Philadelphia spent the off-season assembling four max-level scorers under one cap sheet, then let Kyle Lowry, MarJon Beauchamp and Tyrese Martin walk without a reported replacement. The 76ers are 0-0, and the question that actually decides this season won't get answered until the games do.
Why give up two first-round picks and Paul George for Jaylen Brown?
Philadelphia sent Boston two first-round picks, two seconds and George to land Brown, who averaged 28.7 points last season shooting 34.7 percent from three. George had been the second option at 17.3 points over just 37 games. The trade bets that Brown's size and two-way game solve problems George's game never touched, at the cost of two firsts and a lot of future flexibility.
Can the 76ers actually afford this roster?
The payroll sits at $213.2 million across 18 contracts, already past the $200.4 million luxury tax line and the $209.0 million first apron, and closing in on the $221.7 million second apron. Embiid ($58.1M), Brown ($57.1M), Maxey ($40.8M) and Edgecombe ($11.7M) make up most of that number. Cross the second apron and the front office loses trade tools it already spent two firsts to keep.
Who brings the ball up now that Lowry's gone?
Kyle Lowry, MarJon Beauchamp and Tyrese Martin all left on September 21, and no replacement has been reported since. That leaves Maxey, James and rookie Labaron Philon as the only real table-setters left, with Caleb Love behind them and little else. Four stars can create their own shots. None of them fixes the minutes a backup point guard used to cover.
Does Embiid's health decide this whole season?
Embiid played 38 games last season, averaging 26.9 points on 33.3 percent shooting from three when he was available. Last season's 45-37 finish and -0.1 net rating happened with him missing roughly half the schedule. Adding Brown and James raises the ceiling on paper, but Philadelphia hasn't shown it can reach that ceiling with Embiid healthy for anything close to a full year.
Is this actually a better team than the one that got swept?
On paper, yes: Brown's 28.7 points and James' 7.2 assists per game outweigh what George gave a shrinking role last season. On record, nobody knows yet. The 76ers are 0-0, preseason has produced one win over the Knicks and one loss at Brooklyn, and the first real answer on fit arrives October 20 against New York.
Is Joel Embiid injured heading into the 2026-27 season?
Embiid does not appear on the 76ers' injury list right now. Last season he played just 38 games, so health, not a current injury, is the open question.
How far over the cap are the 76ers, and does it matter?
Philadelphia's payroll is $213.2 million, above the $200.4 million luxury tax line and the $209.0 million first apron, and closing in on the $221.7 million second apron. Crossing that second line would cost the front office trade tools it already gave up two first-round picks to protect.
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