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In the 2024-25 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers have the chance to rewrite the narrative their putrid playoff history has pinned on them. Joel Embiid got better again under a new head coach and is arguably the best player in the game when healthy. Tyrese Maxey's upward trajectory has not tailed off. Adding Paul George to the equation should produce enough fireworks to rival Independence Day. The roster around them is adequate enough to make the 76ers better than they were last season.
At full strength, the Sixers should be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. However, the caveat of being fully healthy will loom over them all season. Embiid is going to be even more cautious and George is already dealing with a knee issue. They have the assets to get better during the season but will probably do their best to coast through the regular season and turn it on in the postseason.
Here are three bold 76ers predictions for the 2024-25 season.
76ers post dominant offense but middle-of-the-pack defense
As it stands, the 76ers' roster is set up to be a juggernaut on offense and a middling squad on defense. If Embiid and George weren’t assumed to be out for significant portions of the season, they could be a good pick to rank in the top five for offensive rating.
The 76ers struggled immensely on defense without Embiid last year and their offseason additions don’t inspire much confidence in a revival on that end of the floor the way they do for the offensive end, which adds a smooth scoring machine like George, a well-rounded scoring option off the wing in Caleb Martin and shooters like Eric Gordon and Jared McCain. With those talents and Nick Nurse stressing an up-tempo attack on offense, the Sixers will always have defenses on their heels.
Defensively, besides Embiid, there isn’t much to be excited about. Philly has multiple athletic, versatile wings for the first time in forever but none of them are legitimate game-changers. Andre Drummond will be excellent for soaking up rebounds but isn’t elite at keeping offenses from pouring in points in the paint. The best defensive presence among the guards is Kyle Lowry, who’s frisky but far from what he used to be.
The point of attack could be a major problem for the 76ers, especially without Embiid there to clean up messes. The big man is a massive ceiling and floor raiser on defense but when he doesn’t play, the drop-off might be huge.
KJ Martin and one of Kelly Oubre Jr. or Jared McCain get traded
Daryl Morey has been painstakingly patient when it comes to making big deals — he waited for months to trade Ben Simmons and James Harden — so he may wait until next season to make another big move using the 76ers' tradable contracts. However, he may be compelled to use them at this trade deadline. Several of those deals have player options and account for salaries that the Sixers may not be able to get back next offseason given their proximity to the second apron and status as a tax-paying team.
Martin seems as certain as any role player can be to be included in a trade. Oubre, despite having more prominence on the team, may also be used in a deal. Even McCain might be used in a trade. Being picked 16th overall dealt him a decently substantial contract. His $4 million salary can solve the salary-matching gymnastics easier providing the Sixers' trade partner with an intriguing prospect.
While the 76ers surely want to have McCain around for the future, developing him into a valuable contributor on a cheap contract, they don’t have a treasure chest of draft picks to pull trade assets from. If push comes to shove, the Sixers may sacrifice having a young building block for a more established supportive piece.
Looking solely at the required salary for trades, here are some different combinations and potential targets the Sixers could acquire using those combined salaries:
- Martin and McCain (just under $12 million): Donte DiVincenzo, Royce O'Neale, Maxi Kleber
- Martin and Oubre (just under $16 million): Grant Williams, Josh Green, Dorian Finney-Smith
- Martin, Oubre, and McCain (just under $20 million): Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, Lu Dort
Although using McCain in a trade less than a year after drafting him just outside the lottery would place a lot of pressure on the trade to work out, it might be the best option the 76ers have if they want to upgrade their rotation right away.
76ers miss top-three seed but make the Eastern Conference Finals
While health concerns for Embiid and George don’t suggest the Sixers will reach a high win total, they should be one of the absolute best teams in the East. They will have just a few foes as mighty as they are…when they’re at full strength.
The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks have their own players with injury histories to worry about but they probably won’t be in the same boat as Philly, whose best and third-best player will be held out for a bunch of games. This will make it especially tough for the Sixers to keep up with the Celtics and Knicks in the standings because their roster is so top-heavy. Both Boston and New York go at least six deep with stars or high-level, young role players.
Teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic may be built more for the regular season, thus possibly leapfrogging the Sixers. However, once the playoffs roll around, assuming the Sixers have kept PG and Embiid healthy, this season may finally be the one where they win two series. Maxey, after learning how to be a top option on the fly, performed sensationally last playoffs, giving Philly lots of hope.
Limitations on his game notwithstanding, Embiid has been routinely held back by injuries and substandard supporting casts. It's hard to predict how much luck he will have with either, especially this far out. But if there was ever a season where he'll have ample support from his teammates AND his body, it's this one.
The Sixers may have what it takes to win in the second round but the Finals may still be out of their reach. The Celtics still look very much like the team to beat, especially at full strength. Still, Philly can take a meaningful step toward the ultimate goal in the 2024-25 season.
