First-year president of basketball operations Mike Gansey continues to rebuild the Philadelphia 76ers roster.
76ers Ink 3 Players Who Are Expected to Be in the Mix for Spot On 18-Man Roster
In three months since taking the job at the end of May, Gansey has brought in two stars in Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to join Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and budding star VJ Edgecombe. All told, the 76ers have eight newcomers on their 18-man roster, seven of whom arrived via free agency. Of course, the lone trade was a blockbuster with the 76ers swapping Paul George for Brown.
There was a common theme across all the 76ers’ moves: experience. Six of the Sixers’ eight newcomers thus far have three or more seasons of NBA experience. And the players who don’t have at least three seasons of experience are at least 24 years old. That includes their two-way players (Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert).
Love, who will be 25 in September, played five high-major college seasons and appeared in 174 contests. After going undrafted in the 2025 draft, Love signed a two-way contract with Portland, but with all the Trail Blazers’ injuries, he saw action in 49 games. The 6-3 guard averaged 10.4 points, 2.5 assists, and drained 1.9 threes with shooting splits of 38.8/31.8/73.5. He scored in double figures 26 times, topping the 20-point mark eight times.
Rupert spent last season in Portland and Memphis. While Rupert hasn’t yet carved out a niche in the NBA, the 2023 second-round pick did play well with the Grizzlies. In 16 appearances for the Grizzlies, including eight starts, 22-year-averaged 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals with shooting splits of 42.2/33.8/82.5. He has appeared in 155 career NBA games with 2o starts.
Philadelphia has 14 players on standard contracts and is just $1.8 million below the first apron, where they are hardcapped. As a result, Adam Aaronson of the PhillyVoice reported a few weeks ago that the Sixers plan to leave the 15th spot open. Aarson added that the 76ers would enter training camp with their last two-way spot open, though it will be filled.
“Unlike in prior years, the Sixers’ current plan is to enter training camp without its third two-way contract signed,” Aaronson wrote on August 17. “The Sixers have only given one player a training camp invite via an Exhibit 10 contract [Duke Miles]; eventually they will sign a handful of players to deals, and all of them could be in the mix to earn the team’s final two-way spot.”
Speaking of their last two-way spot, Philadelphia inked Tacko Fall, Jameer Nelson Jr. and Saint Thomas to Exhibit 10 deals yesterday. All three players are eligible for a two-way deal.
New: The Sixers signed Tacko Fall, Jameer Nelson Jr. and Saint Thomas to Exhibit 10 contracts today.
How Exhibit 10 contracts work, how many the Sixers have left and brief notes on each player:https://t.co/IAgiDKm5zO
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) September 1, 2026
Tacko Fall
Fall, who went undrafted in 2019, has 37 games of NBA experience, with his last stint occurring in 2021-22 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 30-year-old, 7-foot-6 center has spent most of the last four years playing in China.
Fall is known for his size and work around the rim. Fall is also an excellent rebounder and a highly efficient finisher, though he is extremely limited offensively. He averaged 10.8 points on 79.9% shooting from the field, 6.0 rebounds (2.8 offensive) and 2.2 blocks while recording four double-doubles in 40 appearances for the Ningbo Rockets this past season.
Jameer Nelson Jr.
The 76ers acquired Nelson’s G-League rights from the Stockton Kings yesterday. So, it is not a surprise that the 6-foot guard — who is the son of 76ers executive vice president of basketball operations Jameer Nelson — received an Exhibit 10 deal. He is a strong point-of-attack defender who excels at getting downhill and in pick-and-roll situations. However, he has struggled shooting the ball in his NBA summer league opportunities, though he did have a nice stint with Stockton this past season — compiling 8.9 points, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals with shooting splits of 47.5/37.5/74.7 in 28 games.
Saint Thomas
Thomas joined the 76ers on an Exhibit 10 deal last season after going undrafted out of USC, though he was waived before the start of the regular season and spent the entire year with their G-League affiliate Delaware Blue Coats. The 6-7 wing showed off his all-around game with the Blue Coats, averaging 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assits with shooting spilts of 48.3/33.3/79.2. He produced one double-double and one triple-double in 47 games.
The Last Word
Out of the four players on Exhibit 1o deals, including Miles, Fall projects to be the favorite to land the last two-way spot. Fall is the most experienced of the four players and provides what the Sixers need most, with Love and Rupert already on two-way deals. And the Sixers have two developmental players behind Embiid in Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti. While both players showed some promise last year, neither is ready to step into major minutes if Embiid suffers another long-term injury.
The 76ers are loaded in the backcourt and wing. So, expect Nelson, Miles, and Thomas to spend the season with the Blue Coats. Miles went undrafted out of Vanderbilt this past season and showed some ability during the Summer League. Nelson is the most likely of the bunch to get a call-up to the Sixers, if needed.
However, if none of the four players, or anyone else Philadelphia signs to an Exhibit 10 deal, stands out, the Sixers could look outside the organization for a two-way spot after teams make their training camp cuts. The 76ers currently have filled 20 of their 21 training camp spots.
More News
4-Time NBA Champion Names His Team to Watch in the East and Their Biggest Area of Improvement
Knicks Taking on 76ers, LeBron James in Must-See Opening Night Game
How shocking Paul George trade strengthens Celtics despite negative fan reaction
Photo Credit: Bill Streicher, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect