The Philadelphia 76ers could potentially re-sign forward Kelly Oubre Jr. and guard Quentin Grimes.
The Philadelphia 76ers have three key free agents this offseason: forward Kelly Oubre Jr., guard Quentin Grimes, and center Andre Drummond.
It's fair to argue Oubre was the most impactful during the 2025-2026 campaign, as he contributed at a high level on both ends of the floor during the regular season and playoffs. However, that shouldn't discredit how meaningful Grimes and Drummond were to the rotation.
In an ideal world, the 76ers retain each of them, but that isn't realistic.
Sixers Wire predicts Philadelphia will re-sign Oubre and Grimes while Drummond will walk.
Let's start by discussing the possibility of Oubre coming back. This would be a huge win for the Sixers, as he averaged 14.1 points on 46.7% shooting in 50 games this season. Not to mention, he played lockdown defense on the Boston Celtics superstar tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown during an electrifying seven-game series.
He has also expressed a strong love for the city of Philadelphia, saying, "I love it here, of course, but this is not my first rodeo."
It's clear the 30-year-old understands the business side of the league, but it's hard to imagine the 76ers not wanting him to return after three productive years.
Bringing back Grimes feels like a much taller task given his production in the 2024-2025 season. He played at a star level for 28 games that season, which could convince a team to pay him a lucrative contract despite shortcomings in this year's playoffs. A team like the Brooklyn Nets could convince themselves Grimes is capable of returning to that form in the right role.
However, Philadelphia is in desperate need of guards.
Yes, the team holds the No. 22 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but even selecting a backcourt player in that spot would leave them with just three guards under contract. While the 76ers should prioritize retaining Oubre over Grimes, they shouldn't leave Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe with no help in the guard room.
Losing Drummond in this scenario is by the far the least significant. He did come up big at times when Joel Embiid was sidelined, but Philadelphia is also home to young center Adem Bona who has shown promise in his first two seasons.
Re-signing Drummond would be nice, but likely isn't possible if Grimes and Oubre are coming back.
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