Sixers Rumors

MarJon Beauchamp Expected To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Sixers

October 12th, 2025 at 8:57am CST by Rory Maher

Free agent wing MarJon Beauchamp has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Sixers, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). While a deal is expected to be completed, it has not yet been finalized, and a 76ers source tells Pompey the Trail Blazers are “still involved.”

Beauchamp signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Portland on September 30 prior to being waived on Oct. 7, lining him up to join the Blazers’ G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix. If he were to be signed and waived by the Sixers, Portland could still have first dibs on naming Beauchamp an affiliate player, but it sounds like his camp is trying to steer him to the Delaware Blue Coats instead.

Beauchamp, who turns 25 years old today (happy birthday), was the 24th overall pick of the 2022 draft. He spent his first two-and-a-half years with the Bucks, the team that drafted him, prior to being dealt to the Clippers ahead of the February trade deadline. He finished 2024/25 on a two-way contract with the Knicks after being cut by Los Angeles.

The 6’7″ small forward has appeared in a total of 135 regular season games for the Bucks, Clippers and Knicks, averaging 4.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .430/.354/.718.

Assuming Beauchamp finalizes his Exhibit 10 deal with Philadelphia and is waived before the season begins, he would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he joins the Blue Coats and spends at least 60 days with the club. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals, though the 76ers do not currently have a two-way opening.

The Sixers’ roster is at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract, so they’ll have to release someone to officially add Beauchamp.

Atlantic Notes: Edgecombe, Minott, Bridges, Raptors

October 10th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

VJ Edgecombe missed the Sixers‘ game on Friday against the Magic due to hip soreness, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Pompey notes that despite receiving a day-to-day injury designation, Edgecombe was a part of shootaround this morning and will be a participant in practice next week, barring a setback.

Staying healthy is crucial for Edgecombe, especially since he has an opportunity to play a big role for the Sixers this season. Tony Jones of The Athletic writes that the rookie guard has a real shot at being a starter, though his role could hinge in large part on the health of Paul George and Joel Embiid.

Regardless of whether he starts or not, Edgecombe should be in line for plenty of minutes this year, according to Jones, who highlights Edgecombe’s ability to play as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and passer off the dribble as a more underrated part of his skill set. As is the case for many athletic guards, Edgecombe’s development will hinge on how good he can become as a shooter and ball-handler.

We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:

As part of the Celtics‘ plan to reset their books with Jayson Tatum injured, the team brought in younger, unproven players to try to rebuild its depth following the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. One such player who has stood out so far, according to Brian Robb of MassLive, is Josh Minott. The 23-year-old forward, who came to Boston after three years with the Wolves, showed a bit of everything except for shooting in the Celtics’ preseason game on Wednesday. While all of the Celtics’ young players played well on Wednesday, Robb writes, Minott’s hustle and defensive ability stood out. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (subscription required) echoed that sentiment, while adding that Minott’s versatility could allow him to carve out a role in head coach Joe Mazzulla‘s game plan.
The Knicks are still adjusting to Mike Brown‘s offense, but there’s excitement about the changes the new head coach is bringing to the team, with second-year Knick Mikal Bridges expressing appreciation for Brown’s approach, writes Ian Begley for SNY. “He and his coaches, they all run a tight ship. You can tell that whatever we’re doing out there, they’re all on the same page, no matter what the situation is,” Bridges said. “And that’s a lot of credit to him… for everybody to be on the same page makes it easier for us players when they talk to us because any coach you talk to, you’re going to hear the same thing.” Brown knows it’s going to be a process to incorporate his changes. “Right now, I don’t care if we win or lose, as long as we keep trying to play the right way and trust it,” he said. “I want them to learn how to play basketball the right way offensively within our staples. That’s pace, whether it’s in the full court or the half court… If you hit that paint and you don’t have the ball, don’t just stand there. Get out right now and re-space to create more opportunities for driving and kicking…. Space the right way all the time… Hey, it hits your hands, shoot it, pass it, snap drive it to try to collapse the defense. Those are things that we believe in.”
With 14 Raptors on guaranteed standard contracts, head coach Darko Rajakovic is unsure if the team will fill its 15th spot for the regular season, indicating on Friday that Toronto is weighing its options, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (via Twitter). A.J. Lawson would likely be the favorite if the team does carry a 15th man, Lewenberg notes. Lawson was a standout for the Raptors’ Summer League team and has averaged 4.0 points in 5.4 minutes through two preseason games.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, George, Watford, Starters, Grimes

October 8th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Joel Embiid, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in the spring, continues to trend in the right direction with the regular season around the corner. The Sixers center has increased his participation in practice and done some 5-on-5 work, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

Embiid still has to check a number of boxes before he’s given the go-ahead to suit up for a game, Bodner writes, adding that the former MVP is being evaluated daily by the team.

Embiid was limited to just 19 appearances last season due to knee issues. The seven-time All-Star didn’t play at his usual level even when he was available, averaging 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in those 19 outings, well below his career averages entering 2024/25 (27.9 PPG, 11.2 RPG).

Here’s more on the 76ers:

Having undergone an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee more recently than Embiid, forward Paul George isn’t quite as far along as his teammate. According to Bodner (Twitter link), George is still just doing individual workouts, though those the intensity of those sessions has increased and he’s expected to begin taking part in team activities in the coming days.
Sixers forward Trendon Watford remains sidelined with a right hamstring issue and won’t play in Philadelphia’s next preseason game on Friday, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports. Watford, an offseason addition, is expected to do more on-court work within the next week, per Neubeck, who notes that imaging on the hamstring didn’t show any structural damage.
The idea of a three-guard starting lineup is “on the table” for the Sixers, head coach Nick Nurse said today (Twitter link via Neubeck). Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes would all be part of the starting five in that scenario, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, with Jared McCain also factoring into the equation once he’s healthy.
Grimes said on Wednesday that he has no hard feelings about his contract negotiations played out this offseason. The restricted free agent was on the market for three months and ultimately accepted his qualifying offer rather than working out a multiyear deal with the Sixers, so he’ll become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to be back here longer,” Grimes said (Twitter link via Pompey). “I wanted to be back here on a longer-term deal, but I’m happy to be here right now and do everything I can to help this team win.”

And-Ones: Delfino, Positional Rankings, Top Storylines, More

October 8th, 2025 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the “Doble Doble” podcast this week, former NBA forward Carlos Delfino confirmed that he is retiring as a player, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops writes.

Delfino, who turned 43 in August, was the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft and spent nine years in the league from 2004-08 and 2009-14 (he played in Russia in 2008/09). The Argentinian wing averaged 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 22.8 minutes per game across 507 regular season outings for the Pistons, Raptors, Bucks, and Rockets before injuries derailed his career.

Delfino eventually returned to action in Europe in 2017 and spent the next several seasons playing for non-NBA teams. A longtime international standout, he won an Olympic gold medal in Athens in 2004 as a member of the Argentina national team that upset Team USA in the semifinals, then took home a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

We have several more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Law Murray of The Athletic ranked all 30 NBA teams based on their depth charts at each position, with the Thunder (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; Cason Wallace) taking the No. 1 spot at point guard while the Timberwolves (Anthony Edwards; Terrence Shannon Jr.) sit atop the shooting guard list. The Rockets (Kevin Durant; Tari Eason), Bucks (Giannis Antetokounmpo; Bobby Portis), and Nuggets (Nikola Jokic; Jonas Valanciunas) ranked first at small forward, power forward, and center, respectively.
What storylines will be the biggest of the 2025/26 season? Chris Mannix of SI.com makes his predictions, including whether or not Antetokounmpo will finish the season with the Bucks, how much better the Magic will be with Desmond Bane, and whether the concept of playoff reseeding will gain any momentum based on the relative strength of the Western Conference.
An international basketball league that has been in the works for the past couple years still plans to launch in 2026, but LeBron James‘ business partner Maverick Carter is no longer involved in the venture, according to Ben Horney and Daniel Roberts of Front Office Sports. The report from Horney and Roberts provides some details on the big names who are investing in the league, including tennis star Novak Djokovic and former WNBA star Candace Parker.
John Hollinger of The Athletic‘s projections for the bottom half of the Eastern Conference in 2025/26 include the Sixers, Celtics, and Pacers finishing 10th through 12th with 37, 36, and 31 wins, respectively. However, he acknowledges that Philadelphia might have a wider range of potential outcomes than any other team in the NBA.

Atlantic Notes: Wolf, Nets, China, Tatum, Gordon, Edgecombe

October 7th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Danny Wolf, the former University of Michigan big man, is already showing off his play-making ability, Bridget Reilly of the New York Post writes. During the Nets’ first preseason game, the 27th overall pick of the draft dished out five assists in 15 minutes.

“I mean, when the coaches trust me with the ball in my hands, it’s up to me to make a play,” Wolf said. “I think a few times, I got a little too sped up and made a few — I made an errant pass and kinda lost the ball on a ball screen. But when coach Jordi [Fernandez] draws me up or tells us to run a play and it breaks off, it’s up to you to make a play, and I tried doing that to the best of my ability.”

Wolf’s 4.2 assists per game with the Wolverines last season represented the second-best average ever for a college player listed at seven feet or taller, according to Reilly.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets are playing the Suns in preseason games at China on Friday and Sunday, the first NBA games in that country in six years. The Nets began their 17-hour journey to China on Monday afternoon. “When you get there, I think it’s a complete time difference overall, so for the first few days you’re on the opposite schedule,” Michael Porter Jr. told C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News. “That’s a challenge when you go that far, but other than that, I’m excited to bring the NBA to China. I know there’s so many fans, so it’ll be fun. It’ll be fun to get our first taste against another NBA team in the Phoenix Suns, so we’ll really get to see where we’re at.”
While he mends from a torn Achilles, Celtics star Jayson Tatum will have added duties at the collegiate ranks. He’s been named Duke’s Chief Basketball Officer, according to GoDuke.com. In the newly created position, Tatum will volunteer his time as a special advisor to head coach Jon Scheyer and the Duke program, bringing his insights and professional basketball experience to player development, leadership, and life as an elite athlete. “I am ecstatic about the opportunity to be Duke’s first Chief Basketball Officer,” Tatum said in a statement. “This program means so much to me, and I had an unbelievable time here. I already watch every game, come back whenever I can, and connect with Coach Scheyer often. To have the chance to formalize my relationship with the program and broaden my ability to impact the players and culture means the world to me.”
Eric Gordon has played with VJ Edgecombe on the Bahamas national team. Gordon, entering his 18th season, is eager to embrace a mentorship role with the Sixers’ lottery pick, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (subscription required). “At my age, in my phase of my career, you have to mentor,” Gordon said. “That’s without a doubt. I’ve been around VJ the most. I’ve known him for quite a while. Of course, I will be looking forward to not just helping him, but also all the young guys. … But when I’m in the game, I’m going to have to do my part: Knock down shots, spread the floor, let guys operate the length [of the court] on their own.”

NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Philadelphia 76ers

October 6th, 2025 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Philadelphia 76ers.

Free agent signings

Quentin Grimes: One year, $8,741,209. Re-signed using Bird rights. Accepted qualifying offer.
Justin Edwards: Three years, $7,076,338. Third-year team option. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
Trendon Watford: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Eric Gordon: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
Kyle Lowry: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
Emoni Bates: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Kennedy Chandler: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Malcolm Hill: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Igor Milicic: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Saint Thomas: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Marcus Bagley: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Note: Bagley has since been waived.
Jaylen Martin: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Note: Martin has since been waived.

Trades

None

Draft picks

1-3: VJ Edgecombe
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $50,438,478).
2-35: Johni Broome
- Signed to four-year, $8,685,386 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.

Two-way signings

Dominick Barlow
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
Hunter Sallis
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
Jabari Walker
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).

Departed/unsigned free agents

Jared Butler (Suns)
Jeff Dowtin Jr. (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
Jalen Hood-Schifino (unsigned)
Lonnie Walker IV (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
Guerschon Yabusele (Knicks)

Other roster moves

Waived Ricky Council IV (non-guaranteed contract).
Waived Alex Reese (two-way contract).

Salary cap situation

Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
Carrying approximately $194.6MM in salary.
No hard cap.
Full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14,104,000) available.
Full bi-annual exception ($5,134,000) available.
Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $7,975,000).

The offseason so far

Coming off a massively disappointing year in which the Sixers entered the season as one of the NBA’s title favorites and finished with a 24-58 record, there was some speculation entering the 2025 offseason that the team might look to shake up its roster. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey has never been shy about taking big swings on the trade market, and stars Joel Embiid and Paul George – who combined to make 60 appearances in 2024/25 – suddenly looked like major liabilities on their long-term maximum-salary contracts.

But the reasons the Sixers might have sought to move Embiid and/or George – age, health, and cap concerns – were the same reasons why there was no chance they’d be able to get fair value on the trade market for either player. Even if the club wanted to hit the reset button, it would mean giving up those two stars for pennies on the dollar, perhaps even having to attach assets to get a return of any real value for them.

So instead of a summer of change in Philadelphia, it was one of relative continuity. Neither Morey nor head coach Nick Nurse lost his job after last season’s 24-win showing. Embiid and George didn’t go anywhere. Potential free agents like Kelly Oubre Jr., Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond, and Justin Edwards all either signed new contracts with the 76ers or picked up player options to return to the team.

Even Quentin Grimes‘ restricted free agency – which lasted a full three months and went all the way down to the wire on October 1, the deadline for him to accept his $8.74MM qualifying offer – ended in anticlimactic fashion, as Grimes ultimately did sign that QO. The Sixers reportedly weren’t very aggressive in their efforts to work out a longer-term agreement with the 25-year-old — their best offer to Grimes was said to be for about $39MM over four years, which was never going to get it done after he finished the season by averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in 28 outings for Philadelphia.

I was a little surprised that the Sixers didn’t try harder to avoid a scenario in which Grimes signed his qualifying offer, which gives him a no-trade clause for the season and lines him up for unrestricted free agency in 2026. But it seems like there were a couple primary reasons why the front office didn’t make it a priority to sign him to a multiyear contract.

For one, after they lucked out in the draft lottery by moving up to No. 3 and hanging onto their top-six protected first-round pick, the 76ers selected standout Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, adding him to a backcourt that already features Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain. Theoretically, Grimes can share the court with multiple guards, but at 6’4″, he’s a better fit at the two himself. Philadelphia’s front office may have felt that investing heavily in another guard didn’t make sense when Maxey, McCain, and Edgecombe project to be the club’s top options in the backcourt for years to come.

Getting Grimes back on the qualifying offer is also the most favorable outcome for Philadelphia’s 2025/26 cap, since any multiyear deal or one-year balloon offer would have started higher – and perhaps much higher – than $8.74MM. With that modest figure on their books, the Sixers are operating less than $7MM above the luxury tax line, giving them a potential path to duck below that threshold before the end of the season. Sending out Oubre at the trade deadline and replacing him with a free agent on a prorated minimum-salary contract would do the trick, for example.

You can certainly argue that maintaining the flexibility to get out of the tax shouldn’t be a top priority for a 76ers team that still ostensibly believes it can be a contender. But after the way last season played out, it’s understandable that ownership would want to see how the first two or three months of the season go before deciding whether it’s worth paying luxury tax penalties for this roster.

The Edgecombe pick and Grimes accepting his qualifying offer were the most significant developments of the Sixers’ offseason, but it’s worth highlighting the three-year deal they did with Edwards and the two-year contract they worked out with Trendon Watford, both of which are worth the minimum and feature a team option on the final season.

Edwards was effective in a limited role as a rookie last season, while Watford has been a somewhat underrated role player in Portland and Brooklyn in recent years. It wouldn’t be a shock if one or both of them earn regular minutes in the forward rotation for Philadelphia, and given the modest cost of their respective contracts, they won’t have to do a whole lot to justify the team’s investment.

Finally, while most of the Sixers’ departing free agents weren’t rotation players, the one notable exception was Guerschon Yabusele, one of last season’s most pleasant surprises in his first NBA season since 2018/19. Philadelphia reportedly only offered Yabusele a Non-Bird deal that would have started at 120% of his minimum salary.

Increasing that offer would have required using the taxpayer mid-level exception, which would’ve hard-capped the 76ers at the second tax apron and put them at risk of losing Grimes to an offer sheet. Even then, there’s no guarantee Yabusele would’ve taken Philadelphia’s offer over a similar one from the Knicks that was worth nearly the full taxpayer MLE. Losing Yabusele was unfortunate, but unless the club was OK with losing Grimes instead or had been able to shed salary elsewhere on the roster, it was an outcome that was hard to avoid.

Up next

The Sixers are carrying just 14 players on standard contracts, but as we established above, they’re wary of going too much deeper into tax territory, so they’ll likely leave that 15th spot open to start the regular season.

In two-way players Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow, Philadelphia is carrying a pair of three-year veterans with 288 combined regular season appearances between them, which will help make up for the lack of a 15th man — either of those guys could play 10 or 15 minutes off the bench if needed. Undrafted rookie Hunter Sallis, the third Sixer on a two-way contract, is less likely to see action at the NBA level immediately.

Gordon and Drummond have been rumored as trade candidates throughout the offseason, but if a deal involving one of them goes down, it’s probably more likely to happen closer to the trade deadline. The emergence of second-year big man Adem Bona will be an interesting development to keep an eye on. If he emerges as a reliable backup center and Embiid can stay relatively healthy (a big if), Drummond would become more expendable.

Assuming the Sixers don’t make any preseason trades or unexpected roster changes, it should be a relatively quiet couple weeks in Philadelphia, since the team doesn’t have any extension-eligible players on its roster.

Atlantic Notes: Saraf, Powell, Martin, Edgecombe

October 5th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Nets had their preseason opener on Saturday, routing Hapoel Jerusalem by a score of 123-88. Despite the less-than-dramatic result, there were interesting takeaways for Nets fans, especially in regards to who got the nod at starting point guard, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

With 2025 top-10 pick Egor Demin recovering from a plantar fascia tear, rookie Ben Saraf, the 26th pick this summer, took the reins and delivered a very encouraging performance, finishing with nine points and six assists versus one turnover.

“He plays like a vet. He was good with the ball taking care of the ball, which at times in camp it was something he hasn’t been as good at,” said head coach Jordi Fernandez. “With five fouls, that’s the thing that he’s going to clean up a little bit more. But I was very, very happy even though he had those fouls early in the game, his mind was in the game and he kept playing and he was not really affected by it. So it tells you who he is, how mature he is at his age. He’s just going to keep getting better.”

While it’s unclear whether Saraf will continue to hold onto the role once Demin returns, it’s notable that he was given the keys over Nolan Traore – who was selected ahead of him at No. 19 in the 2025 draft – and recently acquired third-year guard Kobe Bufkin.

We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:

In the same article, Lewis notes that Drake Powell, the 22nd pick in the 2025 draft, will soon be able to see his first action for the Nets. According to Fernandez, Powell is expected to take the floor next week during one of the two games Brooklyn will play against the Suns in China. Powell has been doing full-contact practices on his way back from the knee tendinopathy that forced him to miss not only the start of training camp, but also his first Summer League.
One player who has drawn rave reviews in Nets training camp is Tyrese Martin, writes C.J. Holmes for the New York Daily News. “Tyrese has really been probably the most impressive player that I’ve seen on the team so far,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “He’s been consistently killing through scrimmages, through open runs. He’s a player that can slide in that point guard place but can also play the two. He can pass the ball. He’s been really impressive.” Ziaire Williams and Fernandez both praised Martin’s performance as well. While Martin, who is on a non-guaranteed contract, has no assurances for the coming season, he’s enjoying his time with the team. “I love these guys, I feel like they love me the same way,” he said. “It’s fun being here. This is the first coach and team that actually gave me an opportunity, and I feel like I’ve held up my end, and didn’t make them look crazy for giving me an opportunity. So, it would be fun to stay here and make this my home, for sure.”
VJ Edgecombe was drafted to a Sixers team with talented guards such as Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and, for now, Quentin Grimes, due to his athleticism, shooting flashes, and defensive potential. In Philadelphia’s opening two games of preseason, that defensive ability has shone through, writes DJ Siddiqi of RG. Head coach Nick Nurse offered praise for the rookie’s defensive efforts, saying he caused havoc, especially in the passing lanes. “I pride myself on defense,” said Edgecombe. “I’m definitely looking forward to all matchups, just because I know every night I’m going to have to guard a lot of great players, future Hall of Famers. I’m excited for every matchup to be honest.”

Players Seeking Paydays This Season

October 5th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

While some players are still hoping to finalize rookie scale extensions before the season begins, the majority of contract situations around the league have been settled at this point. But business never sleeps in the world of the NBA, and many players will enter this season hoping to impress executives and land their next big payday.

Zach Harper of The Athletic details the top names playing for new deals this season, excluding the aforementioned rookie scale extension seekers.

One player not on a rookie-scale deal but still extension-eligible is Michael Porter Jr., whom the Nets recently acquired to add some scoring pop to the starting lineup. Porter’s deal runs for two more seasons and will pay him $38.3MM this year and $40.8MM in 2026/27.

The Nets’ roster remains a major work in progress, making future projections tricky, but at just 27 years old, Porter is in position to have a big year in Brooklyn and boost his stock entering a contract year next summer. The biggest question, according to Harper, is whether Porter’s next deal would remain in the range of the $40MM+ he’ll earn in 2026/27 or if he would take a modest pay cut to secure a longer-term contract.

Harper takes a look at three big men who could hit the open market next summer: Kristaps Porzingis, the Hawks‘ new starting center, longtime Bulls veteran Nikola Vucevic, and the Knicks‘ on-and-off starter Mitchell Robinson. All three have question marks surrounding them — for Porzingis and Robinson, those questions center around health, though Robinson could also be a cap casualty on New York’s increasingly pricey roster.

Vucevic has been in trade rumors for years, and with the Bulls taking more steps to embrace a youth movement than they have in the past, his time in Chicago could be coming to an end. Harper predicts an annual value of around $21MM for Vucevic on his next deal, which is about what he’ll earn in 2025/26.

Another group of players Harper looks at is a trio of high-scoring guards who will be free agents in 2026: Anfernee Simons and Norman Powell, who were acquired this summer by the Celtics and Heat, respectively, and Coby White, who has grown into a talented combo guard over his six seasons with the Bulls. Harper predicts a deal around $20MM annually for Simons, $75MM over three years for White, and a two-year, $50MM contract for Powell.

The 2026 free agency class will also be impacted by the decisions made by veterans with player options, such as Zach LaVine (Kings), Bradley Beal (Clippers), and Austin Reaves (Lakers). Cam Thomas (Nets) and Quentin Grimes (Sixers) will also reach unrestricted free agency after accepting their respective qualifying offers and will be looking to recoup the money they passed on this offseason.

Finally, Harper singles out four role players who could be coveted next season, depending on their performance this season: Rui Hachimura (Lakers), Tyus Jones (Magic), Keon Ellis (Kings), and Georges Niang (Jazz). The 25-year-old Ellis has broken out over the last two seasons and could command his first real payday of his career if he has a strong season off the bench in Sacramento. Harper speculates he could be in line for a deal similar to the three-year, $27.6MM contract Ty Jerome signed with the Grizzlies this summer.

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Edgecombe, Barlow, Bona

October 3rd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Quentin Grimes officially taking the Sixers‘ qualifying offer signified the end of the longest-lasting restricted free agency standoff of the offseason. Despite Grimes possessing a coveted skill set in the league as a defender and shooter, his breakout second half didn’t translate to an offer sheet.

That’s partly due to team president Daryl Morey‘s preferred negotiation strategy and partially due to the financial and roster situation the Sixers find themselves in, according to Keith Pompey for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pompey writes that Morey’s philosophy tends to be to let the open market shape his offers, and with such little spending flexibility available league-wide, there was less incentive to offer a generous deal to the restricted free agent.

Pompey adds that between Paul George and Joel Embiid, the Sixers have two contracts that would be difficult to move, and with Jared McCain and rookie VJ Edgecombe filling the shooting guard depth chart on team-friendly deals, adding Grimes on a more lucrative contract that might need to be moved down the line could have proven burdensome.

Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals over 28 games for the Sixers last season. However, Pompey cites an anonymous executive who believes that because that stretch of play came late in the season, when the team was fully tanking, those gaudy numbers were somewhat meaningless.

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The Sixers had their preseason opener in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, and with Embiid, George, Grimes, and Trendon Watford missing, fans were given a glimpse of what the deeper parts of the bench could offer. One particularly bright spot came from their third overall pick, Edgecombe, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. While still a work in progress, the athletic guard showed that at the very least, he’s already ready to be a rotation player, writes Tony Jones for The Athletic. Jones suggests that Edgecombe could be a starter on opening night and exhibited star potential. In a separate piece for the Inquirer, Pompey adds that the backcourt of Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey showed that they could, in time, be one of the league’s best.
In the same piece, Pompey notes that two-way big man Dominick Barlow has impressed the team over the summer. His strong offseason carried over to Thursday’s preseason game vs. the Knicks, as he posted a stat line of six points, 10 rebounds, and two assists. “Barlow is standing out early on here,” coach Nick Nurse said earlier in the week. “He’s just really on the glass and making some shots and playing extremely hard. He was just involved in a lot of good stuff.” Pompey speculates that Barlow is making a strong argument to be converted into a standard contract sooner or later.
Finally, Pompey notes that second-year big man Adem Bona appears to have taken the lead when it comes to the backup center battle with veteran Andre Drummond. Bona needs to be better as a rebounder, Pompey writes, but his speed and athleticism stand out on a team that is looking to push the pace.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Edgecombe, Maxey, Backup Centers

October 1st, 2025 at 8:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

As always, the Sixers‘ prospects will hinge on the availability of star center Joel Embiid, and coach Nick Nurse sees reasons to be encouraged through the first few days of training camp. Before his team opens the preseason Thursday in Abu Dhabi, Nurse discussed Embiid’s progress and other topics with PHLY Sports (YouTube link, hat tip to ClutchPoints).

“I think the encouraging things are some of the stuff that he’s said that he looks good, right? He’s feeling pretty good,” Nurse said. “He’s got some boxes to tick to get, you know, keep it going, but it looks more encouraging. You know, I think he said he feels a lot better this year at this time of year than he did a year ago. So, that’s got to be a positive step in the right direction. We’re looking forward to getting him back with the group.”

Recurring issues with his surgically repaired left knee limited Embiid to 19 games last season before he was shut down in February. He talked recently about the need to be on the court much more frequently to avoid a repeat of last season’s disaster (Twitter video link).

“Last year, I kind of felt the pressure from the start that we had,” Embiid said. “I was not close to where I wanted to be but I felt like I had to something because I care so much about these guys. I think that’s what it comes down to. Seeing us succeed, the wins adding up.”

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After loading up on veterans last season, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey made an effort to build a younger and more athletic roster over the summer, per Yaron Weitzman of The Ringer. That plan included holding onto the No. 3 pick in the draft, which was used to select VJ Edgecombe, instead of trading it for more immediate help. “We have really good young guys, and they have this open happiness and this spirit that’s just a pureness,” Kyle Lowry said. “They love basketball, they want to work, they get into the gym early, they listen to the coaches.”
Edgecombe changed his conditioning habits to prepare for his first NBA season and added 10 pounds of muscle during the summer, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Fans who watched Edgecombe at Baylor will notice a difference in his three-point shot. “I had a flat shot in college,” he said. “So now my arc was way better than a month ago, or maybe three weeks ago. My arc is way better, and it’s more consistent. It’s crazy now. It’s rare for me to shoot flat. I know when any shot is flat now.”
Tyrese Maxey is focused on becoming a team leader in his sixth NBA season, Pompey adds in a separate story. He was often the number one scoring option last season due to injuries to Embiid and Paul George, and he’s ready to embrace the responsibilities that go along with that role. “I remember the end of my fourth year, maybe, I remember Joel kind of pulling me to the side, telling me my voice is going to be needed,” Maxey said. “You know, people just see how hard I work, see how much I care about winning, how much I care about the franchise. And, you know, Joel is a more reserved guy. Of course he is talented on the court. That’s what he does. But he was just telling me that’s a way for me to step up and lead and be vocal.”
In another piece, Pompey profiles the battle for the backup center spot, with newcomers Johni Broome, Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow joining holdovers Andre Drummond and Adem Bona.

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