prettiest stroke in the world, and he will never be the best shooter in the world. But if he can shoot confidently and quickly – particularly from the corners – and at least make a decent percentage of his shots, he is going to be an extremely high-caliber role player given all of the other skills he brings to the table.
MORE: Barlow 'willing to play wherever' to help LeBron James and the Sixers
The Sixers have hired Tommy Balcetis as Head of Basketball Intelligence, Analytics and Innovation, according to a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Balcetis was with the Denver Nuggets from 2013 until 2025; he spent his last five years with the organization as an assistant general manager before departing. He spent a year overseas and will now return to the NBA as part of Gansey's front office.
Balcetis, PhillyVoice learned, will have a role focused on analytics and data.
To date, there have been no reported departures from the Sixers' front office; all of Daryl Morey's key lieutenants have remained in place below Gansey, though Elton Brand was reportedly expected to work through "a new role with the franchise and its parent company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment."
Now that the Sixers' roster work for the summer is just about done, it is no surprise to see some movement in the front office.
MORE: Full 2026-27 Sixers schedule, with details and analysis
Two standout bigs from the 2026 Summer Sixers, Isaac Johnson and Matt Rogers, have both landed deals to play overseas:
Updates on a pair of Summer Sixers: pic.twitter.com/CwHRekLqES
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) August 7, 2026
So, do not expect Johnson or Rogers to be among the Sixers' eventual Exhibit 10 contract signees. The only member of the Summer Sixers with a training camp invite secured is Duke Miles, the team's priority undrafted free agent target whose production in Las Vegas was muted.
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