Nba General Managers Love What The 76ers Did. But There's A Catch.

Anytime a team swings a trade for a player like Jaylen Brown and then inks the league’s all-time leading scorer LeBron James on the cheap, those moves are going to turn heads.

And that’s exactly how NBA general managers viewed the historic offseason of the Philadelphia 76ers, though there was one significant caveat.

The NBA published its annual GM survey – in which the league’s power brokers answer 48 questions – Thursday, Oct. 15, and the Sixers, unsurprisingly, garnered significant attention. When asked which team made the best overall offseason moves, NBA general managers overwhelmingly voted for the 76ers, with 73% picking Philadelphia. The next closest team, the Miami Heat, drew just 10% of votes, by comparison.

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Yet, when asked which team’s level of success for the 2026-27 season is most difficult to project, the Sixers also garnered most votes, at 27%. The second place team in that category, the Minnesota Timberwolves, generated 17% of the vote.

The uncertainty is not unfounded.

The 76ers must incorporate two new stars, as the entire starting five is essentially having to adapt to new wrinkles in their roles. In Philadelphia’s first preseason game in which all five starters played, Oct. 8 against the Nets, the 76ers committed 14 first half turnovers, against 12 assists on 16 made field goals.

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Other interesting findings from NBA general manager survey

• The Spurs got plenty of love. Half of the GMs who voted picked San Antonio to win the NBA Finals. An overwhelming 87% of general managers selected the Spurs as having the best young core.
• Victor Wembanyama also was the leader in votes for eight different questions: projected 2026-27 Most Valuable Player (77%); player they would want most to start a franchise (93%); player who forces opposing coaches to make most adjustments (47%); best international player (53%); best defensive player (97%); best interior defender (97%); most versatile defender (30%) and most versatile player (57%).
• The player most likely to have a breakout season was also a Spur, second-year guard Dylan Harper, at 27%.
• The most underrated offseason acquisition: another Spur, forward Tobias Harris (20%).
• The 2026 NBA Draft class was loaded with talent, and GMs picked the most polished, pro-ready player in Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer as the projected 2026-27 Rookie of the Year (50%), over Bulls forward Caleb Wilson (20%), No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa (17%) and No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson (13%), of the Jazz.
• When asked which player would be the best in five seasons, however, both Dybantsa and Wilson tied for first, at 33%.
• Although the 76ers were picked as the best offseason, Miami’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was picked as the one player acquisition who will make the biggest impact, at 53%, compared to Brown (20%) and James (13%).
• The person who will be coaching him, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, was picked as the best head coach in the NBA for the second consecutive season. His vote share, however, fell from 52% last year to 43% this season.
• Two teams tied for most fun to watch: the Timberwolves and Spurs, each at 30%.
• The best pure shooter in the world continues to be Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who overwhelmingly secured 97% of the vote.
• The league’s best passer wasn’t a point guard or forward, but Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, who garnered 87% of the vote.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA general managers love what the 76ers did. But there's a catch.