In retrospect, we all should have expected this Sixers season from hell. The vibes were too immaculate all offseason. The pendulum was destined to swing back the other way at some point.
The Sixers entered the offseason with $60-plus million of salary-cap space thanks to their decision not to sign Tyrese Maxey to an extension in 2023. They wound up spending that on Paul George, Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond before re-signing Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. and handing out minimum contracts to Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Guerschon Yabusele and Reggie Jackson. They finished their busy offseason by signing Joel Embiid to a three-year, $192.