Sixers Guaranteeing Adem Bona’s Salary For 2026/27

The terms of Bona’s contract allowed for the 76ers to waive him on or before July 7 without being on the hook for any of his salary. However, that was never a likely outcome after the 2024 second-round pick, who has emerged as a regular part of the team’s rotation during his first two NBA seasons.

A former UCLA standout, Bona set new career highs by appearing in 71 games and making 18 starts in 2025/26. The 23-year-old averaged 4.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, making 59.5% of his shots from the floor.

Bona vied with veteran center Andre Drummond for backup minutes behind Joel Embiid last season and shared the center position with Drummond when Embiid was sidelined for health reasons. Based on Philadelphia’s offseason moves to date, it looks like Bona could find himself in a similar role in 2026/27, though this time he’ll be battling for playing time with newcomer Ariel Hukporti, who has agreed to sign with the Sixers while Drummond heads to New York.

The Sixers hold a team option worth roughly $2.49MM on Bona for the 2027/28 season. They could either turn that option down next summer in order to make him a restricted free agent or they could pick it up to keep him on a team-friendly contract for one more season, though that would put him on track for unrestricted free agency in 2028.

If Philadelphia envisions Bona as a long-term keeper, the team could try to work out an extension before he hits the market in 2027 or 2028. He’ll officially become extension-eligible on July 21.