Sixers should focus on free agency
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Sixers should focus on free agency
Michael Kaskey-Blomain, Assistant Sports Producer
Just as the Sixers must look toward the lottery, they must also focus on free agency.
At this point it seems that Jrue Holiday is the only lock to be in the lineup next season.
Thad Young, Evan Turner, and Spencer Hawes are all under contract, but none are immovable should the right offer materialize. Of course, the big Bynum decision will have an enormous impact on offseason spending and the Sixers' overall approach as to what type of players they should pursue.
If the Sixers don’t re-sign Bynum they will have an ample amount of cap space to pursue other options. However, even if they were to offer Bynum a deal, it will be for less than initially expected when they signed him last summer, and they should still have solid cap space to pursue other players.
Elton Brand (finally) comes off of the books this summer, as well as a couple other contracts that the franchise probably won’t follow up on, such as Nick Young and Dorell Wright.
It's safe to assume that top-tier free agent targets such as Chris Paul and Dwight Howard won’t want to sign with the recently struggling Sixers. So it seems that the Sixers will have to target the not-as-big-but-still-effective free agents. Obviously the Bynum domino needs to fall first, but after that move is made here are a handful of players that could help return the Sixers to relevancy.
NBA salaries have to be the most lopsided, disproportionate ones on the planet as far as a person's skills and contribution to society. The biggest stiffs in the game, e.g., KBrown, earn enough in six months to last an entire lifetime at a fairly comfortable level--the equivalent of 60 years of an average teacher's or policeman's salary. Yet half of them can't even "um, ya know, like" put two half-coherent sentences together. Something is severely wrong with that picture.— Basquete Rey- @"adiobroyster"
you forgot his league leading 269 turnovers, 3.8 per game.— FireCollins - Bottom line on the cap. The Sixers will have about $12 million dollars under the cap. End of story. In that casd the only max player they can sign is their own(Bynum). The move is too write next season off and sign a few one year deals to fill the roster, trade Evan Turner, pick in the lottery two years in a row AND THEN in 2014-2015, they will have Jrue, (2) top ten picks and about $33 million under the cap for a free agent class that is way better than this one. That would take patience and intelligence something the owners should learn to have if they want to BUILD a championship team. (See how that word works, BUILD, that takes time)— UncleStosh
- I do not see why a big star like Dwight Howard would not come here for the right price. Philly may be a smaller market than LA, but it allows a big guy to shine and carry a team into a championahip. Wilt Chamberlain, Sir Charles and others have made a legacy here. It might actually be better than always being compared to other LA greats.— Larry Byrd
- unclestosh.....finally someone one here who gets it.....there are NO easy fixes in this league.....its rare that free agency makes you an instant championship team like what has happened with Miami and the Lakers when they received Shaq and Boston with Garnett......
Any way to your point "patience" is the key word.....do NOTHING this off-season except gather as many one year contracts (expiring) as possible....and go at it hard via FA's and lottery picks and trades and be ready for 2014-15 season.....its really the only way!!!— bbrady25 - bbrady giving bearsfriend a run for his money ...— Copper34
- Spencer Hawes is an absolute Joke. Can't believe that stiff is making 6 1/2 million. Sixers are going nowhere.....fast.— nellynel89
- You're correct with the addition, bbrady, but if you Google "Jrue Holiday 2013 cap hit," you'll see that you're looking at the one site that lists it at 11M. Check out http://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/PHI.html Holiday's cap it in 2013 is $9,213,484.— wking410
- Copper34....I appreciate the compliment but "the bear" is still the king of this jungle.....cooper34 I do read your posts as well....I see you on the eagles from time to time.....good work!
wking410....you are correct but if you go onto nbasaleries.com (i think) it gives you the actual salary/cap hit as well and I have always used that for salary info....I find it to be more accurate
remember in the NBA all incentives count against your cap as if the player was guaranteed to receive it......— bbrady25 - Why are you guys puffing yourselves up and arguing about numbers that are probably worthless anyway? A good GM will make numbers work. Trade ET NOW. Lavoy has no motor. And, unfortunately, Hawes provides one of our few offensive options when in the game.
I like Mayo and Hickson from the list. Milsap is another tweener we don't need and Smith is not worth the $$.
Let's finally get some talented balance to this team.— Shragez - the funny thing about all you guys post is the passion behind them. love it right or wrong. Keep up the good work fellas— Kunta Bean
- bbrady boring!!!— slade1955
- slade.....and your mister excitement...lol
— bbrady25 - I just hope the Sixers realize that the vast majority of free agent signings in the NBA happen for one of two reasons - A player really wants to play for a certain team/with a certain teammate or a team vastly overpays for a solid guy and regrets his contract mightily three years later (which is part of why the lockout happened).
Signing free agents in the NBA only works if a team one or two complementary pieces away or needs a serviceable starter to make it look like it is trying in a season when it knows it can't compete.
The only other way to win free agency is to grab a young guy/solid role player if the market falls out for him, something the Sixers' front office is rarely intelligent enough to do. That could happen for a guy like J.J. Hickson and if it does he could be worth a serious look.— OutofTownPhillyFan
