Sixers Finish Preseason 1-3, Add Two Names Before the Opener

By the 76ers Nightly Desk · Saturday, October 17

Philadelphia closed the preseason 1-3 after a 120-125 overtime loss to Boston, and the roster turned over again with Taye Fields and Cris Carroll joining. The real opener is Tuesday at the Knicks, and Dean Wade's ankle is the one injury note the roster didn't have before that loss.

76ers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

What's the Dean Wade situation?

Wade picked up an ankle issue in the preseason finale, the one injury note this roster didn't have going in. He now carries a day-to-day tag alongside Edgecombe, Simons, Bona and Barlow ahead of Tuesday's opener at the Knicks. Last season he played 59 games at 22.3 minutes a night — exactly the frontcourt depth this team can't easily replace for a stretch.

Who are Taye Fields and Cris Carroll, and why do they matter?

They're the two names who joined the roster to fill the spots opened when Saint Thomas and Duke Miles were cut. Neither shows up in the box score from the finale against Boston, so there's nothing to grade yet — judge them once the regular season opens, not on preseason numbers that don't exist.

Does 1-3 in the preseason mean anything?

Not much, based on the box score. Embiid closed with 27 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists on 7-of-13 shooting; Maxey had 22 and 6 assists; Brown had 20 and 8 rebounds. The record is 1-3, the stars showed up every night, and the finale itself went to overtime and still got away.

What's the money picture heading into games that count?

$213.2 million in payroll, past the $200.4 million luxury-tax line and over the apron threshold. Embiid ($58.1M), Brown ($57.1M) and Maxey ($40.8M) make up most of it. That number is the actual bet here — not the roster churn at the bottom with Fields and Carroll.

What's the schedule the rest of this month?

Tuesday at the Knicks opens the regular season, then the Cavaliers, the Bucks and the Pistons follow before October 25. Four games against four different opponents in less than a week, and the first real data on whether this roster is what Philadelphia is actually paying for.

The verdictThe preseason is over at 1-3, the roster is full again, and the only new injury note belongs to Dean Wade's ankle. None of that changes the actual question: can Embiid, Maxey and Brown stay on the floor together once Tuesday counts.

Did the 76ers make roster moves today?

Yes. Taye Fields and Cris Carroll joined the roster, filling the spots opened by the Saint Thomas and Duke Miles cuts.

Is Dean Wade expected to play in the opener?

He carries a day-to-day tag for an ankle issue; no further detail has been given beyond that.

By the 76ers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.