Nick Nurse Says Sixers’ New-Look Roster Has ‘More Athleticism and Speed’ After Vegas Debut

Nick Nurse stood courtside in Las Vegas this week watching a Summer League roster that barely resembles the one he coached last season. And that’s exactly the point.

The 76ers front office spent the offseason tearing things down and building them back up around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The headline move: a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown. But the changes didn’t stop there. Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade arrived in free agency. The roster got younger, faster and deeper on the wings.

Nurse, speaking from the NBA Summer League in Vegas, laid out the offseason blueprint pretty clearly. He wanted more athleticism and speed across the roster. He wanted to fix defensive rebounding and add perimeter shooting. According to Nurse, the front office checked off most of those boxes.

“I think we addressed most of them,” Nurse said.

Brown alone shifts things significantly. He brings transition scoring and downhill pressure that Philly hasn’t had since… well, maybe ever in the Embiid era. Simons and Wade give Nurse floor spacing options that should open up the middle for Embiid to operate. VJ Edgecombe adds defensive toughness on the wing. And the frontcourt gets reinforcements with Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti, both of whom should help with rebounding and rim protection.

Summer League is Summer League, of course. Nobody’s declaring anything settled based on a few games in July. But Nurse’s comments suggest the organization believes it nailed its offseason shopping list. That’s a big deal for a team that’s been stuck in the Eastern Conference playoff traffic without quite breaking through.

Nurse has been here before. He took over the Raptors as head coach in 2018 and won a title his first season. He won Coach of the Year the next year. His defensive schemes are the kind other coaches study on film. Since joining the Sixers in 2023, he’s been trying to build that same kind of identity — blending star power with roster flexibility. This summer’s moves feel like his vision finally taking shape.

The real test comes when the season starts and the games actually count. But for now, Vegas is giving Nurse and the Sixers a chance to see what this new group can do before the lights get bright.