What you need to know about the Philadelphia 76ers' free agents, cap space and more
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Following another disappointing playoff exit in the NBA playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers are entering the most important offseason of the Joel Embiid era.
Tobias Harris' monster contract will finally be off the books, which will give Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey plenty of cap space to build around Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey.
Here's everything you need to know about the Sixers' free agents, cap space and more.
Sixers' free agents
The Sixers will likely look like a completely different team in the 2024-25 season.
Below is a list of Philly's free agents:
- Tyrese Maxey
- Tobias Harris
- Buddy Hield
- Nicolas Batum
- Robert Covington
- De'Anthony Melton
- Kyle Lowry
- Kelly Oubre
- Mo Bamba
- Kenyon Martin Jr.
- Cameron Payne
- Terquavion Smith
It's important to note that Maxey and Smith are restricted free agents and the rest are unrestricted.
The Sixers won't let Maxey, the 23-year-old rising star and winner of the 2023-24 NBA Most Improved Player Award, go anywhere. Philly didn't lock him up to a contract extension during the season to have flexibility entering this offseason. He's set to get a max contract and could earn even more money if he ends up on an All-NBA team.
If Maxey did sign an offer sheet from another team, the Sixers would have the chance to match that offer -- same with Smith.
In his season-ending press conference, Morey said the Sixers were interested in a lot of their players set to hit the open market.
Philly can exercise Bird rights on every free agent except Oubre, Payne, Bamba and Lowry.
Bird rights are a salary cap exception in the CBA that allows teams to go above the salary cap. There are three types of Bird rights: Non-Bird rights, Early Bird rights and Full Birds rights.
Sixers under contract
The only players the Sixers have under contract for the 2024-25 season are Embiid, backup center Paul Reed and guards Ricky Council IV and Jeff Dowtin.
Embiid is under contract through at least the 2025-26 season and has a player option for the 2026-27 season.
Reed, who will make $15.8 million, is on the books for the next two seasons. But because the Sixers lost in the first round of the playoffs vs. the New York Knicks, his salary isn't guaranteed.
Dowtin has a club option for the upcoming season, and Council, who flashed at times in the 2023-24 season, is set to play on a non-guaranteed deal in the 2024-25 season.
Sixers cap space
Morey will have plenty of money to spend this offseason to build a contending team around Embiid and Maxey. The Sixers are projected to have $55.5 million in cap space.
They can create up to $65 million in space by renouncing the cap holds of their free agents, but that would come with the cost of losing their Bird rights.
Wing targets for Sixers
Following the team's playoff loss to the Knicks, Morey said in his season-ending press conference the Sixers need a wing who can deliver in the playoffs alongside Embiid and Maxey. There are plenty of wings the Sixers could pursue, and there have already been plenty of rumors and reports connecting them to Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George and Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler.
George has a player option, so he would have to opt out of his deal, but Butler would have to be acquired via trade.
Other targets include Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who also has a player option, New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan and Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam.
Ingram and Durant would also have to be acquired through a trade and DeRozan and Siakam are set to become unrestricted free agents.
Sixers 2024 NBA draft picks
The Sixers own their own pick at 16, just outside the lottery, in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft. They also have a second-round pick they got from the Boston Celtics in the Jaden Springer trade at the deadline.
The Sixers forfeited their own second round pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft following an investigation for tampering for P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr.
When does NBA free agency start?
NBA teams can start negotiating with all upcoming free agents starting at 6 p.m. on June 30 about a week after the 2024 NBA draft.
On July 6, NBA teams can officially start signing free agents to contracts at 12:01 p.m.
All salary cap and contract numbers are courtesy of Spotrac.com.
