Philadelphia

76ers

McCain made his preseason debut for Philly, and though it wasn’t against an NBA team, the rookie still looked good. Managers shouldn’t expect him to play a ton during his first year, especially early on. However, if he continues to look like this, he may be able to establish a minor role in year one. Still, dynasty managers have to be pleased with this start and will continue to keep an eye on him throughout the preseason.

With Joel Embiid and Paul George sitting out, Drummond and Eric Gordon moved into the starting unit. EG only finished with three points in seven minutes, but Drymmond was able to do a little more. Don’t expect hi to provide many 3-pointers during the regular season, but it was fun to see the big man let it fly during the preseason. Drummond isn’t a player worth drafting, but he may have some streaming value when Embiid misses time this season, which may be more often than we’d like.

Maxey was the lone star that suited up for Philadelphia in this one, with both Joel Embiid and Paul George sitting out. He didn’t play long, but he didn’t have any issues pouring in some buckets. Maxey’s role will continue to be limited in the preseason, but he should be ready to dominate when the regular season begins in two weeks. He should be an excellent pick in round three.

With no injury mentioned, it can be assumed that Nick Nurse just doesn’t want to send them out against a non-NBA team. We’ll get a look at who will replace them in the starting unit if they miss games during the regular season, which could be Andre Drummond and either Eric Gordon or Kyle Lowry.

After two seasons of solid availability (68 and 66 games), a knee injury limited Embiid to 39 regular-season appearances in 2023-24. And he did not look like he trusted that knee during Philadelphia’s first-round series against the Knicks. With the goal being to be healthy when the postseason begins, Embiid claims to have lost 25-30 pounds this offseason and could lose more. That’s undoubtedly good news for fantasy managers, but it’s understandable if some refuse to trust that The Process will stay healthy entirely. Embiid remains a 1st-round pick in fantasy leagues but has slipped just outside the top 5 for many fantasy managers.

Quinones showed some fun flashes during his two seasons with the Warriors, but he was never able to carve out a consistent role. Now, he’ll have a fresh start on the other side of the country. He’ll likely spend most of his time in the G-League, so this won’t have much of an impact on fantasy basketball.

Undrafted after a stellar collegiate career at Santa Clara, Brownridge has spent the last seven seasons with the 76ers’ G League affiliate (Delaware Blue Coats). This transaction may be more about rewarding Brownridge for his service to the franchise than him legitimately competing for a standard contract, as 13 76ers will go into camp with guaranteed deals. If he’s waived and spends 60 days with the Blue Coats, Brownridge would be in line for a bonus worth $77,500.

Mintz, who went undrafted after two seasons at Syracuse, averaged 18.8 points and 4.2 assists per game during his sophomore campaign. All three of Philadelphia’s two-way contract slots are filled, so he’ll need an impressive training camp to work his way into the mix. In all likelihood, Mintz will spend the majority of his time with the 76ers G League affiliate.

The 76ers needed to address the power forward position this offseason, and they’ve done the job by adding one of the hot names of the Paris Olympics. France did not take off until Yabusele (and guard Isaia Cordinier) were inserted into the starting lineup, ultimately losing to the United States in the gold medal game. Yabusele is headed back to the NBA after spending four seasons with Real Madrid, which is reportedly owed a buyout of $2.5 million. Per the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement terms, the 76ers can contribute a maximum of $850,000, with Yabusele left to resolve the remaining amount. He has the potential to offer deep-league fantasy value, and dynasty managers should not hesitate to select Yabusele in drafts.

A first-round pick of the Celtics in 2016, Yabusele played in 74 games throughout two seasons before returning to Europe in 2019. Due to his play in the Paris Olympics, helping lead France to a silver medal, there’s been chatter about a potential return to the NBA. A financial issue for Yabusele to work out is a $2.5 million buyout of his Real Madrid contract. According to Charania, the power forward is working to resolve that issue. Whether or not Philadelphia would contribute any money toward the buyout is unknown, with the maximum allowed per the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement being $850,000.