My brain melted yesterday, thought it was Sunday, not Thursday.

Anyway, today’s Friday. I guess.

Here’s the latest from Tarrytown as we keep hearing from different Knicks.

Mike Brown

On Josh Hart’s injured finger and the toughness it reflects:

“Josh, he’s a handsome young man. But that finger is ugly. So, I don’t look at it. But it adds to his toughness. Josh is a tough son of a gun, man. I can’t even watch when he [shakes his hand], because I’m just like, oh, my gosh I can’t imagine having a finger like that.

“But it just shows who he is. He’s tough but, more importantly, there’s dedication there to wanting to be a great shooter, and you’ve got to put it into work. And he puts in the work, even though his finger’s bothering him. And even though it’s a little crooked, he’s putting in the work to get it right. [Shooting coach] Pete [Patton] and the rest of the coaches are helping him out, and it shows that he can shoot at a high level with the dedication he has in the first place.”

On OG Anunoby’s playoff performance boosting his All-Star case:

“It should help him a ton because guys that are quiet naturally, they have a hard time getting the necessary publicity and promotion toward being an All-Star, unless you’re doing something extraordinary and people start talking about it — like OG in the playoffs. So doing it in the playoffs and having people talk about it should have carryover, in my opinion, since he helped us win the championship.

“And he was in the conversation for [NBA] Finals MVP. That should definitely help create calls for him to have a case to be an All-Star this year. He’s still got to go earn it, but he should be in everybody’s conversation from the beginning.”

On Anunoby’s shooting ability:

“He’s not [at Stephen Curry] or [Klay Thompson’s] level but the next tier. He’s way better than I thought.”

On Anunoby’s confidence, shooting and the Knicks’ spacing:

“His confidence is really high. And I thought during the playoffs we did a really good job of touching the paint and taking the right 3s. With OG being 6-foot-7 with long arms, if you’re closing to him with a smaller guy or a guard, it’s going to be good for us because they try to put their best player on Jalen, and sometimes, their best player is a bigger perimeter defender.

“So that means OG may have a smaller guy [defending him]. That’s not impacting him when he shoots the basketball.

“So I think first starts off with him, yes; he’s way better than what I thought. I would categorize him as a great shooter. But more importantly, I thought our spacing and our ability to touch the paint and spray it helped out a lot.”

On his plans for the preseason games:

“We’ll try to ease them in. The last game is always a dress rehearsal, but we’ll try to build them up leading to that game.”

On the Knicks’ conditioning entering camp after a short summer:

“All the guys look like they’re in pretty good shape, especially for a short summer. We have a conditioning test that we did last year and this year that the guys have to pass to get into camp and they all passed it.”

On James Wiseman’s presence at training camp:

“Fantastic human being, fantastic young man…. Good to see him in the gym. When you’re that long and that athletic, with skill – he has skill – there’s a place for you in this league. Sometimes it takes the right moment, the right team, the right situation, all that stuff, to be able to fit someplace and grow. We have a lot of great guys in camp that have potential of impacting us in a lot of different ways throughout the course of the year. He’s definitely one of the many guys that we have that we’re excited about.”

On Tony Bradley after his training camp signing:

“We’re looking for bigs. Tony’s a veteran guy that’s still in his prime and has a good feel for the game, knows how to play the game the right way and he’s hurt us in the past. To be honest, when a guy hurts you in the past, you tend to remember him more than others. So to be able to add him to camp was a positive for us because again, I said this last year, (Karl-Anthony Towns) has one of the most (challenging positions) out of everybody because I want to move him around when I play him at center. I want to play him at power forward; (when he’s at) power forward 1-4 is interchangeable. Same with OG (Anunoby). OG we put him at the 5 last year. We probably will do it a little bit more this year as well.

“But to be able to do that, you’ve gotta have enough centers around on the team, so having Tony here with his skill set and feel is definitely a blessing because we’re looking at that position heavily.”

Josh Hart

On the options to fix his finger:

“The only option for my finger at this point, because of how damaged it is, is a full joint replacement. With a joint replacement, you can’t have the banging, grabbing a rebound, palming it, shooting, catching the ball, doing all that. You can’t do that. So if I did a joint replacement, then I wouldn’t be able to play. So I guess it’s either wrap it until I retire or cut it off. I guess that’s the other option. That’s really the only alternative: either joint replacement, let it go, or, I guess, amputation.

“I mean, there was a lot of stuff that I had to get checked, and that was one of them. It was just with how it deteriorated, the joint and the bone and everything, that’s what it’ll be. So I’ll do that probably when I retire. Hopefully, they can make it straight. You know, it’s a little off center if y’all didn’t realize. So I’m hoping after that joint replacement it can kind of get a little straighter.”

On how the pain in his finger varies from day to day:

“Some days, it’ll be good. Some days it’ll hurt to catch the ball. It varies. I wish I could tell you when I wake up what’s gonna be good, what’s gonna be bad. Somedays it’s good, like a regular functioning finger. And other days it hurts to just close my hand, to make a fist.”

On why a joint replacement would prevent him from playing basketball:

“You can’t have the banging, you know, repetitive, grabbing a rebound, palming it, shooting, catching the ball, doing all that; you can’t do that. It was just with how it deteriorated — the joint and the bone and everything — that’s what it’ll be. So I’ll do that probably when I retire. Hopefully they can make it straight. You know, it’s a little off center if you know y’all didn’t realize.”

On the appearance and functionality of his injured finger:

“I mean, it’s it’s not the prettiest to look at. I would love to have a straight finger, but you know, it works.”

On the physical toll of an NBA career and what fans don’t get:

“I think people think money is everything, and for me, obviously, you want to be compensated fairly for your performance and all that. But at the end of the day, just because you get paid, be blessed in a position to get paid well and take care of our families, [it’s not like] we’re not humans at the same time. I’m sitting here thinking, my knees are aching a little bit, but I want to leave the game and be able to run around and play with my kids when they’re you know 10, 11,12-plus. So that wear and tear, it’s significant to a certain point. If you’re in this league for 14, 15, 16 years, and you see some of these guys that are older, they they got limps, knees are barking, those kind of things. So I think that definitely gets overlooked. But that’s also why I don’t think I’ll play till I’m 40.”

On OG Anunoby’s increased recognition helping his All-Star chances:

“It’s extremely impactful. Obviously, you have to be a gifted and good player to make an All-Star team, but also you have to have the press and all that kind of behind you, bolstering it. So it’s good for people to see how talented he is, how impactful he is on both sides of the ball in the game. So hopefully that recognition will continue throughout this year, and hopefully we’ll be able to get him in.”

On Jalen Brunson’s increased fame following the Knicks title:

“He’s not LeBron, let’s relax.”

On planning to attend Yankees Game 3:

“I think I’m going to be able to get to Game 3. We have a preseason game the next day. So I’m excited, man. I’m excited for New York. Excited for that team.”

Jose Alvarado

On OG Anunoby’s playoff success boosting his confidence:

“That’s definitely a boost of confidence going into this year. OG knows how good he is, and we know how good he is. So he’s gonna continue doing what he does.”

On learning the backcourt rule during his late Game 4 possession:

“I learned on the fly. When I watched the video after, they said you can leave the ball in the backcourt but your body can be in the frontcourt – I didn’t know it was a thing until then. I’m glad it worked out.”

On what has allowed the Knicks to embrace their roles:

“We care for each other, we compete, we want to get each other better”

On whether he always planned to return to the Knicks before signing his extension:

“In my mind, yeah. ‘I want to stay here, I want to stay home.’ We had a chance to do that, and we did it.”

On his championship summer:

“My favorite summer of all time”

Steph Curry left $20 million on the table when he signed a contract extension with the Warriors this offseason.

Curry signed a two-year, $116 million contract extension, which includes a player option for the 2028-29 season. The veteran guard was eligible to sign a deal worth $136.7 million, but opted to take less in order to give the Warriors more financial breathing room.

In an interview with ABC7 News Bay Area, Curry explained how the conversation with his wife, Ayesha, went when he informed her he would be taking somewhat of a pay cut for his remaining years with Golden State.

“That’s why sometimes I realize like, this is not a real place, the NBA, because I can also say, people like, ‘Oh, you stressed out about the decision and all that,’ and the gratitude and understanding, the numbers we’re talking about, and of course there’s team valuations and the salary cap, max numbers and all,” Curry said.

“It goes back to my very first contract, the $11 million (per season), $44 (million) that I signed. You sign contracts based on information that you have and what you feel like is right.

“And you talked about Ayesha, my family, we, everybody’s on the same page of understanding what I have in front of me in the controllables of playing good basketball, staying with the Golden State Warriors and trying to end this thing the right way.”

A few notes from the first three days of Knicks training camp:

BACKUP PLAN

The Knicks are looking at Drew Eubanks, James Wiseman and Tony Bradley as potential third center options during training camp.

I didn’t get the sense that there was a clear favorite heading in to camp. Before training camp, the team told some potential free agents that it was looking for a big man on the younger side. I don’t think this disqualifies Eubanks (29), Bradley (28) or Wiseman (25).

Head coach Mike Brown was asked about both Wiseman and Bradley during training camp news conferences and offered praise for both players.

BROWN ON WISEMAN, WHOM HE COACHED AT GOLDEN STATE

"Fantastic human being, fantastic young man…. Good to see him in the gym. When you’re that long and that athletic, with skill - he has skill - there’s a place for you in this league. Sometimes it takes the right moment, the right team, the right situation, all that stuff, to be able to fit someplace and grow. We have a lot of great guys in camp that have potential of impacting us in a lot of different ways throughout the course of the year. He’s definitely one of the many guys that we have that we’re excited about."

BROWN ON BRADLEY

"We’re looking for bigs. Tony’s a veteran guy that’s still in his prime and has a good feel for the game, knows how to play the game the right way and he’s hurt us in the past. To be honest, when a guy hurts you in the past, you tend to remember him more than others. So to be able to add him to camp was a positive for us because again, I said this last year, (Karl-Anthony Towns) has one of the most (challenging positions) out of everybody because I want to move him around when I play him at center. I want to play him at power forward; (when he’s at) power forward 1-4 is interchangeable. Same with OG (Anunoby). OG we put him at the 5 last year. We probably will do it a little bit more this year as well. 

"But to be able to do that, you’ve gotta have enough centers around on the team, so having Tony here with his skill set and feel is definitely a blessing because we’re looking at that position heavily."

The Knicks can also trade for a third center later in the season. On the wings, I think John Konchar had a solid chance to make the opening night roster before he had to leave training camp due to personal issues. Maybe that creates a lane for Bruce Brown Jr. or Ochai Agbaji? In order to keep a veteran center and veteran wing on the regular season roster, the Knicks would have to trade one of their players on NBA deals. They’d have to do this because they are not going to spend above the second apron in team salary, according to owner James Dolan. If they changed course and decided to spend above the second apron, the Knicks would have the roster spots available to keep both a veteran big and veteran wing without making a trade.

The decision to stay below the second apron gave the Knicks very little chance of retaining Mitchell Robinson.

The Knicks made it clear they will miss Robinson but also are bullish on new backup center Andre Drummond.

"We’re not expecting Andre to come in and be Mitch or impact the game in a lot of different ways than Mitch did,” Brown said this week. “Just be yourself and everybody else has to step up and box out a little harder and come across earlier to help stop the penetration sooner, all those things that will make us a top level team. We can all do a little bit better together."

EXTENSION APPREHENSION? 

It seems unlikely at this point that the Knicks will agree to extensions with Towns, Josh Hart or Miles McBride before the regular season. There is clearly a gap between what the Knicks are offering Towns and what he’s looking for. Logically, the Knicks need to figure out Towns’ situation before they can address Hart or McBride. The club’s immediate financial future is impacted greatly by Towns’ $61 million player option for 2027-28. If he agreed to an extension, Towns would presumably decline the extension and have a lower annual salary for 2027-28.

If extensions are not signed before the season starts, I’m sure Towns, Hart and McBride will maintain the same approach to their job. But, as Hart noted, it’s only natural for contract uncertainty to impact a player’s life on or off the court.

"Once the season starts (and if no extension is reached), I’ll probably have that mentality of 'I don’t really wanna deal with this, I want to try and focus on playing the season.' (But) I’m sure there will probably be a little extra weight to the jersey," Hart said this week. "You don’t know the certainty of your situation and obviously it affects home life. There are certain things that you might want to do, but you’re like ‘I can’t, because I have no idea what the situation will be in two months, three months, four months, in a year, if I’m gonna be here or not.’ You don’t know. But hopefully, like I said, I’m a Knick, I’d love to be a Knick and I love the city."

"…At the end of the day, we’re humans and I think what sometimes gets lost is that we are people, that we all have lives and things that we have to deal with and fix," Hart said in response to a separate question later in his interview. "I wish I could sit there and say it wouldn’t have any weight or any bearing, but you never know. Some people can handle it great and some people can really struggle with it and that can kill their performance. I hope it gets done, but we’ll see."
Unless the Knicks decide to exceed the second apron in team salary, it will be difficult for the club to extend all three of Towns, Hart and McBride.

To illustrate this, let’s use $75 million as a combined annual salary for the first year of Towns and Hart extensions. With this number, the Knicks would have roughly $13-$14 million in second apron space to offer McBride. 

But the bigger hurdle, in my view, is the 2028-29 season.

Let’s say Jalen Brunson signs a max extension that starts in 2028-29.  If you take Brunson’s deal and combine it with a total $75-$80 million in extensions for Towns and Hart, the Knicks would have around $10 million under the second apron for either McBride or another player. This number doesn’t account for an extension for OG Anunoby. Anunoby would be eligible for an extension. And obviously, that $10 million is certainly below McBride’s market value. So the Knicks have to navigate a tough situation with these extensions if they want to remain below the second apron in team salary. 

To date, not much has changed on the Knicks’ side: they think very highly of Towns and want him to be a Knick for a long time. The Knicks, in earlier negotiations, offered Towns a contract with a starting number of between $45-$50 million, as SNY reported. I don’t know if they have or haven’t increased their offers to Towns. Again, everything here is based on the Knicks’ commitment to staying under the second apron.

BIGGER ROLE FOR OG?

If you’re reading this, you already know that OG Anunoby played at an incredibly high level in the playoffs. He shot 49 percent from beyond the arc across all four rounds.
Brown was effusive when asked about Anunoby’s shooting this week.

The coach said Anunoby is "not Steph (Curry) or Klay (Thompson)-level, but he's like the next tier. He's way better what I thought. His confidence is really high."

A look at the postseason numbers leads to an interesting question: will Anunoby supplant Towns as the Knicks’ clear No. 2 option on offense?

Anunoby’s usage and shots were steady across the regular season and postseason. Towns’ usage and shots dropped noticeably in the playoffs. In the Finals, Towns was preoccupied with defending Victor Wembenyama, which he did masterfully. But if Anunoby’s shooting can carry over to this regular season, it will be interesting to see if there is a shift in the Knicks’ hierarchy. Maybe Anunoby becomes New York’s No. 2 option behind Brunson?

Towns is obviously a brilliant offensive player, so this wouldn’t be about anything he can or can’t do on that end of the floor. It’s moreso about Anunoby’s growth. Brown this week mentioned the possibility of Anunoby and Mikal Bridges playing in more pick-and-roll in the coming season. He also mentioned how Anunoby’s jab step – while not exactly lightning-quick – was effective.

Given all of this, it’s worth keeping an eye on New York’s offensive hierarchy early in the season.

HART HURTING

Josh Hart will deal with intermittent pain in his shooting hand for the rest of his career. He explained on Thursday why he’ll delay surgery to repair his right finger until after retirement. When asked about it, Hart said he still has to deal with pain in the finger/hand.

"Some days it'll be it'll be good. Some days it'll hurt to catch the ball. It just, it varies. I wish I could tell you when I wake up, what's gonna be good, what's gonna be bad. But yeah, I mean, somedays it’s good like a regular functioning finger. And other days it hurts to just close my hand, to make a fist," he said.

This is obviously something the Knicks will monitor all season. Last year, Hart and the team’s approach worked well. Hart shot a career-high 41 percent from beyond the arc and hit 40 percent of his threes in the NBA Finals. Brown has been impressed by Hart – and the coaches/trainers around him – for the way they’ve handled the hand injury.

"It just shows to he is…he's tough; he's tough," Brown said this week. "But more importantly, there’s dedication there to wanting to be a great shooter, and you’ve got to put (in work to reach that level). And he puts in the work, even though his fingers bothering him, and even though it's a little crooked, you know, he's putting in the work to get it right. And, you know, (Knicks shooting coach Peter Patton) and the rest of the coaches are helping him out, and it shows. He can shoot at a high level with the dedication he has in the first place (and with assistance from the Knicks staff)."

Patience is a rare currency in NBA training camps. Yet, at HSS Training Center in Sunset Park, the Brooklyn Nets have plenty of it when it comes to Mikel Brown Jr.

The sixth overall pick rolled his left ankle working out before the start of camp. On Media Day, Sean Marks mentioned that he isn’t expecting him to miss “considerable time at all.” That’s a sigh of relief compared to September 2025, when the Nets revealed that eighth overall pick Egor Demin would miss time due to a left plantar fascia tear that at one point had put him in a wheelchair.

As for Brown Jr., it’s becoming obvious the 20-year-old is very eager to get on the floor, but as he continues his recovery, the Nets’ performance team is taking a cautious approach. He has resumed light on-court work, but he hasn’t been cleared for full-contact work as Brooklyn prepares for its preseason opener against Charlotte on Tuesday.

“Yeah, as of right now they’re just telling me you could get back moving a little bit, really just trying to get the strengthening it up back,” Brown said at Thursday’s practice. “I mean, I am back on the court moving. That’s all I’m really worried about right now. I’m just taking it one step at a time.”

For any rookie, the mental adjustment to rehab is often harder than the physical one. The organization hasn’t provided a firm timetable for his debut. Brown Jr. acknowledged the learning curve required to yield to the medical staff – something worth getting used to in Brooklyn.

“I feel like I have no choice but to be patient,” Brown Jr. said. “I want to be out there so bad, but they’ve just been emphasizing to me, ‘Let’s take our time with this stuff and get you back 100 percent,’ which me, I’m trying to play as soon as possible. So really just attacking this rehab, focusing on stuff that I can control.”

The real games don’t begin until October 21 with preseason games beginning next Tuesday and running through October 14. The Nets aren’t going to risk Brown Jr. getting more injured over practice — whether he likes it or not. But this will also be Brooklyn’s second preseason in which its highest-drafted prospect will miss some time in training camp due to injury. Demin played only one preseason game last year. 

“I mean, that’s up to the performance staff,” Brown said when asked if he expects to play in the preseason. “I’m just doing what I can to get back on the court as of right now.”

Keon Ellis Stock Rising Early in Camp

While Brown’s on-court debut is on pause, another backcourt piece is making noise. Keon Ellis has turned heads early in training camp with his defensive intensity and perimeter shooting. When asked which teammate has made the strongest impression during the opening slate of practices, veteran forward Michael Porter Jr. didn’t hesitate.

“Keon has been hooping these first [few] days,” Porter Jr. noted. “He plays the right way. He plays defense. He can really shoot the ball, and he’s been just overall very solid.”

Ellis, known for his relentless point-of-attack defense and efficient floor-spacing, provides the exact operational pace head coach Jordi Fernández is preaching: quick choices, defensive versatility, and zero wasted motion.

Closing Out The Work Week

Fernández shifted the team’s workload on Thursday, making it a non-contact practice.

“When you’re tired, you can lose it easily,” Fernández explained. “And [Thursday] being a non-contact session and a session that it’s more mental with the film and the walk-throughs and installing new things, your brain needs to be there. It was very positive like an active recovery where you still need to advance… It was a great day. And then [Friday], it’s going to be a big high-load game day with a lot of playing. And players, they love to play, so they’re excited about tomorrow.”

The fast-paced scrimmages have also served as a testing ground for lineup experimenting. Interestingly, Fernández has kept veteran forwards Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle on opposite sides during scrimmages, using the early portion of camp to evaluate different lineups.

With Charlotte coming to town next week, Brooklyn’s mix of developmental patience and physical evaluation is officially underway.

• Mikel Brown Jr. has no timetable as Nets prioritize full recovery – Brian Lewis – New York Post

With the 2026-2027 NBA season just right around the corner, the Sixers are at the forefront of conversation and intrigue for the upcoming campaign.

Most of the focus is centered around the acquisitions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown and how they will fit amongst the trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. While the star-studded first five will have to shoulder most of the responsibility on this team, the depth and production from the Sixers’ bench unit will be a major swing factor in how this team contends both throughout the regular season and postseason. So that raises the question. Do the Sixers have enough depth?

The Backcourt

This is the most quality backcourt depth the Sixers have had in recent memory. The trio of Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should provide the Sixers with plenty of ball handling, shooting and scoring punch off the bench.

Simons joins the Sixers after signing a two-year, $12-million contract with a second-year player-option this summer. Simons is coming off a season where he appeared in 55 games between Boston and Chicago, where he was traded before the deadline in exchange for Nikola Vucevic and draft compensation. Simons averaged 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, while shooting 44% from the field, 39% from threeand just shy of 90% from the foul line. The skill that is going to prove most valuable for this Sixers team is his shooting ability. On top of his 39% from three, Simons attempted a career high 9.9 threes per 36 minutes. His ability to shoot off the catch, off the dribble and off movement is going to be huge for providing space and gravity across many lineups next to the Sixers stars. Simons also has the ability to go off on his own at any given time and be the primary focal point offensively for a bench unit.

Philon, the Sixers’ first-round pick in June’s NBA draft, is a perfect guard to blend in with this team. He’s immediately the Sixers’ second-best passer on the perimeter aside from LeBron James and an elite pick-and-roll operator who is also more than capable of scoring in isolation from all three levels. Philon has the skillset to play both with the ball in his hands or off the ball next to other primary creators — an ability he showed throughout his time in college at Alabama and in high school at Link Academy.

Philon, similarly to Simons, has the ability to be the primary engine of your second unit offense, with even more playmaking juice than Simons provides. He’s also able to fit next to either Maxey or Edgecombe in the backcourt as well playing a tertiary role as a secondary creator or spot-up guy alongside Brown, Embiid and James. Philon is also an excellent transition player which plays right into what is likely to be a major part of the Sixers identity given how Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown and James are four of the most dangerous transition players in the sport. Philon was a steal for the Sixers in the 2026 draft, and his scalability is going to provide the Sixers with a significant jolt in their backcourt off the bench.

Why the Sixers got the steal of the draft in Labaron Philon Jr. | Liberty Ballers

Caldwell-Pope, more famously referred to as “KCP,” is no stranger to playing a 3-and-D role supplementing star-laden lineups. The two-time NBA champion and fellow Klutch sport client won a title alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis in L.A. during the NBA bubble as well as with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. While Caldwell-Pope is not quite the elite 3-and-D role player he was in his prime, now entering year 14 and his age 33 season, KCP still should be able to provide adequate defense and spacing off the bench and his championship experience and championship level chemistry that’s already established with James won’t hurt either.

Two-way contract guys Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert could provide some value as well if the team runs into some injuries or there’s some heavy rest nights for the Sixers primary players. Love is a microwave scorer capable of having big offensive outburst. Rupert is more of a defense-first guard/wing with standout length and a high motor who is an excellent rebounder.

The Frontcourt

The Sixers’ biggest offseason acquisition prior to the trade for Brown and the free agency acquisition of James was them inking former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade to a four-year, $38-million deal. Wade was penciled in as the Sixers starting power forward prior to the addition of James later on in free agency. Wade is a quintessential 3-and-D forward whose versatile defense is going to be a major chess piece for the Sixers.

I’d expect Wade to lead the Sixers bench in minutes played and time played alongside the Sixers starters. His ability to guard both up and down the lineup from small guards to larger forwards will make him an important piece on the board for the Sixers. I would expect Wade will spend a lot of his time checking opposing team’s primary scoring options. He’s also a phenomenal offensive rebounder who will win extra possessions and space from three. Wade upping his three-point volume should be a point of emphasis for him this year as he is going to get plenty of open looks playing next to the Sixers stars.

Dominick Barlow was a revelation for the Sixers during the 2025-2026 season. Barlow, who started the season on a two-way contract, went on to start 59 games and play 24 minutes a night. His defense, motor and overall activity on both ends made him a key role player on a playoff team last season. Barlow, who spent most of this offseason reworking his jump shot in an effort to become a better three-point shooter, could prove to be a vital role player for the Sixers again this season.

His cutting ability and open court athleticism theoretically fits very nicely alongside the Sixers stars, in particular LeBron James, who is one of the best in the world at finding cutters. Lineups that featured Barlow at the power forward spot next to Joel Embiid were among the most efficient lineups for the Sixers last season. If Barlow can improve his outside shooting, he becomes an even more valuable and fittable piece into the Sixers’ puzzle.

Jabari Walker and Justin Edwards are likely to serve as deeper bench reserves in the Sixers frontcourt. Walker’s rebounding ability on both ends allows him to provide value in that context while also being capable of knocking down an open corner three. Continued improvement as a shooter and defender will be needed for Walker to carve out more of a role. Edwards should be a plug-and-play fit whenever needed as another 3-and-D wing. Edwards will have to show more consistency to warrant a consistent role on this iteration of the Sixers. Improvements in screen navigation on the defensive end would go a long way in helping Edward’s case for more minutes. Edwards is also capable of getting hot from distance as we’ve seen several times over the last couple of seasons.

The biggest question mark for the Sixers depth chart heading into the season is the backup center position. Adem Bona is likely to serve as the Sixers primary backup center to start the season, and he has had his moments throughout his first couple of seasons in the NBA. Bona should benefit greatly when playing alongside James as Bona is an excellent runner of the floor and lob threat who will be better optimized playing with a passer like LeBron. Bona has had his struggles defending bigger players in the low post and with rebounding as he is a bit undersized for a center and does not have the best hands. I expect Bona to provide minutes in the regular season and his defensive versatility to shine more in a better equipped Sixers lineup.

Ariel Hukporti is the Sixers other true backup center option after coming over from the New York Knicks in the offseason by way of free agency. Hukporti saw limited minutes for the Knicks over the last two seasons playing nine minutes a game over 79 contest the past two years. He’s a quality rebounder and provides a bit more size than Bona does at the center spot. Hukporti is known to be an excellent screener which serves him well as he will likely be setting a lot of ball screens for the Sixers ball handlers. I would also expect the Sixers to deploy quite a bit of “small ball” at the 5 with guys like Wade, Barlow and James playing in that spot and alongside each other across the frontcourt and leaning into the versatility that their forward positions provide.

If there is a spot that I could see the Sixers looking to upgrade before the trade deadline it would be the backup center spot as we know how valuable that position is behind Joel Embiid.

The most underdiscussed and underappreciated part of the Sixers offseason was the improvements made to their second unit. I’m bullish on what the Sixers bench will be able to provide for this team and the quality of depth as a whole — something us Sixers fans have not often experienced with this team. Helps when you can sign the greatest player of all time to a vet minimum contract.