By the Numbers: What $213.2 Million and 38 Games Actually…

By the 76ers Nightly Desk · Tuesday, September 22

The 76ers enter 2026-27 with a $213.2M payroll, a middling -0.1 net rating from last season and a franchise player who played just 38 games. Everything else this offseason — Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, three players cut loose in one day — gets layered on top of that foundation, and none of it changes what the numbers already say.

76ers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

What does the $213.2M payroll actually buy this team?

Embiid ($58.1M), Brown ($57.1M) and Maxey ($40.8M) make up the bulk of a $213.2M payroll that already clears the league's $209.0M luxury threshold and edges toward the $221.7M second line, the harder cap NBA teams now plan around. That number buys three stars and interim president Bob Myers almost no room to add anyone else this season.

Was last season's 45-37 record actually good?

Last season's 45-37 finish came with a -0.1 net rating, 16th-ranked offense and defense out of 30 teams, at a 100.4 pace. Middle of the league in every category is exactly what that record looks like: a team good enough to make noise, not good enough to separate itself, before Brown or James ever set foot on the floor.

Which number proves the offense runs through Maxey?

Tyrese Maxey played 70 games last season and averaged 28.3 points, 6.6 assists and a 36.7 3-point percentage, the clearest sign the offense already runs through him. It says nothing about whether that usage holds once Brown and James start taking shots away from him every night.

How exposed is this team if Embiid sits again?

Joel Embiid played just 38 games last season, missing close to half the schedule at 31.6 minutes when healthy. That number is the real ceiling on this season: everything Nurse plans around Embiid has to survive the games he isn't playing.

Does cutting three names in one day mean anything?

Philadelphia waived or released three players in a single day on Sept. 21 — Kyle Lowry, MarJon Beauchamp and Tyrese Martin — while still controlling its own first-round selections in 2027 and 2030. Losing three end-of-roster names clears cap sheet clutter; it doesn't change who the real decisions belong to.

The verdictNone of these numbers argue with each other: last season was middle-of-the-pack, Maxey is the one certainty, Embiid's health is the swing factor, and $213.2M is already committed to finding out if Brown and James change any of it.

Are the 76ers over the luxury tax for 2026-27?

Yes — the $213.2M payroll sits above the $200.4M luxury tax line and beyond the $209.0M threshold that triggers extra roster restrictions.

How many games did Joel Embiid play last season?

Just 38, missing close to half the schedule at 31.6 minutes when active — the single number most likely to define how far this season goes.