By the Numbers: What Last Season's Stat Line Says About This…

By the 76ers Nightly Desk · Friday, September 25

The 76ers haven't played a 2026-27 game yet, so every number below comes from last season's 45-37 finish and a -0.1 net rating that ranked 18th league-wide. Nothing here predicts this season; it only sets the baseline this new roster has to clear.

76ers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

How far past the tax line does this roster actually sit?

The 76ers carry $213.2 million in salary across 18 contracts, above the $200.4 million luxury tax line and past a first-apron threshold set at $209.0 million, with Embiid ($58.1M), Brown ($57.1M) and Maxey ($40.8M) covering the bulk of it. That number says ownership is paying to compete now. It says nothing about whether the roster it bought is actually better than last year's.

Was last season's -0.1 net rating as bad as the record made it look?

Philadelphia finished last season 45-37, but a 114.3 offensive rating and 114.4 defensive rating netted out to -0.1, a mark that ranked 18th in the league, at a pace of 100.4. That's dead-even basketball, not a broken team and not a good one. It proves last season's group was replacement-level. It proves nothing about a roster that now includes Brown, LeBron and a healthier Edgecombe.

Who actually led this roster in scoring last season, before the trades?

Jaylen Brown averaged 28.7 points a game last season, edging Tyrese Maxey's 28.3 and well clear of Joel Embiid's 26.9 in a season Embiid played just 38 games. Brown did that in Boston, not Philadelphia. It shows the newest starter already scored like a number-one option. It doesn't show that three number-one options fit on the same floor.

How much basketball did Joel Embiid actually play last season?

Embiid suited up for just 38 games last season, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 31.6 minutes when he did play. Those per-game marks are still elite production. They prove Embiid can play at that level in short bursts. They say nothing about whether he can do it across a full season next to a 41-year-old James.

Does VJ Edgecombe's rookie season back up the hype?

Edgecombe played all 75 games last season, averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 35.4 percent shooting from three, as a rookie. That's a full season of production with no missed time, something neither Embiid nor Brown can currently claim. It proves he's already a real rotation piece. It doesn't prove he's more than that once Maxey, Brown and LeBron are all healthy and asking for shots.

The verdictNone of these numbers come from a game played this season, and they won't matter until preseason opens October 5 against the Knicks. What they show is a $213.2 million roster built from parts that all produced on their own last season, with no proof yet the sum beats the pieces.

What is the 76ers' payroll for 2026-27?

The 76ers are carrying $213.2 million in salary across 18 contracts, above the $200.4 million luxury tax line and the $209.0 million first apron.

How many games did Joel Embiid play last season?

Embiid played 38 games last season, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists.