The 76ers have struck gold again. Can they still improve?

All-time greats are defined by their stats, individual awards, and skill set. But in recent years, one sentiment has emerged from the depths of NBA discourse: a valuing of arguably the most important accolade of all: NBA championships.

This newfound sentiment has been aptly named "Ring Culture", and has brought forth debates that previously would've never been brought up. Players like Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard have seen massive shifts in their discourse, often for the better. In contrast, players like James Harden and Luka Doncic have seen the opposite happen, with NBA fans refusing to acknowledge their greatness until they win a championship.

So now, because of this shift in discourse, players past their prime have begun to change teams, joining up with current stars in hopes of capturing one final championship. This phenomenon has been seen in players like Kevin Durant, James Harden, and most importantly, LeBron James.

The Philadelphia 76ers have had one hell of an off-season.

They ended out their 2025-26 season being swept in the 2nd-round of the playoffs by the eventual champion New York Knicks.

At the start of Free Agency, things didn't look much better. Key rotation pieces like Kelly Oubre, Quentin Grimes, and Andre Drummond departed, leaving Philly drained of any depth. Their roster was toast. If it remained how it was, they would be outside of playoff contention.

All hope was lost until a miracle happened.

On July 1st, 2026, the Boston Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a 36-year-old Paul George and 2 1st-round picks.

This was the steal of the century.

Jaylen Brown just had the season of his career, making the All-NBA 2nd team, being named an All-Star, and even being in MVP conversations, and Philly got him for a 36-year-old washed-up star and 2 1st-round picks.

But their luck didn't stop there.

LeBron James announced that he would be leaving the Lakers and signing with a new team, and that new team just so happened to be the 76ers.

The 76ers signed LeBron James to a 2-year, $7.8 million contract, the ultimate bargain.

They now have arguably the best starting lineup in the NBA.

Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid- 4 offensive juggernauts, all in a single starting unit.

After being caught in the trenches of player movement, Philly finally got their fast break and are now in talks of being one of the best teams in the NBA.

But how can they become THE best team?

Despite their ultimate star power, they still have some holes.

Their best defenders are currently Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid, who, while being above average defensively, cannot carry a lineup alongside Maxey and LeBron.

Their defense is average at best, and they don't have much depth.

So can they continue their off-season dominance and fix yet another hole?

What can they do?

Well, nothing.

As much as it'd be nice to see Philly build a deep, gritty defensive core around their current starting lineup, there is simply no room for them to add anyone else.

Their salary cap currently sits at around $207 million, leaving them with $3.2 million in apron space.

And while technically they still can sign players at a minimum, nobody left on the market is worth going into the 1st apron over.

Even if they had the money left, they have very little roster space left, which will likely go to moving up 2-way players.

Even a trade is unlikely at this time, as a good amount of their players have been recently signed or traded, making them untradeable, and the players who can be traded are guys like Maxey, Embiid, and Edgecombe, players that Philly doesn't want to trade.

Their lack of available roster moves doesn't completely mean they won't be able to fill their holes, as there is one more possibility.

Sometimes, the smartest move is realizing when to stop making moves.

The only chance the 76ers have at filling their depth and defense issues is hoping that their young players such as VJ Edgecombe, Justin Edwards, and Labaron Philon can develop and fill some of their weaknesses, but until then, we must rank Philly as they are now.

And what are they now?

I would say a potential finals team; analytical fans would probably call them a second-round exit, and NBA bag Twitter would likely already have the Larry O Brien tattooed on them.

What I'm getting at is there is really no telling how this season will pan out for the 76ers.

Will they be better than they were last year?

Can they get their revenge and beat the Knicks?

Can they achieve the ultimate goal and secure a championship?

Philadelphia 76ers potential 2026-27 starting lineup + bench:

PG: Tyrese Maxey SG: VJ Edgecombe SF: Jaylen Brown PF: LeBron James C: Joel Embiid

G: Labaron Philon, Anfernee Simons F: Justin Edwards, Dean Wade, Dominik Barlow C: Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti