Draft picks: 24, 33, 34, 44, 54
Signed for next season ($67.5m): Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jonathon Simmons, Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden
Embiid, check. Ben Simmons, check.
Remember when Jonathon Simmons was an exciting young mid-range scorer with the Spurs? Where did that guy go? Why isn't he of any use at all any more? And how do the Sixers get rid of him?
Didn't see much of Zhaire Smith last season. And what I saw of Bolden was okay, but he seems like a real knucklehead (those guys can be useful but you gotta keep an eye on them).
This summer's free agents: Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler, JJ Reddick, Boban Marjanovic, James Ennis, Mike Scott, Amir Johnson, Furkan Korkmaz, TJ McConnell, Greg Monroe
Watching the Sixers during the regular season I thought to myself, 'Hmmm, I kinda liked Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris together...'. But come playoff team, it was clear that the Sixers were a Butler-Embiid team not a Simmons-Harris team. To that end, I expect them to break the bank to keep Butler and let Harris go (and perhaps take offers for Simmons).
JJ Reddick has been a fixture of the Process years and I can see them bringing him back, but I never found him to be so integral to those teams, so I can see him finding more money elsewhere.
I don't see Boban coming back. Interesting player but not an obviously superior player.
I kinda liked Ennis in the playoffs last year, definitely earned himself a contract somewhere--maybe not Philly, though.
I kinda like Mike Scott, not sure how much Philly liked him.
Johnson has been a serviceable backup big man through the Process years, if his price tag goes down, I can definitely see him back with Philly.
I liked what I saw of Korkmaz but there just wasn't enough room for in that lineup. I reckon he goes to Europe for a year or two before trying to return to the NBA.
The Sixers would be foolish to let McConnell get away. Look: you need a 2nd string PG, you need a guy that keeps the offense going when your stars are on the bench and McConnell does that as well as anyone in the league! Yes, he's only gonna play 10-15 minutes per game but someone has to play those minutes and McConnell is the best available. (I thought the Sixers should've locked him up long term last summer--and I still think they should lock him up because he's perfect for them!)
I don't see how Monroe returns next year.
Still got that Hinkie taste for 2nd rd picks, so the Sixers have a ton of picks overall (24, 33, 34, 44, 54). I reckon they'll be looking to trade those 2nd rd picks for future 2nd rd picks (also straight from the Hinkie playbook--why did they run him out of town again?). I have no idea how they'll draft but it looks like they've got a shot at guys like Carsen Edwards (Purdue), Naz Reid (LSU), Daniel Gafford (Arkansas), Jordan Bone (Tennessee) and a handful of foreign prospects. Again, I expect them to trade those picks forward rather than come up with anyone that will join next year's roster.
Next year's lineup:
PG Simmons, SF Butler, C Embiid....after that I'm not sure.
I can see them bringing back Reddick, McConnell, Johnson, Ennis and Scott but I wouldn't be surprised to see a whole new collection in there, too. So I dunno what they got going on for next season past those core three.
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