The National Basketball Association is a few days away, and it is once again time to preview every NBA franchise. I will be covering the teams in the Eastern Conference and my colleague, Joel Beatton, will feature teams in the Western Conference. Today we are featuring the Philadelphia 76ers.
Key Acquisition
The 76ers were busy in the offseason, as they added five new players. That might be a bit surprising for a team that was a respectable 12 games above .500 a year ago. The new Philadelphia players are small forward Caleb Martin of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, point guard Reggie Jackson of Pordenone, Italy, shooting guard Eric Gordon of Indianapolis, Indiana, power forward Paul George of Palmdale, California, and center Andre Drummond of Mount Vernon, New York.
George signed a four-year deal worth $212 million on July 6. The nine-time All-Star from Palmdale, California is joining his fourth NBA franchise after previously playing seven seasons with the Indiana Pacers from 2010 to 2017 (most improved player in 2012 to 2013), two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2017 to 2019), and the last five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. In 2023-24, George averaged 22.6 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 3.5 assists per game, and 1.5 steals per game. A stealing specialist, George led the NBA with 2.2 steals per game while with the Thunder in 2018-19. This past season, he also had a field goal percentage of .471, three point percentage of .413, and a free throw percentage of .907.
Martin signed a four-year contract worth $32 million on July 6. He is joining his third National Basketball Association franchise. Martin played his first two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets from 2019 to 2021, and the last three seasons with the Heat. In 2023-24, Martin averaged 10 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game. He also had a field goal percentage of .431, three-point percentage of .349, and a free throw percentage of .778. Martin had career-highs in points per game, and assists per game.
Jackson signed a one-year deal worth $3.3 million on July 29. He is joining his fifth NBA franchise. He previously played four seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2011 to 2015), six seasons with the Detroit Pistons (2016 to 2020), four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers (2020 to 2023), and two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, where he won the 2023 NBA Finals. This past season in 2023-24 with the Nuggets, Jackson averaged 10.2 points per game, 3.8 assists per game, and 1.9 rebounds per game. He also has a field goal percentage of .431, three point percentage of .359, and a free throw percentage of .806.
Gordon signed a two-year deal worth $6.8 million on July 10. He is joining his fifth NBA franchise after four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers (2008 to 2011, and 2022 to 2023), five seasons with the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2011 to 2016), seven seasons with the Houston Rockets from 2016 to 2023, where he was the sixth man of the year in 2016-17, and one season with the Phoenix Suns in 2023-24. This past season in Phoenix, Gordon averaged 11 points per game, two assists per game, 1.8 rebounds per game and one steal per game. He had a field goal percentage of .443, three point percentage of .378, and a free throw percentage of .797.
Drummond signed a two-year deal worth $10 million on June 30. The two-time All-Star has led the NBA in rebounding four times.
Fantasy Stars
Joel Embiid of Yaounde, Cameroon is fifth among centers, while George is seventh among small forwards and 10th among power forwards. This past season, Embiid had 34.7 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, 5.6 assists per game, 1.7 blocks per game, and 1.2 assists per game. He had a field goal percentage of .529, three point percentage of .388, and free throw percentage of .883.
Projected Finish
The 76ers are definitely a playoff team, and a deep playoff run is very possible. It could take some time for this newly formed group in Philadelphia to gel, so at this time, I am expecting a third place finish in the Atlantic Division behind Boston and New York.
