In this new series, Sixers Wire looks at the 16 players, per Spotrac, that comprise the Philadelphia 76ers roster — 14 under standard contracts and the two players on two-way deals — and gives each three goals for the 2026-27 season.
The new season begins on Oct. 20, and training camp is right around the corner. Now is the time to begin previewing the new season of adventure that is Sixers basketball.
Up next in this series is big man Jabari Walker, who is set to enter his second season with the team, and fifth in the league overall. He began the 2025-26 season on a two-way deal, but played well enough to earn himself a standard deal. He averaged 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds during his first year in Philadelphia.
For Walker, his three goals are:
Bring the hard hat
Walker needs to do the dirty work every day, whether that's at practice, shootaround, or in games; he will need to play at a high energy level and bring that hard hat every night. When considering the depth chart, it looks like Walker is behind Dean Wade and Dominick Barlow in terms of the power forward spot and there's only so many minutes coach Nick Nurse can pass out to everybody. Walker will have to bring the energy every night and look to give the Sixers some much-needed energy, rebounding, and defensive ability.
Chase down Wade and Barlow
The Sixers brought in Wade early in free agency, and therefore, he will play a big role for Philadelphia while Barlow is somebody who established himself in the rotation rather early during the 2025-26 season. Nurse will give Walker a chance to impress him and earn a shot at getting into the rotation, but that's the big word: "earn". He can push both Wade and Barlow with a constant energy level, rebounding the basketball -- a bugaboo for Philadelphia at times --, and giving the Sixers a lift on the defensive end of the floor.
Bring a 3-point shot
Walker's 3-point percentage dipped in 2025-26 as he shot just 33.7% from deep on 1.5 attempts per game. This came after he shot 38.9% in his final season with the Portland Trail Blazers. If Walker can come back with a reliable 3-point shot, then that gives him a better shot at building a case for himself to earn a spot in the rotation. The Sixers will need production from the reserves on a nightly basis to give the starters a break. If Walker can give Philadelphia some help on either end of the floor, it changes things for Nurse and the Sixers.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers 3 goals: Jabari Walker needs to bring his hard hat every night
