76ers roster: 2 positions of strength, 1 position of need

At this point in time, the Philadelphia 76ers roster for next season is largely set.

The starting five will likely feature Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George, Kelly Oubre and Caleb Martin, while the second unit will be comprised of Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, Ricky Council, K.J. Martin and Andre Drummond. Rookies Jared McCain and Adem Bona, and Reggie Jackson and Jeff Dowtin Jr. round out the rest of the roster.

The Sixers could still look to add another player on the veteran's minimum, but we have a pretty good idea of how the roster will look at the start of the season. Here's a look at two positions of strength and one position of need for the team as currently constructed.

Position of strength: Point guard

The Sixers locked up their point guard of the future by agreeing to a max extension with rising star Tyrese Maxey over the summer. Maxey is coming off of the first All-Star selection of his career, and he figures to play a bulk of the minutes at the position for the Sixers.

Behind him, the team brought back Kyle Lowry, who proved he can still be useful as an intelligent game-manager who can still space the floor and knock down shots. His experience and presence in the locker room is also a benefit. He's absolutely a backup at this point in his career, but in a reserve role the veteran guard can still contribute.

The Sixers also added Reggie Jackson on a one-year deal -- another guy with ample experience who can knock down shots and keep defenses honest. Jackson has previously played with Paul George and Andre Drummond, and he's also been known to hit some big shots. There are obviously age and injury-related concerns when it comes Lowry and Jackson, but if they can remain largely healthy, they can be a formidable duo.

Plus, rookie Jared McCain can play point if needed, giving the Sixers four options when it comes to lead ball-handlers, including one of the best in the entire NBA in Maxey.

Position of need: Forward

Landing Paul George was a massive score for the Sixers, but the team is a little thin behind him on the wing. George is 34 and has a lot of miles on his body. The Sixers are certainly going to want to have a reliable reserve (or two) ready for when he inevitably needs a break, or misses a game. Perhaps Ricky Council can be that guy, but that remains to be seen.

The same could be said about the depth behind [Caleb] Martin. Council and K.J. Martin are really the only backup forwards on the team. Forward will likely be a target area if the team looks to make another addition before the start of training camp. It could also be an area that the team tries to address via trade prior to the deadline. 

Position of strength: Center

As long as Joel Embiid is on the roster, center will be a position of strength for the Sixers. But last season -- and throughout much of the Embiid era -- backup center has been a problem area. So, the Sixers made bolstering the position a priority and brought back Andre Drummond, who was the best backup Embiid has had during his time with the team a few years back.

Drummond is an extremely productive rebounder, which is an area that the Sixers struggled in mightily during the 2023-24 season, especially when Embiid was off the floor. Drummond is also a serviceable rim protector who has averaged over a block per game over the course of his career. He can finish around the rim, too. He's a guy who can fill in for Embiid, and the team shouldn't take a huge hit when he's on the floor. His addition was extremely important for Philadelphia.

Behind Drummond is rookie Adem Bone, who the team took in the second round of June's draft. Bona is raw, but he flashed some potential as a rim-running lob threat during Summer League. He'll likely get spot minutes as a rookie, but if he plays well he could potentially earn more time.

Follow Michael Kaskey-Blomain on X @therealmikekb.