Thursday, October 1, 2026
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The Philadelphia 76ers officially announced several transactions Monday, highlighted by the acquisition of Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Paul George and four future draft picks.
Monday marked the first day NBA teams could officially complete trades and free-agent signings for the 2026-27 season. Many of the moves reported over the past week are now official, including finalized contract terms and trade compensation.
The first official move announced by the Sixers was the signing of veteran forward Dean Wade, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Philadelphia signed Wade to a four-year deal worth up to $39 million that includes a partial guarantee for the fourth year.
Wade, 29, averaged 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds for Cleveland last season and is expected to join the Sixers’ starting lineup this season, barring any additional acquisitions.
With plenty of starting experience in the regular season and the playoffs and experience working as a glue guy among stars, Wade is projected to add significant value to Philadelphia’s starting lineup due to his defensive versatility, connective passing and floor-stretching ability.
The Sixers also announced the completion of their trade for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown. Philadelphia’s most notable addition of the offseason, Brown brings championship experience to Philadelphia while operating as a more natural fit and connector between the timelines of Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
Brown, 29, averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists over 71 games and finished in sixth place in the 2025-26 NBA Most Valuable Player voting. The five-time All-Star and 2024 Finals MVP forms a new Big Four in Philadelphia, alongside Maxey, Embiid and VJ Edgecombe.
In announcing the deal, the Sixers also included the finalized compensation, which includes nine-time All-Star George, a 2028 first round pick (the LA Clippers’ own) that, if it is top 16, instead becomes the unprotected right for Boston to swap its currently-held 2028 first round pick (the worst of Boston’s and San Antonio’s) with the better of the LA Clippers’ of (if Philadelphia’s is top 8) Philadelphia’s 2028 first round pick. Philadelphia’s 2031 unprotected first-round pick. The most favorable 2028 second-round pick among Golden State’s, Milwaukee’s, or Oklahoma City’s. The more favorable 2030 second round pick among Phoenix’s, Portland’s, or Washington’s.
When Mike Gansey emphasized improving the Sixers' depth earlier this offseason, Anfernee Simons wasn't a player many initially connected to Philadelphia. Still, he fills several needs for the team, most notably the need for volume three-point shooting. Around their new Big Four of Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown and Embiid, the Sixers will need as much off-ball shooting as possible and Simons has proven to be among the best available.
Simons, 27, averaged 14.3 points while shooting 38.5% from three on 6.9 attempts per game in 55 games with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls. What makes him a particularly intriguing bench option is his offensive versatility, capable of working both on and off the ball and scoring at all three levels.
The Sixers' guard depth was in rough shape even before the trade that sent Jared McCain to Oklahoma City and that lack of depth caught up to Philadelphia down the stretch of the regular season and especially in the postseason. Simons' size, 6-foot-3, and well-documented defensive struggles will be something he and the team have to overcome, but as a bench scorer, Simons has the potential to become Philadelphia's most dynamic bench scorer since Lou Williams.
The Sixers came into the offseason with a clear need to bolster their center depth. Former Knicks center Ariel Hukporti is more developmental than many expected the Sixers to target, but the team does not appear to be finished at that position, and Hukporti provides a similar skill set as Adem Bona, but notably with a true seven-footer's frame.
Hukporti, 24, averaged 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds while serving as New York's third center last season. In the postseason, he played 10 games, averaging an impressive 3.2 rebounds in 7.6 minutes, translating to an impressive 15.8 rebounds per 100 possessions.
He may not solve the Sixers' complete needs behind Joel Embiid, but Hukporti will bring some much-needed rebounding, energy, and rim protection off the bench.
Philadelphia signed Hukporti to a deal worth more than the league minimum. That could be a sign of how highly they view him or how competitive his market was, but it also allows the Sixers to use him as a trade asset that carries a higher cap number than many of their other depth pieces, who could be discussed closer to the deadline. The league's current collective bargaining agreement also has restrictions on trading minimum contracts, particularly combining multiple minimum deals. By signing for an amount above the minimum, the Sixers do not have to worry about these restrictions if they look to move Hukporti closer to the trade deadline.
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