Lowry staying with the 76ers on a minimum contract means the roster rebuild around Embiid has formed its basic framework. The remaining task is to fill out the roster.

Currently, the 76ers have 11 players on their books. They need to add 4 more to ensure the team salary stays below the first luxury tax threshold of $178 million.

With George’s arrival, the “iron triangle” of Embiid, George, and Maxey looks intimidating, but is it enough to challenge the reigning champion Celtics? I still think there’s a gap.
Or put it this way: before the 76ers can challenge the Celtics, they must first ensure they can beat teams like the New York Knicks or Bucks, and avoid upsets against young squads like the Magic.
Historically, there are cases where superstars joined forces and won a title immediately—like the 2008 Celtics’ Big Three—but there are far more examples of star-stacked teams failing to gel, such as the Heat’s Big Three, the Nets’ Big Three, and the Suns’ Big Three, who often didn’t reach the promised land.

The 76ers’ summer roster rebuild started with only Embiid on the list and now has 11 players. The rest of the work falls to head coach Nurse.
Typically, building a new roster follows these steps: first, assemble the team; second, play a season and make summer tweaks; third, play another season. If no results come, major issues arise. The Celtics went through multiple roster changes and piece-hunting before finally adding Porziņģis and Holiday to win their championship.

Right now, the 76ers haven’t even fully completed the first step.

Thanks to Maxey’s huge leap, we can view the trio of Embiid, George, and him as a Big Three. Any Big Three faces chemistry challenges, especially in ball distribution— and Embiid is a center with an extremely high usage rate.
George is a fit for most teams, thanks to his height, skills, two-way ability, and elite catch-and-shoot three-point shooting. But you can’t have him playing off-ball indefinitely.
Embiid, at 30 years old (after missing his first two seasons), is past the “peak age of 28 for centers” I mentioned. His injuries last season show the 76ers must handle him with care, meaning he’ll miss a significant number of games—not just rotational rests. In other words, George and Maxey need to prepare for long stretches without Embiid while still needing to win enough games.
Overall, the 76ers’ roster is thin and lacks the Celtics’ depth to handle emergencies.

To avoid the first luxury tax threshold, the 76ers have been cautious in signings or extensions.
With most of the money tied up in Embiid, George, and Maxey, they can’t afford high-quality role players. They rely mainly on Martin and Ubray, both making around $8 million.
Martin isn’t a scoring threat, but he had two 25+ point games in four matchups against the Celtics, earning him the label of the Celtics’ “troublemaker.” The defensive and rebounding impact of him and Ubray will determine the team’s ceiling.
Center Drummond looks more practical than Paul Reed, but whether he can serve as the backup center—especially with Embiid’s frequent absences—remains a huge question mark.

Finally, it’s crucial to note that star superstar clustering isn’t a prerequisite for winning a title; championship hunger is.
Unlike previous Big Threes, Embiid, George, and Maxey have significant age gaps and are at different stages of their careers with distinct goals:

• Embiid is most urgent. He has everything except a ring, and with age and injury pressures, he wants to win now.
• Maxey, under 24, can take his time.
• George, after stints with multiple teams and setbacks in LA, focused on securing one last big contract— which he’s now achieved.

“One heart, move mountains”—the Celtics and Heat won titles through unity and sacrifice beyond basketball. But so far, I don’t sense that from this 76ers team.

George recently revealed his signing process with the 76ers: a year of back-and-forth negotiations with the Clippers, a breakdown over a trade veto clause, attempts to join the Warriors via sign-and-trade (which failed), and finally landing in Philly. This is worlds apart from players joining forces explicitly to chase a championship.

The 76ers seem to lack some of the key ingredients for a title: timing, favorable conditions, and team chemistry.