A Brand-New Sixers: Who’s In, Who’s Out

If you looked away from the Sixers for a few weeks this summer and looked back, you’d be forgiven for not recognizing the roster. This is not a tweak. This is a gut renovation, and it’s worth a South Jersey fan’s time to understand exactly what the front office did before the season sneaks up on us.

The trade that reset everything

Start with the deal. Philadelphia sent Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to Boston for Jaylen Brown — a five-time All-Star and a former Finals MVP who, at his best, is exactly the kind of two-way wing this team has been chasing for years. That is a franchise-altering swing. You don’t part with that much draft capital unless you believe your window is right now.

Who’s in

So here’s the new picture. The core is Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and now Jaylen Brown — three players who are all going to need the ball, all going to get substantial touches, and all going to spend training camp figuring out how to fit together without stepping on each other. Around them, the front office added Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade, kept last year’s promising rookie VJ Edgecombe and second-year wing Justin Edwards, and used the No. 22 pick in the 2026 draft on Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr.

That last name matters more than a 22nd pick usually would. The Sixers just wrapped Vegas Summer League with a rookie-heavy group — Johni Broome was the only man on the summer roster with real NBA experience — and Philon Jr. is the one who looks like he could crack the actual rotation this season. The Rockets thumped the Sixers 90-64 to close out Vegas on July 14, which tells you exactly nothing about October and everything about how young that summer roster was. Broome, meanwhile, is auditioning for the backup center job behind Embiid.

This is not a tweak. This is a gut renovation.Samuel Banks

The honest stakes

Let me be honest about the stakes, because that’s what you come to this paper for. This is a big-money, all-in bet on a top-heavy roster. When Embiid, Maxey and Brown are healthy and humming, the ceiling is as high as anyone’s in the East. The word “healthy,” though, has been the whole story of the Embiid era, and no amount of offseason maneuvering changes the fact that this team’s season will rise or fall on availability. You can build the most talented trio in the conference and still watch it all hinge on a training staff and a load-management calendar.

There’s also the noise. This summer brought reported flirtation between the Maxey-Embiid-Brown group and LeBron James — the kind of star-recruiting chatter that follows a team that’s decided to swing big. Whether anything comes of it or not, it tells you the ambition level. This front office is not playing for the play-in.

For South Jersey fans deciding how much emotional capital to invest this fall, here’s the honest read: the Sixers gave up a lot to get here, they’re built to win now, and the margin for injury is thin. That’s the deal. It’s a bet, a real one, and it’s a lot more interesting than another year of treading water.

Training camp will tell us how fast Brown, Maxey and Embiid can learn each other. Until then, know the names, understand the price, and keep your fingers crossed on the one thing money can’t buy: health.

Right bet, or too much given up? Tell us where you land on the Jaylen Brown trade and this all-in Sixers roster.

Based on reporting from NBC Sports Philadelphia, Liberty Ballers, The Liberty Line, Yahoo Sports and RealGM.