Among the NBA's 30 teams, the Philadelphia 76ers arguably had the best offseason. Not only did Philly land All-Star Paul George without losing anyone, but they also added good veterans like Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, and Caleb Martin.
The additions have led to plenty of excitement among the Sixers' faithful. But more than having new pieces around 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said that he's also excited about bringing back several key players from last season.
"I really do like that we got a good number of guys back as well," said Nurse.
The Sixers locked up Maxey for the foreseeable future
Signing PG was the biggest news of the Sixers' summer, but they also re-signed Tyrese Maxey to a five-year $204 million deal. Bagging Maxey ensures that the Sixers will have a Big 3 composed of Joel Embiid, PG, and Maxey. The 6'2'' guard is coming off an All-Star season where he averaged 25.9 PPG and 6.2 APG for Philly.
Philadelphia also brought back Kelly Oubre Jr., who averaged 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season. They convinced the veteran Kyle Lowry to return on a one-year deal. Philly also got KJ Martin back on board on a two-year contract.
"I think that the guys we have back are certainly guys that we love and guys that are all-in," added Nurse. "They're coachable, they're in the system already. They will help these new guys, give them the cheat sheet, so to speak, and get things done sooner."
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The time is now for the Sixers
Getting the new guys acclimated to the team is going to be key for the 76ers next season. The sooner they adjust, the better it will be for Philly because the addition of PG has put a lot of pressure on the team to win it all next season. As ESPN's Tim Legler recently said, the time is now for the Sixers to make it happen .
"If they don't figure it out with this group they never will because they have everything that they need now," said Legler. "Anything short than that, to me, should be considered a disappointment," Legler continued. "There is no question. The time is now."
With the talent that they've accumulated and the experience they had last season, there's no question that the Sixers have the recipe for success. They also have the right mix of holdovers and newcomers, which, as Nurse said, should give them a smooth transition. Whether that translates to a title, however, remains to be seen.
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