NBA free agency comes into focus for Sixers after leaving the NBA draft with Labaron Philon Jr.

After selecting Philon in the first round, the Sixers opted not to acquire a second-round pick Wednesday night and now must address roster holes on the wing and in the frontcourt during free agency.

Mike Gansey will now turn his focus to next week's free agency after making just one pick in the 2026 draft.Were always going to make calls, Gansey told reporters from the Sixers facility late Tuesday, and try to turn over every stone and see whats out there.

We have roster spots.

We have playing time.

s] system and the way we want to play, the character piece, were going to try to look at it all and try to get someone who can fit.Yet Wednesday night ultimately turned uneventful for the Sixers.

No move enticing enough materialized for Gansey, even while possessing several future second-round picks.

So the Sixers exited the draft with one selection, after Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr.Ganseys first roster-building checkmark is complete.Next up is free agency beginning at 6 p.m.

on Tuesday, likely with limited financial flexibility givenall remain on max contracts for multiple seasons.

Embiid and George are considered difficult to trade because of their age and injury history.

The Sixers used the prudent best-player-available approach in selecting Philon, who is crafty with the ball in his hands and significantly improved as an outside shooter and facilitator in his second college season.That pick also continued to lean into their dynamic young guard rotation featuring Maxey, an All-NBA third-teamer last season, andAdding me, its a blur, Philon said from Barclays Center after his selection.Youve got two guys that are really shifty, two guys that know how to handle the ball, and a guy that can jump out the roof.

That means everything in the backcourt.

I feel like Coach Nurse is going to have a fun time with that.

Perhaps that is another deliberate step in the Sixers establishing an identity, a necessity that Bob Myers, the president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, emphasized the same day the franchise formally introduced Gansey earlier this month.

That also means the Sixers still have positional gaps along the wing and in the frontcourt.Starting small forward Kelly Oubre Jr., sixth man Quentin Grimes, and reserve center Andre Drummond all are unrestricted free agents.

The availability of Embiid and George also remains unpredictable, though both former perennial All-Stars expressed optimism about their health entering the offseason last month.

Rebounding and three-point shooting were team weaknesses last season.

One development during Wednesdays second round raised some outside eyebrows when viewed through the Sixers prism.North Carolinas Henri Veesaar, a stretch-big man who was widely projected as a first-rounder, tumbled to 52nd overall and was acquired by the Atlanta Hawks.

Teams have been permitted to negotiate with their own free agents since the New York Knicks title officially ended the NBA season.

Once the market fully opens, the Sixers will have the nontaxpayer midlevel exception , or could split that salary figure on multiple players.They also will be able to sign players to veteran minimum deals.

Before then, it remains possible that the Sixers agree to terms with undrafted rookies who typically sign two-way contracts in the coming hours or days.

Dominick Barlow, a starting forward for much of the Sixers last season, was not selected in the 2022 draft.

Neither was former Sixer Julian Champagnie, who eventually morphed into a sharpshooting starter for the San Antonio Spurs.I have been a 76ers beat writer at The Inquirer since 2021, and also cover other Philly basketball stories.

I especially love reporting and writing pieces that lift the curtain on the Sixers' people and process , and that help readers feel connected to the teams they follow.