Every off-season has felt significant since the end of Joel Embiid’s first year. The amount of mistakes made have been well-documented, especially within this very website, and the more you think about them, the more you wonder how the hell you have still mustered up the courage to cheer for this franchise. The consequences surrounding this off-season are heightened to an extreme level. When James Harden picked up his player option last June, the “cap space plan” came into fruition. The space must be used before Philadelphia hands a max contract to Tyrese Maxey. 

Only two players will be on the roster this season. It’s safe to assume Ricky Council IV will be the third player. Paul Reed has a non-guaranteed salary. He’ll probably be back unless there’s a trade. NBA rosters are 15 deep, which means Daryl Morey must add 11 players over the next six weeks or so. 

Now, there are players from last year’s team, namely Kyle Lowry, Nicolas Batum, Kelly Oubre, who could very well be back. Embiid has spoken about how important continuity is for the teams that win it all. But it depends on a lot. The order of operations will be most relevant this year as you mix the mechanisms of player acquisitions. The draft proceeds free agency. Trades might factor in as well. Decisions have to be made quickly because every team experiences the same restrictions. 

A normal off-season is chaotic enough, but this year will reach pandemonium.

Beginning on June 26, the Sixers will have five first-round picks to trade, including this year’s 17th overall pick. I haven’t paid too much attention to the draft since it’s been long-rumored that Philadelphia will trade the pick for an established player. Although that’s not a full-gone conclusion. With free agency being a viable option to add talent, trading a relatively cheap, potentially helpful player for a higher-salaried player could minimize the space Philadelphia has to sign the players they want in free agency. Again, order of operations matter greatly, as optionality enters the forefront of conversation.

My daughter has heard them all. It’s been our bedroom routine, especially in the immediate limbo that surrounded the Sixers after surgery sidelined Embiid for much of the 2024 portion of the season. She mostly has her head on my shoulder in these moments, which feels appropriate. No conscious person should be subject to such nonsense. I run through every team, highlighting any player that makes sense to target in a trade. She’s heard the name Bogdan at least two dozen times. 

With the NBA Finals nearing an end, it’s important to remember the new rule under the current CBA: teams can begin negotiating contracts with their upcoming free agents beginning the day after the Finals end. Now, I know teams have had discussions with their own upcoming free agents before allowed in the past, but this year, it would seem, that news breakers like Woj or Shams will share details of potential contracts for a number of would-be free agents such as: OG Anunoby, Paul George, Pascal Siakam, Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, LeBron James, and Harden (lol) before the draft. Now, teams are fairly aware of what’s happening with other team’s free agents, but that information isn’t always available for the general public, so it could be fascinating to see how this plays out in real time.

It would be nice if the Sixers exited this off-season with every single question answered and this ideal team to challenge Boston. Unfortunately, that’s not reality. As I wrote last month, there is no Kevin Durant in 2016 available this summer. And several teams would outbid the Sixers for any true game-changing stars. Anyone Philadelphia adds will mostly be considered a risk to a degree. However, no matter what they do, you’ll be able to talk yourself into it because they will be able to add players that fit more cohesively. You’ll just stomach things a bit better if they add substantially better players and maintain future flexibility (aka keep as many first-round picks as possible). 

As much as the excuses for Embiid’s postseason success have run dry, so has Morey’s ability to improve this team in a major way. Morey placed his trust in Harden two years ago, opting to sign PJ Tucker and Danuel House with the money Harden left on the table instead of what would have been better options if we’re playing revisionist history. It has often felt like Morey has gone back to the proverbial Houston well time and time again, even if it’s not entirely accurate. But, there is some validity to it. At least to the idea that he hasn’t been innovative enough with his approach. We’ll never know what he turned down, and you can second-guess any decision if you’d like since the other door can never open. 

The opportunity to vastly improve this team in such a short period of time is on the cusp. The unknown brings a fair share of excitement, certainly. 

It might just be the last chance to right every single wrong.