Sixers Pick Up Options On Barlow, Terry; Decline Option On Watford
The Sixers are picking up their options on the 2026/27 contracts of forward Dominick Barlow and wing Dalen Terry while declining their option on Trendon Watford‘s contract, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports (Twitter links).
Barlow will now make a guaranteed $3,415,000 next season, while Terry’s salary of $2,584,539 will remain non-guaranteed until Jan. 10. He is currently ineligible to be traded until July 10.
Barlow had a breakout season in which he started 59 of 71 games this past season. The former Spurs and Hawks forward posted averages of 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23.8 minutes per game while shooting 53.9% from the field.
Terry spent his first three-and-a-half seasons with Chicago. After being traded twice and then waived by New Orleans in February, he caught on with Philadelphia on a two-way deal after clearing waivers, then signed a standard contract with the Sixers in April. The former first-round pick made 14 appearances with the 76ers, averaging 4.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 12.3 minutes per game.
Watford, who previously played for Portland and Brooklyn, was due to make $2,801,346 if his option had been picked up. Instead, he’ll hit the unrestricted free agent market.
Watford saw action in 53 games last season, including seven starts. The veteran forward averaged 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 16.3 minutes per game, shooting 51.5% overall but just 20% from beyond the arc.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Celtics, Sixers, Raptors
The Nets face a difficult task this summer as they look to start turning their losing ways around without the benefit of a top-five pick. They don’t control their first-rounder in next summer’s draft, meaning they have no incentive to tank, and therefore must find the most effective way to get this roster to a state of competency, Brian Lewis writes for the New York Post.
Brooklyn is in a position to be one of the major players in free agency, if the front office chooses to go that route. The team has already been linked to Lakers free agent guard Austin Reaves, though most expect him to remain in Los Angeles once the dust settles. The Nets could try to bring in some other talented younger veterans like restricted free agents Tari Eason, Jalen Duren, or Peyton Watson to complement veteran forward Michael Porter Jr.
The Nets could also explore trying to trade up in the draft, though that’s expected to be very expensive, given the perceived talent level at the top of the class.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics have three options facing them this summer: run back the same roster, go all-in on a blockbuster deal, or find a way to improve their depth around the margins, Keith Smith writes in his offseason preview for Spotrac. The first option is unlikely, as the team will want to make real progress towards becoming a contender again, Smith speculates. If they pursue the third path, which is the most probable, Nikola Vucevic and Dalano Banton would be unlikely to return. Smith identifies Anfernee Simons, Quentin Grimes, and John Collins, among others, as interesting free agent options Boston could target
- The Sixers have three players with team options that they will have to make decisions on by the June 29 deadline, Adam Aaronson writes for the Philly Voice. Dominick Barlow was a feel-good story for the Sixers this season, emerging as a reliable rotation player after being signed to a two-way deal. However, that doesn’t mean that picking up his $3.4MM option is the best course. Aaronson expects the team to decline that option in order to negotiate a longer deal. A similar outcome makes sense for Trendon Watford, as declining his option and signing him to a one-year minimum contract would lower his cap hold from $2.8MM to $2.45MM, though it would prevent him from being traded this summer. Finally, Aaronson predicts the team picks up Dalen Terry‘s $2.6MM option, which is non-guaranteed.
- The arrival of NIL money has changed the draft landscape for teams picking after the lottery, such as the Raptors, who hold picks No. 19 and 50, Michael Grange writes for Sportsnet. “It seemed like (picking) in the 20s range … there was more certainty in terms of being able to find guys for sure that that we really liked back in the day,” said assistant general manager Dan Tolzman. “…There’s not as much of a chance to, like, have guys kind of fall through the cracks as there used to be.” However, the Raptors are optimistic in their ability to find a contributor later in the first round, as they did with Ja’Kobe Walter when they selected him 19th overall in 2024.
Sixers Notes: Grimes, Barlow, Oubre, Watford, Offseason
There’s increased pressure on the Sixers to hang onto unrestricted free agent Quentin Grimes this offseason after the team traded another guard – Jared McCain – to Oklahoma City at the February deadline, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
As Bontemps points out, re-signing Grimes and free agent wing Kelly Oubre Jr. would likely push Philadelphia’s team salary well into luxury tax territory, and the team has resisted paying the tax in recent years. But according to Bontemps, rival executives believe the Sixers will try to sign both players, with Grimes potentially getting a salary around the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15MM).
“I do think he stays there out of pressure,” a Western Conference executive told ESPN. “You have to keep at least one of (Grimes or Oubre), if not both, after that (McCain) trade. And if they don’t go into the tax, they’re going to get crushed.”
Here’s more on the 76ers:
- While Dominick Barlow‘s game has some holes – including his three-point shot – the fourth-year forward proved in 2025/26 that he’s a rotation-caliber NBA player, says Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com. The Sixers hold a $3.4MM team option for ’26/27 on Barlow, who averaged 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game across 71 appearances (59 starts) this past season.
- In two additional stories for PhillyVoice.com, Aaronson also evaluates the performances the 76ers got this season from Oubre and forward Trendon Watford, weighing what comes next for each player. As Aaronson writes, Philadelphia may be able to get a more favorable annual salary on Oubre by signing him to a multiyear deal, but the team will have to determine how many guaranteed years it’s comfortable offering. As for Watford, the club will have to make a decision on his $2.8MM option for ’26/27.
- Gina Mizell, Gabriela Carroll, and David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer answer a handful of questions about the 76ers’ offseason, with Mizell and Carroll both viewing Oubre – not Grimes – as the team’s most important free agent. Murphy, meanwhile, argues neither player should be a priority to retain unless he’s willing to accept a team-friendly contract.
Rory Maher contributed to this article.
Atlantic Notes: Thomas, Sixers, Celtics, Hart
Speaking on the Road Trippin’ Show podcast (YouTube link), Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. suggested that Cam Thomas‘ time in Brooklyn came to an end due to his attitude rather than his talent, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays.
A restricted free agent in 2025, Thomas eventually signed his qualifying offer in September after being unable to negotiate a favorable multiyear deal with the Nets. He was waived in February and joined the Bucks before being cut again in March.
“There’s a lot more to the NBA and sticking around than just (scoring),” Porter said. “For Cam, I think it was a mixture of he was frustrated with a lot of things, and also his personality … he doesn’t really socialize. He’ll come to the gym sometimes and he’ll say like two words all day, all practice. He doesn’t really talk to anybody.
“I don’t think he does it in a way where he’s trying to be a bad teammate; I just think that’s him. But when it comes to a team being willing to pay you and come off that money and you’re a number one option, it comes with so much more. I don’t know if he was willing to break out of his personality and be talkative and try to be a leader and bring guys together. I think that’s kind of what happened here in Brooklyn.”
Thomas has flashed impressive scoring ability since entering the league, averaging 22.9 points per game in 91 outings during his third and fourth seasons (2023-25). However, he hasn’t consistently contributed in other ways and hasn’t always shot the ball efficiently, having registered career averages of 43.5% from the floor and 34.0% from beyond the arc.
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- As Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice and Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) detail, the Sixers rolled with a patchwork center rotation on Wednesday with usual starter Joel Embiid sidelined due to ankle and hip injuries. Adem Bona and Andre Drummond both got into foul trouble, prompting head coach Nick Nurse to turn to forward Dominick Barlow, who had played just 54 total minutes through the team’s first eight playoff games. Embiid is listed as questionable for Game 3, so it remains to be seen whether Philadelphia will have him back on Friday.
- Confirming that Celtics minority shareholders Aditya Mittal and Wyc Grousbeck are preparing a bid for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe says the expectation is that their roles with the NBA franchise would remain unchanged if they were to buy the Seahawks. According to Himmelsbach, Mittal would be the Seahawks’ controlling owner if the bid is successful, while Grousbeck would hold a smaller stake in the team.
- In case you missed it, we rounded up several Knicks notes earlier today. Since we published that article, Josh Hart (sprained thumb) has been upgraded from questionable to probable, signaling that he’s expected to suit up for Game 3.
Sixers Notes: Maxey, Edgecombe, Barlow, Terry
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey aggravated an injury to the little finger on his right hand in the third quarter of Friday’s win at Indiana, but he didn’t let it slow him down, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Maxey went to the locker room and asked trainers to numb the finger and rewrap it before returning to the game and leading his team to a much-needed victory in the Eastern Conference battle for playoff seeding.
Maxey has been wearing a splint on the finger during the past few games and admitted it has affected the way he’s played.
“I don’t have time to be timid right now,” he said. “My teammates need me. … I did it all year and had a high spirit and kept their spirits high. There’s just no way I’m going to let them down now.”
Joel Embiid‘s emergency appendectomy this week has increased the Sixers’ reliance on Maxey as they prepare for what’s likely to be a trip to the play-in tournament. They could still finish as high as sixth, but a lot would have to go right on Sunday, starting with a win over Milwaukee.
No matter where they finish, Paul George believes the players need to accept their underdog status with Embiid out of the lineup.
“Teams that make it further than their expectation, it’s because they’re playing together,” George said. “So that’s just the mentality and the mindset that we’ve got to have.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Rookie VJ Edgecombe is feeling the effects of his first full NBA season, telling Mizell, “I’ve never been so tired in my life.” However, he added, “I’m ready for the next game,” indicating that he won’t let the grind wear him down. Edgecombe stated that he feels like he’s been playing basketball since the pre-draft process began nearly a year ago. While his body might be aching, Edgecombe emphasized that there’s no mental fatigue. “I think I’m built for it,” he said. “I just want to continue to grow with my teammates. I just want us to continue growing our chemistry. … Obviously, I’m tired, but there’s always a ‘but.’ I’m ready to hoop. I’m ready to go out there and leave it on the floor any given night.”
- This week’s trip to San Antonio was meaningful for Dominick Barlow, who began his career with the Spurs in 2022, per Mizell. He said the organization put the “foundational blocks” in his game, and he’s happy to see them back among the top teams in the West. “They deserve to celebrate the success that they have now,” Barlow said.
- Dalen Terry thought he was about to receive bad news when he woke up after a late flight and saw five missed calls from his agent, Mizell adds. Instead, he learned that the Sixers were promoting him from a two-way contract to a standard deal. Coach Nick Nurse gave Terry an “A-plus” for his professionalism since joining the team in February. “I hold myself to a higher standard than I think I’m viewed as,” Terry said. “When I came to Philly, I was like, ‘This is finally a chance I get to show everything I can do.’”
Sixers Notes: McCain, Barlow, Edgecombe, Bailey, Embiid
The Sixers will see a familiar face when Jared McCain returns to Philadelphia tonight, but they don’t anticipate a friendly reunion, at least not on the court, Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes in a subscriber-only story. The second-year guard was traded to the Thunder at last month’s deadline, and his former teammates expect him to make a statement in their first meeting since the deal.
“Jared McCain’s about to try to come kill us,” Trendon Watford said. “We know how that’s about to go.”
McCain was a candidate for All-Rookie honors last year before injuries ended his season after 23 games. After returning from knee and thumb surgeries, it was difficult for him to get regular playing time in a crowded Sixers backcourt and he had a couple of brief stints with the G League team in Delaware.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters that he was “selling high” on McCain when he sent him to Oklahoma City in exchange for a collection of draft picks that included a 2026 first-rounder that originally belonged to Houston. Mizell points out that the deal also helped Philadelphia escape the luxury tax.
McCain has become another potent bench weapon in OKC, where he’s averaging 12.3 PPG and shooting 44% from three-point range for the defending champs. McCain was a popular presence in the locker room, Mizell adds, and Sixers players are glad that he’s succeeding.
“That’s our dog,” VJ Edgecombe said. “Everyone still [loves] Jared. I’m pretty sure it’s vice versa. I’m just happy to see him hooping.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- The Sixers’ injury list got longer on Saturday when Dominick Barlow was forced out of a game at Utah with a sprained left ankle, Mizell states in a separate story. Head coach Nick Nurse said X-rays were negative, and Barlow was able to walk out of the locker room without any protection on the ankle. He’s listed as doubtful for Monday’s game.
- Edgecombe and Ace Bailey, whom the Sixers were deciding between with their No. 3 pick last June, had their first NBA meeting on Saturday, Mizell adds in another piece. Philadelphia is ecstatic with Edgecombe, who’s in the midst of an outstanding rookie season, but Bailey has also been playing well lately as his minutes have increased. Edgecombe said they became friends during the pre-draft process, but never discussed who might be taken third. “I let him be. He let me be,” Edgecombe said. “And we just congratulated each other on draft night.”
- Joel Embiid will miss another game tonight with a right oblique strain, but there’s some promising news on the star center, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). Embiid has been conducting on-court workouts, and although he’s still experiencing some pain, he hasn’t suffered any setbacks. He’s played in 33 games this season and has been sidelined since February 26.
Sixers Notes: McCain Trade, Draft Assets, Roster Spots, Barlow
Despite exceeding expectations so far this season and holding a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race at 29-22, the Sixers were sellers at the trade deadline, sending second-year guard Jared McCain to Oklahoma City in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and three future second-rounders.
Speaking today to reporters, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey explained that the team remained active after agreeing to terms on that McCain deal in the hopes of adding win-now help.
“Because we’re playing well, we were trying to upgrade the team and add to the team now. That was goal number one,” Morey said, per Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice. “Obviously, no deal materialized, including using the picks we got from the Jared deal. We were trying to.
“That’s why we did that move a little early (in the week). We were trying to reuse those draft picks to add now. … The picks we got were offered to many teams, and nothing materialized for a player that we thought could move the needle with those picks now. But we feel like going forward, those picks will help us build the team in the future in a good way.”
McCain got off to an excellent start as a rookie in 2024/25 but underwent season-ending knee surgery and then had his 2025/26 debut delayed due to a procedure on his thumb. Despite the stop-and-start nature of his NBA career so far, the Thunder were willing to give up the sort of package for him that Morey felt he couldn’t turn down.
“I am quite confident we were selling high,” Morey said. “… And (we) weren’t looking to sell, I’ll be frank. Like, teams came to us with aggressive offers for him, and you could say, ‘Yeah, that’s ’cause he’s a good player.’ I agree with that. We thought this return was above, for the future value for our franchise, what we could get.
“… That return is for a starter quality player on a good team. That is – it’s actually above that. We do a lot of analysis on how we think things will play out, both here and around the league going forward in terms of the quality of play, what kinds of returns will return, what players in the future. And the bottom line is, Jared’s a player who is a great future bet and a potential great player, and we wish him luck. We feel like this return sets us up better to set up the team in the future better.”
Here’s more from Morey on the Sixers, via Aaronson:
- The fact that that the first-round pick Philadelphia acquired in the McCain deal will be in a 2026 draft considered to be loaded with talent wasn’t a determining factor in the Sixers pulling the trigger, according to Morey. “We’re not necessarily using the pick in this draft,” he said. “It could be used for moves around the draft. The three seconds that we got with it, we think could be used to move up in this draft. I and our front office have done a lot of deals over the years, and this just gives us more tools to make the moves that we think will help our future.”
- After ducking the luxury tax for a third straight trade deadline, Morey said he understands criticisms about the team’s approach to that tax threshold. However, he pointed out that the Sixers’ current ownership group has paid tax penalties in the past and would do so again if he identified an opportunity that warranted it. “I understand the perception, and I’d hoped to defeat it by finding a deal that I can go to ownership and say, ‘We think this move is the right move to do for that and create the apron issues that it would create,'” Morey said. “But I haven’t been able to recommend that move yet.”
- The Sixers have a full 15-man roster for the time being, but two of those spots are occupied by players on 10-day deals. Asked about how Philadelphia could eventually fill them, Morey mentioned a guard and a wing, but said the team will focus on adding the best player available. A Jabari Walker promotion from his two-way deal also remains a possibility, per Morey, who added that the team expects to be in on players on the buyout market as well. “I think we’re in the mix (for buyout players),” he said. “I think they see a really good team or a really good market. We’ve had a lot of conversations already. We’re obviously in competition with other teams, so I don’t know if we’ll get the first option necessarily, but we’ll be in there with getting some of the top options.”
- While Walker remains on his two-way deal, ineligible to suit up unless he’s converted to a standard contract, the Sixers’ other two-way standout, Dominick Barlow, was officially promoted to the 15-man roster on Thursday. According to Bobby Marks of Sports Business Classroom, Barlow was signed using a portion of Philadelphia’s taxpayer mid-level exception and will earn $3.4MM for the rest of this season, with a $3.4MM team option for 2026/27. Morey said on Friday that the 76ers would have liked to do a longer-term deal and aren’t ruling out the possibility of working out another multiyear contract with Barlow in the summer rather than picking up his option.
Sixers Promote Dominick Barlow To Standard Contract
The Sixers have promoted forward Dominick Barlow from his two-way deal to a standard contract ahead of their game against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday night, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice (Twitter link). The team has formally announced the move in a press release.
Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter links) first reported that the Sixers and Barlow were headed toward an agreement on a multiyear deal, and Aaronson confirms it’s a two-year contract with a team option for 2026/27.
Barlow, 22, signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia last summer after appearing in 96 games across three seasons for San Antonio and Atlanta. He quickly emerged as a key part of the Sixers’ rotation and has since become the team’s starting power forward.
In 40 games (33 starts) for the 76ers so far this season, Barlow has averaged 8.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steal in 24.0 minutes per contest. He’s shooting a career-high 55.0% from the floor and 80.0% from the free throw line.
Barlow was still eligible to appear in up to 10 more games while on his two-way contract, but he wouldn’t have been permitted to play if the Sixers were carrying fewer than 15 players on their standard roster. Even after signing Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin Jr. to 10-day deals on Thursday, Philadelphia was still at 14 players, so Barlow will fill the final spot on the roster and will no longer face an active game limit.
That means there’s no room on the roster at this point for another two-way standout, forward Jabari Walker. He has reached his 50-game limit and won’t be eligible to suit up for the Sixers unless he’s converted to a standard deal. However, the team can activate its other two-way player, MarJon Beauchamp, and will do so for Thursday’s game, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.
According to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), Barlow’s team option for next season is worth $3.4MM, which suggests the team is using its mid-level exception to go above the veteran’s minimum in order to sign the forward.
Grizzlies Acquire Eric Gordon From Sixers, Waive Georges Niang
6:08 pm: The trade is official, the Grizzlies confirmed in a press release (Twitter link). As expected, Niang has been released.
1:20 pm: The Sixers will trade veteran guard Eric Gordon and a second-round pick swap in 2032 to the Grizzlies, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Philadelphia will receive the draft rights to Justinian Jessup in return, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Jessup, a 27-year-old guard who was selected in the second round in 2020, is currently playing for Bayern Munich in Germany.
Memphis has a full roster and plans to waive Georges Niang so the trade can be completed, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link). Niang, who was acquired from Utah on Tuesday, has an $8.2MM expiring contract.
Finding a taker for Gordon opens more room below the tax line (and another roster spot) for the Sixers to convert two-way forward Dominick Barlow to a standard deal. Barlow has been outstanding in his fourth NBA season, starting 33 of the 40 games he’s played and averaging career highs with 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 24 minutes per night.
Barlow still has 10 games left before he reaches his limit for the season, so it’s not necessarily an immediate concern, but the Sixers need to have him on a standard contract to make him eligible for the playoffs. The team also seems likely to promote two-way player Jabari Walker, who reached his 50-game limit this week.
Gordon, 37, has only appeared in six games this season and was functioning as a virtual assistant coach in Philadelphia. His $3.6MM expiring contract only carries a $2.3MM cap hit, and he appears to be a strong candidate to be waived in Memphis once the deal is finalized.
Sixers Sign Patrick Baldwin Jr. To 10-Day Deal
4:27 pm: The Sixers have officially signed Baldwin to a 10-day deal, per the transaction log at NBA.com.
3:23 pm: The Sixers plan to sign free agent forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. to a 10-day contract, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
The 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Baldwin has appeared in 95 regular season games for the Warriors, Wizards, and Clippers since making his NBA debut. He finished last season on a two-way contract with L.A. and rejoined the team for training camp before being waived at the end of the preseason.
Baldwin, who signed a 10-day deal with the Clips last month, has spent the majority of the season in the G League with the San Diego Clippers. The 23-year-old has averaged 21.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals on .530/.343/.667 shooting in 25 NBAGL games (33.6 MPG).
Philadelphia traded Jared McCain and Eric Gordon prior to Thursday’s deadline without acquiring any players in return, enabling the team to dip below the luxury tax line, add draft assets, and open two roster spots. The 76ers will soon have 14 players on their standard roster, as they’re adding Baldwin and re-signed Charles Bassey to a second 10-day deal.
Two-way forward Jabari Walker reached his 50-game limit on Tuesday and will be ineligible to play for the rest of the season unless Philadelphia converts him to a standard deal. Assuming that happens, the 76ers would have a full 15-man standard roster, which would give them the option of keeping Dominick Barlow on a two-way deal for the time being — he can still be active for 10 more games.
The Sixers would have to maintain a full 15-man roster in order to continue using Barlow on his two-way contract, since they’ve hit their “under-15” limit for two-way players — teams can only use their two-way players for a combined total of 90 games while they’re carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts. Philadelphia, which has been carrying just 14 players for most of the season, recently reached that 90-game limit.