It might sound a little overblown to some, but I honestly think the Eastern Conference landscape will be a bloodbath.

I’m certainly not the first to say it and probably won’t be the last, but with the reigning NBA champs being an East team (the Knicks, of course) and a myriad of eager contenders in between. Our beloved Toronto Raptors are expected to be in that mix, but the list goes on and on: you have the Cavaliers, an ambitious Heat squad, the Pacers looking to get back to 2025-level speed, and don’t count out what the Hawks, Magic, Celtics, and Pistons could do.

Although, one new-look East team might have more eyes on them than any other squad: the Philadelphia 76ers. With new additions like Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ariel Hukporti, Labaron Philon Jr., Jaylen Brown, and of course, LeBron James — this unit has a ton of expectations going into next year.

Don’t get it twisted though, this team is far from fool-proof. Aside from the obvious questions of how this team and the newcomers will gel together, the Sixers could use additional help in certain spots — particularly bolstering their center depth. 

The aforementioned Hukporti can certainly fill that role, as can their current youngsters like Jabari Walker or Dominick Barlow, but I don’t know if you can really classify either gentleman as real center. Embiid’s status and availability throughout the year will definitely be a key storyline of the 76ers campaign, and finding proven centers to fill out the depth chart wouldn’t be too shabby of an option.

On a recent edition of the Third Apron Podcast (YouTube link here), the Philadelphia 76ers were the team in focus as Yossi Gozlan and Adam Aaronson assessed their 2026 offseason and salary cap outlook. In it, they highlighted Philly’s potential exploration into center insurance, with names like Yves Missi and Jaxson Hayes mentioned. Later, the conversation heats up as the possibility of a Joel Embiid trade is discussed, with the Mavericks offering an intriguing package if the Sixers decide to move on from their star.

But where have I seen this issue come up before regarding real big man depth and proven center play? Well, it’s almost a broken record at this point when it comes to the Toronto Raptors.

Raptors and 76ers could go head-to-head in the race for center upgrades

Targets like Jaxson Hayes and Yves Missi have certainly been the subject of discussion in Raptors circles before, with the latter being a name explored at several points here on Raptors Rapture. And it’s largely because the Raptors find themselves in the exact type of hole where the center position could use a massive boost outside of just Jakob Poeltl (who’s aging and injury-riddled) and Collin Murray-Boyles (suitable in the role, but not a true center and has longevity concerns at that spot). Toronto took a small step to address this issue by adding Trey Jemison III to a two-way deal, but the signing isn’t a surefire move by any means. 

The Raptors could benefit greatly from sacrificing some assets (whether it’s having to pay a bit or trading picks) to acquire a competent backup like Missi, Hayes, or as I looked at a few days ago, Daniel Gafford. But right there in the thick of it too is the Philadelphia 76ers, who outside of the New York Knicks, might just be the Raptors’ biggest foil to keep an eye on next year (pending the outcome of their Kawhi Leonard trade hold-up). 

It doesn’t exactly look like the Raptors’ front office right now is showing much sense of urgency in addressing this issue, but you do have to consider the hazy Kawhi situation still at play, limited finances, and roster capacity closing in on them. That being said, it doesn’t change the fact that Toronto’s center depth is still a pressing concern. If or when the Raptors decide to actually start looking at possible options on the market, expect Philly to be right there competing for the same targets.

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