The Philadelphia 76ers have made some significant offseason moves in hopes of ending their 25-year NBA Finals drought.
The 76ers pulled off a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown from Eastern Conference rivals, the Boston Celtics.
They only gave up Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks for the 29-point-per-game scorer.
76ers general manager Mike Gansey has also completed several signings in free agency, including a massively underrated deal.
Anfernee Simons signing transforms the Philadelphia 76ers into title contenders
The Philadelphia 76ers signed three players in free agency: Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade and Ariel Hukporti.
Wade is expected to start at the power forward position, while Hukporti will compete with Adem Bona for the backup center role.
Simons is by far the 76ers’ most impactful signing, and he is arguably the most underrated deal of the NBA offseason.
The 76ers’ biggest problem in the 2026 playoffs, in which they were swept by the New York Knicks, was their lack of depth.
Quentin Grimes was the leading scorer on the 76ers’ second unit, with just 6.7 points per game in the postseason.
Philadelphia have immediately addressed this issue by signing Simons to a two-year, $12 million deal.
The former Portland Trail Blazers guard has averaged more than 15 points per game in each of the last five seasons.
Simons was sixth in the league for three-pointers made off the bench last year, with above-average efficiency.
For $9m per season less than the Los Angeles Lakers signed Grimes for, Simons’ contract is an absolute bargain.
He will provide the spark plug off the bench that the 76ers needed to be serious title contenders next season.
Philadelphia 76ers depth chart after free agency
The Philadelphia 76ers’ updated depth chart looks extremely strong ahead of the 2026/27 NBA season.
Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe should continue to be among the best starting backcourts in the league.
Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown is a major upgrade on 36-year-old Paul George at this stage of their respective careers.
| Position | Starter | Second Unit | Third Unit |
| PG | Tyrese Maxey | Labaron Philon Jr | Caleb Love |
| SG | VJ Edgecombe | Anfernee Simons | Dalen Terry |
| SF | Jaylen Brown | Justin Edwards | Rayan Rupert |
| PF | Dean Wade | Jabari Walker | Dominick Barlow |
| C | Joel Embiid | Adem Bona | Ariel Hukporti |
As is the case every season, the 76ers’ title hopes will largely depend on Joel Embiid’s ability to stay fit throughout the postseason.
Their bench depth is still lacking quality, but Anfernee Simons’ offense will save the 76ers from having one of the worst benches in the NBA.
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