By the Numbers: $213.2 Million Bought This Team, Not a…

By the 76ers Nightly Desk · Monday, September 28

Philadelphia opens 2026-27 at 0-0, so every number here comes from last season or the numbers already locked into this roster. None of it wins a game by itself, but it sets exactly what this group has to work with before camp even opens.

76ers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

How far over the line is this roster, really?

The 76ers carry 18 contracts worth $213.2 million, already past the $209.0 million first apron and closing in on the $221.7 million second apron. That number restricts what Bob Myers can do in-season more than it describes talent. It's a spending problem before it's a wins problem, and it caps the moves available if this roster needs fixing in January.

Does last season's -0.1 net rating mean anything for this season?

Philadelphia finished last season at 114.3 offense and 114.4 defense, both ranked 16th of 30, for a -0.1 net rating that landed 18th in the league. That's a below-average team by the count, full stop. It doesn't include Jaylen Brown or LeBron James, since neither played a minute in that split, so it's a floor, not a forecast.

What does the 45-37 finish actually prove?

That record got the 76ers to 45-37 without a full season from Joel Embiid, who played just 38 games. It says this group can stay competitive without its best player on the floor every night. It doesn't say whether 38 games is close to what to expect from Embiid this time either, and that number matters more than any offseason move.

What's left in the draft cupboard after all the trading?

Philadelphia kept its 2027 and 2030 first-round picks outright, but the 2028 first is protected and the 2030 second is owed to New York. That's a lighter cupboard than a team spending $213.2 million usually wants heading into a season with no wins yet. It leaves less room to recover if this roster's approach doesn't work, since the picks to rebuild with are already spoken for.

What does Maxey's 28.3 points a game actually tell you?

Tyrese Maxey averaged 28.3 points on 36.7 percent from three across 70 games last season, the most durable number on the roster next to Edgecombe's 75. That's a foundation piece playing at an All-Star level with the games to back it. It doesn't say how his role changes now that Brown and James are both drawing touches in the same offense.

The verdictNone of these numbers require the 76ers to be good this season; they describe a $213.2 million roster sitting above the first apron before a single 2026-27 game tips off. Whether that spending translates into wins depends on things no column of numbers can settle in September.

Are the 76ers over the luxury tax this season?

Yes. Philadelphia's $213.2 million payroll sits above both the $209.0 million first apron and the $200.4 million luxury tax line.

How many games did Joel Embiid play last season?

38 games, averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds when he was on the floor.