Breaking Down Each Team’s Offseason Priorities
#30 — Philadelphia 76ers
Over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll break down what each NBA team needs to do this offseason, working from the worst record in 2015–16 to the best. Today, it’s the beleaguered Philadelphia 76ers. But cheer up Sixers fans — there’s finally light at the end of this shitty tunnel.
Too Many Big Men in the Kitchen
Fresh off a great draft, the 76ers are looking at a turnaround season led by #1 pick Ben Simmons. There is, however, a pressing issue — what to do with their logjam of big men. Among the Sixers’ top prospects are Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, and Nerlens Noel. There’s a chance head coach Brett Brown could continue to use Noel as a shot-blocking 4 next to either Okafor or Embiid at Center. However, another top prospect on the team is Dario Saric, a stretch 4 from Croatia. Saric has played overseas for two seasons since being drafted, and at 22 years old, it’s probably time to bring him over and see what he’s got. Furthermore, as a stretch 4, Saric is much more valuable for the Sixers than Noel in a league that is increasingly trending towards shooting-heavy lineups.
If the Sixers are smart, they’ll trade two of those three big guys for value, and go with a lineup that features Simmons at the 3, Saric at the 4, and their favorite big man at the 5. So, who’s their favorite? It all depends on Joel Embiid.
To Embiid, or Not to Embiid?
Sources out of Philadelphia indicate that the Sixers are still incredibly high on Embiid — Brett Brown keeps mentioning him in every interview as a reason for optimism this upcoming season. At the same time, Okafor has been rumored in several trades recently. Shopping Okafor must mean that the Sixers feel optimistic about Embiid’s potential. As good as Okafor is on offense, Embiid could actually be better. He showed some flashes of brillance in the post at Kansas, and if the Sixers believe he’s healthy, then they should choose his offensive upside over Okafor’s. Furthermore, Embiid probably has more defensive potential than Noel. For all Noel’s defensive promise, he’s not as tall as Embiid and doesn’t have the same reach, and he’s not a true Center. Again, if the Sixers truly feel that he’s healthy, Embiid is probably the best all-around big on the team.
Assuming the Sixers choose to keep Embiid over Okafor or Noel, here are some trades they can make.
Jahlil Okafor to the Lakers for D’Angelo Russell
This trade was talked about in the week leading up to the draft. If the Lakers really can’t see a future with Russell given the toxicity in the locker room after his cellphone incident, and his general immature attitude, then why not flip him for the promising Okafor? It seems weird that the teams would essentially swap draft picks from only one year ago, but both teams might actually improve as a result of this deal. The Sixers would get a great Guard prospect whose shooting ability would offset Simmons’ deficiencies in that area. Furthermore, Simmons could bring the ball up the court and run the offense, allowing Russell to play more like a Shooting Guard, his position at Ohio State, while guarding Point Guards on defense. The Lakers would get an extremely skilled low-post scorer to pair with the newly drafted Brandon Ingram, giving them offensive potency on the block and at the three-point line. Okafor might clutter the paint for LA, because current Laker Power Forward Julius Randle isn’t really a stretch 4 at all, but perhaps they could sign free agent Ryan Anderson and bring Randle off the bench as a Bismack Biyombo hustle-type guy.
Jahlil Okafor to the Spurs for Patty Mills and Jonathan Simmons
Philly needs a Point Guard, but it doesn’t have to be someone who excels at bringing the ball up the court. In fact, because Ben Simmons can play Point Forward but isn’t a great shooter, the Sixers’ priority should be finding a PG who can shoot. Enter Patty Mills. He would bring a veteran presence, affordable contract, and a solid three-point shot. And doesn’t Okafor on the Spurs just sound right? Okafor is a poor man’s Tim Duncan. He has the touch like The Big Fundamental, and neither are necessarily known for their defense. Perhaps Popovic can get more out of the young Okafor on the defensive end than Brett Brown did. Okafor could be the Center of the future in San Antonio, to play alongside LeMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard for years come. Simmons is thrown in here to make the trade work economically, but he would be a welcome bench guy in Philly because of his gritty, hard working attitude.
Nerlens Noel and Hollis Thompson to Minnesota for Nemanja Bjelica and Tyus Jones
This move helps both squads. Philly unloads Noel and brings back a stretch 4 in Bjelica. Is Bjelica the same caliber of player as Noel? Not necessarily, but he would be a great option off the bench to relieve Dario Saric, and the plays Philly runs wouldn’t need to change because the two have similar skill sets. What’s more, the Sixers will add promising PG Tyus Jones. The T-Wolves just drafted PG Kris Dunn and they already have Ricky Rubio on the roster, so clearly they don’t see much of a future with Jones on the squad. The Sixers could use Jones as a backup PG to relieve Ish Smith and they wouldn’t miss a beat. In fact, Jones might actually have starter potential — don’t forget that he’s only 20. The Timberwolves get a shot-blocking 4 that they can bring off the bench behind Kevin Garnett, who Noel can learn a lot from. Before long, Noel could be starting. Because Karl-Anthony Towns is so skilled offensively as a Center, Noel’s offensive deficiencies would be offset, and he could serve as a defensive, rebounding 4 like Tristan Thompson is for the Cavs. Hollis Thompson is really just a throw in here, even though he has shown some flashes of being an NBA rotation guy.
Nerlens Noel to Brooklyn for Bojan Bogdanovic
Brooklyn is a fun team to speculate about this offseason. They’re awful, and they seem totally content to try anything. They recently traded for Seton Hall star and Brooklyn native Isaiah Whitehead, in a move that wreaked of an “Ah f*** it, let’s give the fans something to root for” kind of attitude. So why not bring in the freakishly athletic Noel? Whitehead can dribble around, take wild shots, and beat his chest when he makes them. Noel can catch lob passes, block shots into the rafters, and beat his chest when he does it. Noel’s defense will be a welcome sight in Brooklyn given that Center Brook Lopez does absolutely nothing on defense. If Noel pans out as a long-term stud, great. If not, f*** it — that seems to be the Brooklyn way this year. For the Sixers, Bogdanovic gives them a solid starting Shooting Guard. He’s tough, he can score, and he defends his position well. He’s still young, but he has some experience that will come in handy on a young squad. He’ll defer to Simmons and Saric, but he can also take the ball late in games when the Sixers need a bucket.
Free Agency and Other Potential Moves
The Sixers have a ton of money to spend on free agents — but who the hell is going to Philly right now? KD? DeRozan? Harrison Barnes? Bradley Beal? Mike Conley? Please, none of those established stars want to get involved with a still-rebuilding Sixers squad. The only free agents likely to choose Philly would be those who cannot get big offers elsewhere, and who don’t care about winning right away. So why would Philly want anyone like that on a long term deal? The Sixers are better off sticking with what they have after solving their big men logjam via trades, winning 20–25 games, watching Simmons win Rookie of the Year, watching Saric and Embiid blossom, and then going after a big free agent next year. If their young guys show star potential, Philly could potentially attract stars like Blake Griffin or Russell Westbrook, established guys like Serge Ibaka or JJ Redick, or young guys like Victor Oladipo, Dennis Schroder, or Otto Porter Jr. in Summer 2017. Other offseason moves could include trading away Robert Covington and/or Jerami Grant, whose minutes should decline due to Simmons’ presence. Look for those trades to come in February at the annual trade deadline. Contending teams might give up picks or young players to get Covington or Grant as a spark plug off the bench.
Either way, Sixers fans should be extremely happy about this upcoming season. They’ll likely see Simmons rack up highlight after highlight on the way to winning ROY. There should still be a lot of losses, but the light at the end of the tunnel is finally getting closer, bigger, and brighter. #TrustTheProcess
