76ers president guarantees five returners for next season

Nick Nurse was fired by the Toronto Raptors after five seasons north of the border (and 10 with the organization) in April 2023 and replaced Doc Rivers as the Sixers' new lead man last May. Despite reigning MVP Joel Embiid being limited to 39 games due to injury, Philadelphia finished the regular season 47-35 and earned a play-in tournament victory against the Miami Heat.

With Embiid back, the seventh-seeded 76ers fell to the second-seeded New York Knicks in six games in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are by far the team's two best players, with the latter appearing ready to take the title of team leader, possibly as soon as next season. Maxey made his first All-Star team during the 2023-24 campaign and won the Most Improved Player award but was even better in the playoffs.

The 23-year-old guard averaged 29.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds with a .478/.400/.893 shooting line across Philadelphia's six-game series against New York. Maxey was particularly dominant in the team's must-win Game 5 overtime triumph at Madison Square Garden, going off for 46 points with nine assists and five rebounds on 17-for-30 shooting (7-for-12 on three-pointers).

Paul Reed just finished his fourth season in the NBA — all with the Sixers — and has become both an organization and team favorite. "BBall Paul" held one of the most important roles on the squad during the 2023-24 season, serving as the backup center behind Embiid.

While Reed made headlines prior to the series against the Knicks by giving New York bulletin board material, Morey and company seem content with the DePaul product returning as Embiid's backup in the fall.

After going undrafted in 2023, Ricky Council IV signed a two-way contract with the 76ers last July. He was waived in October but quickly re-signed on another two-way deal before making his NBA debut in January.

The 22-year-old shooting guard showed flashes in his limited action with the Sixers, including a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double on Feb. 10 against the Washington Wizards. Council IV signed a standard contract with the organization in April and finished the year by averaging 5.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 9.0 minutes per game over 32 contests.