Last season, things ended prematurely for the Philadelphia 76ers after being eliminated in the first round of the postseason. However, since their defeat to the New York Knicks, they’ve managed to drastically transform the roster to get back in the title conversation.

Daryl Morey spent a year setting the Sixers up to have financial flexibility this summer, and made the most of it come free agency. He biggest splash was signing Paul George away from the LA Clippers. That said, Morey made numerous moves in the margins to bolster the cast of players around the league’s newly-formed big three. Among those the Sixers signed includes Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Reggie Jackson.

Coming off a busy offseason, the Sixers are looking to be a clear-cut contender in 2025. Their aspirations might be high, but recent power rankings suggest there are multiple teams ahead of them in their conference alone.

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In the quiet days of the offseason, power rankings for next season have already started to surface. As expected, the Boston Celtics were named as the top team in the East. After that, the New York Knicks came in at No. 2 ahead of the Sixers (No. 3).

The Sixers should again be dominant when their best players are on the floor, and they now have three stars to stagger so that they’re not sunk by minutes when one or two are on the bench. But if Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. are the fourth and fifth starters, their key perimeter reserves — Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon — are a little long in the tooth. So (if there aren’t any more additions) it could be a challenge for coach Nick Nurse to manage both the 82-game season and the postseason rotation.

The Knicks also made some big moves this summer, most notably trading for Mikal Bridges. They’re certainly one of the deepest teams in the league, but they lack the star power that the Sixers and Celtics. With top-end talent being the primary component of a contender, a case can be made that Philly belongs in that No. 2 spot over New York.