Philadelphia

76ers

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.

Thursday’s game was the best of the Paris Olympics for Embiid, who has continued to get booed by French fans every time he touches the basketball. While there were some rebounding mishaps, the 76ers center made some big shots as the United States completed its rally in the fourth quarter. Things won’t get any easier for Embiid, as he’ll have to deal with France’s Victor Wembanyama in the gold medal game on Saturday. The fact that he could play 27 minutes after dealing with ankle discomfort during the quarterfinal win over Brazil was good news for anyone concerned about Embiid’s health.

Embiid scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in the first half before sitting for the final two quarters. It’s unclear whether his discomfort will affect his playing time against Serbia in the next round.

Embiid has been ineffective for most of the Olympics, and he didn’t see the floor at all against South Sudan. That was more of a personnel decision based on matchups than a true benching, according to Steve Kerr. He returned to the starting unit for this game and had his best game in a Team USA jersey. If they’re able to rely on him more, the former MVP should be able to make a big impact for them as they continue to compete for a gold medal.

Philly certainly has plenty of depth at point guard now. Tyrese Maxey is the starter, with Jackson, Kyle Lowry and rookie Jared McCain as the other options. It’s unclear what the rotation will look like, but there isn’t enough point guard minutes to go around, which means that these lead guards will have to spend time playing off-ball roles. Outside of Maxey, there won’t be much consistent fantasy value in the backcourt in Philly.