By: Sean J Wallace
Philadelphia 76ers
Center Joel Embiid has played just 50 games since the start of the 2023-24 season after multiple left-knee surgeries. With star guard Tyrese Maxey and the team’s $212 million free-agent signing from July 2024, forward Paul George, Philadelphia expects nothing less than a deep postseason run.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey handed George a four-year deal to help deliver a championship. But George has struggled, averaging career lows of 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists — numbers that make his contract look like one of the league’s worst.
Second-year guard Jared McCain, recovering from a torn ulnar collateral ligament, is expected to return later this season. McCain still earned a third-place Rookie of the Year vote last season despite playing only 23 games because of a knee injury. The Sixers also drafted Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe fourth overall, adding more youth to the roster.
The mandate is clear: win now. With elite talent in a relatively weak Eastern Conference, anything short of a playoff berth should put both the front office and coaching staff on the hot seat.
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans took on extra salary by trading guard CJ McCollum’s expiring deal to Washington for guard Jordan Poole, who has two years remaining on a four-year, $128 million contract. The Pelicans also sent their 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta for center Derrick Queen, the 13th overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.
President of basketball operations Joe Dumars, entering his first season with the team, is clearly pushing to win now. But if New Orleans misses the postseason again, a rebuild may be inevitable. The franchise has made the playoffs only twice in seven years and hasn’t won a series. The Zion Williamson era can’t continue amid ongoing mediocrity.
Trading away next year’s first-round pick for Queen may prove costly, leaving the team without valuable draft capital if things go south. Dumars is taking a major gamble by going all in on a core that has yet to prove it can win.
Cleveland Cavaliers
This marks year four of the Cavaliers’ core of guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell and forwards Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The group has thrived in the regular season but has yet to reach the Eastern Conference finals.
A rebuild isn’t necessary, but if Cleveland fails to advance again, the front office should consider reshaping the roster — possibly moving one of its stars — to find the missing piece.
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