Nick Nurse and Mike Gansey explain the Sixers’ summer: an aggressive Brown chase, LeBron’s fit and a smarter rotation

Nick Nurse and Mike Gansey have spent the summer building a contender in Philadelphia, and on the eve of the opener the 76ers coach and his new president of basketball operations laid out what they think they have: a deep, veteran roster that should win with brains as much as with stars. They spoke in the season premiere of the team’s behind-the-scenes video series.

Gansey, who took over the front office after years as general manager in Cleveland, described the Jaylen Brown deal as a matter of moving first. Once he learned Boston was talking to other teams about the 2025-26 Finals MVP, he called the Celtics himself and kept at it until the trade was done on July 6. “Just kind of was aggressive,” he said of the approach.

Two summer moves that changed the ceiling

Brown comes off career bests in scoring (28.7), rebounding (6.9) and assists (5.1). Nurse said the coaches opened every summer planning session with an update on the talks, and that the work did not stop once Brown was in, because each move set up the next one.

The biggest of those came on July 24, Nurse’s 59th birthday, when LeBron James chose Philadelphia in free agency. Nurse called him arguably the greatest player in the sport’s history and said the fit was about more than talent: James can play on the wing or at forward, slide to other spots, lead the locker room and create offense late in close games.

The rest of the free-agent class was built around fit. Dean Wade, another former Cavalier, and James are both options at center in some lineups, Nurse said during camp. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope brings two championship rings and a 3-and-D role, and Anfernee Simons, a 27-year-old with 1,113 career three-pointers, is penciled in as instant offense off the bench. Ariel Hukporti also signed, but his season-ending Achilles tear has already reshaped the frontcourt.

How the rotation looks right now

The Sixers closed the preseason on Friday, October 16, with a 125-120 overtime loss to the Celtics. Nurse started Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Brown, James and Caldwell-Pope. Embiid scored 27 in 29 minutes, Maxey added 22 and Brown 20, while James filled the sheet with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Caldwell-Pope finished plus-26 in under 21 minutes. The weak spot was shooting: Philadelphia made only 7 of 38 three-point attempts.

Behind the starters, Jabari Walker has played his way into the picture as a small-ball center, scoring 13 in 19 minutes against Boston. Nurse told reporters the minutes at the five came out of necessity but have helped Walker, whom he sees mainly as a pick-and-pop big. Rookie Labaron Philon Jr. had 11 points and 5 assists in that game, and Nurse said Philon and Simons, who missed the whole preseason with a hamstring problem, are not competing directly for the same bench minutes.

Asked what he wants this team to be known for, Nurse kept it simple. “I think we need to play intelligent basketball,” he said, pointing to a roster of veterans who can pass and space the floor. He added that he expects full effort every night, regardless of the score, and execution on both ends.

What comes next

The Sixers open the regular season at the New York Knicks on Tuesday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m. ET, the night the Knicks raise their championship banner. Follow the game in the Game Center.