A Look At Sixers' Depth Chart After Brown Trade, Initial Free Agency Wave

A look at Sixers' depth chart after Brown trade, initial free agency wave  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The dust hasn’t fully settled yet.

Whatever’s next, it’s safe to say the Sixers’ opening-night roster will look considerably different than the team swept out of the playoffs by the Knicks. Jaylen Brown’s coming to Philadelphia in a stunning trade, Paul George is off to Boston, and several notable role players changed teams in the first wave of free agency:

Let’s run through a rough depth chart for the Sixers after an awfully memorable day: 

Starters 

Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, Dean Wade, Joel Embiid

Health permitting, it doesn’t seem like the starters will be a difficult decision for head coach Nick Nurse. Brown and Wade should take the forward slots occupied by George and Kelly Oubre Jr. last postseason. 

The Sixers will primarily ask Wade to play high-quality defense on opposing stars and shoot open three-pointers. They’ll believe Edgecombe will keep growing offensively, but he’s already shown he can help in the playoffs as an ultra-athletic defender and good guard rebounder. No question Maxey, Brown and Embiid will all get substantial touches as the Sixers figure out the nuances of playing together and optimizing their top-end talent. 

Bench guards

Labaron Philon Jr. 

Only one player listed here for now, and a rookie at that. The Sixers do have multiple non-guards capable of handling the ball and creating offense in the half court, including Brown and Embiid, but they currently appear thin at this spot with Quentin Grimes reportedly set to join the Lakers.

Even if Maxey and Edgecombe stay healthy and remain among the NBA’s minutes leaders, a solid, experienced guard would surely be useful. 

Bench wings/forwards 

Justin Edwards, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, Dalen Terry 

As things stand, both the 22-year-old Edwards and 23-year-old Barlow should have a strong chance to retain roles in the rotation. 

Barlow brought a little bit of almost everything to the table last season, although his lack of outside shooting means he’s not a perfect fit in every lineup. Edwards had an uneven second season, but Nurse is a fan of the lefty wing and especially likes that he’s unabashed about launching threes. 

Walker and Terry have standard NBA deals now after initially signing two-way contractswith the Sixers. Walker’s 2026-27 salary is partially guaranteed and Terry’s is non-guaranteed, according to Spotrac.

Bench centers 

Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti, Johni Broome 

Hukporti is an intriguing pickup on a one-year contract. He and Bona are each aggressive defenders with eye-catching athleticism and offensive limitations. 

Bona and unrestricted free agent Andre Drummond were the Sixers’ main backup centers last year. Perhaps Bona will compete internally next season with a big man around his age in the 24-year-old Hukporti. 

Broome, who will turn 24 later this month, had his rookie year derailed when he suffered a right knee lateral meniscus tear in February. He was available again by the playoffs and made two postseason garbage-time appearances. 

A veteran center signing wouldn’t be surprising. Counting the Brown deal and the Wade and Hukporti additions, the Sixers are at 13 players on their roster. For the regular season, the maximum is 15 standard contracts plus three two-ways.