Report: Sixers To Be Aggressive This Summer...
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Free Agency is a little less than six hours away from unofficially beginning. Meanwhile, the Sixers are somewhere lying in wait, with about $60 million in available cap space, and a brand new General Manager. There are likely some of you asking what difference Bryan Colangelo could make in the free agent process. Well, the answer is quite simple. Sam Hinkie was a big believer in his vision, in "The Process." He believed that the best option would be to accumulate as many draft picks as possible, and hope to convey those picks into future superstars. That mindset was part of what pushed Hinkie out of Philly, but most of all it burnt pretty much all of his bridges. No agent wanted anything to do with Hinkie, and Philadelphia was pretty much blacklisted, as a result. Colangelo though, has a much different mindset. He's a believer in building through the draft, but he also believes in adding pieces via free agency. He's not dead-set on just building through the draft, as he explores all options. That mindset is part of what makes Philadelphia an attractive option for players this summer.
Before I go any further, let me reiterate (as I have once before, in a previous piece), the Sixers are NOT going to be players for players like Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, Mike Conley, Pau Gasol, or Hassan Whiteside. Those players are either looking for a team that will win a championship in the next three seasons, on the wrong-side of 30, or injury-prone. In some cases, all three.
Instead, it appears that the Sixers are going to keep on the path of the "youth movement", but add a bit of a twist to it. Sean Deveney of Sporting News is reporting that the players around the league are excited at the prospect of playing for the Sixers. This is a much different situation, than we're used to being in. Sixers fans are used to having their team laughed at, and agents hanging up the phone, not having players "excited" to play here. Deveney noted in his most recent piece, that the perception of Philly has changed.
'I think the thought was something along the lines of, Don't hold your breath,' one prominent agent recalled to Sporting News recently. 'Maybe if you had a point guard playing overseas, you might try them. But obviously, they were not going to be players on the market.'
Player agents who shrugged off the Sixers as former general manager Sam Hinkie nursed the franchise through the slow-build movement, dubbed "The Process," now have new GM Bryan Colangelo on speed dial.
'By all indications, they're going to be aggressive, and I think once you get past that first tier of free agents, you are going to have a perfect storm in Philadelphia that is going to make players want to go there,' another agent told SN. 'Brett Brown is a good coach. They've got money. They've got playing time available. I mean, it couldn't be a more different situation than what we're used to.'
In my opinion, the biggest takeaway from that quote, is that the Sixers are no longer viewed as the "red-headed stepchild" of the NBA, that nobody wants to play with. They're no longer the kid that gets picked last at kickball. The Sixers are close to being that awkward teenage girl, that blossoms into a beautiful woman.
Deveney goes on to add, that the Sixers are eyeing up a number of free agents this summer, and to the shock of almost nobody, most of them are guards, a major need for the team. In his piece, Deveney mentions that the Sixers have shown interest on both the open market, and trade market, to help fill their need in the back-court. More specifically, Deveney notes that they've showed interest in Oklahoma City guard Dion Waiters, Portland guard Allen Crabbe, and Golden State wing Harrison Barnes. He also cites sources that indicated the Sixers have been in contact with Minnesota regarding Ricky Rubio, and Houston regarding Patrick Beverley. Additionally, he mentions Evan Fournier and Jordan Clarkson as possible names to watch.
Of those names, the Sixers clearly aren't going to sign all of them. Although, they do have a good shot at landing at least three of 'em. The NBA's salary cap floor for the upcoming season will be roughly $85 million, meaning the Philly will need to add about $60 million in salary, just to reach the floor. That's a lot of money to spend, but it also provides the team with a lot of flexibility. For starters, they can be major players in the open market, in regards to free agents. They have the ability to provide a player like Barnes and/or Clarkson with max offers, and still have a chunk of money left over. Their financial situation also means that they will like be active in the trade market. With the team actively shopping Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, it'd come as a surprise if they didn't find a trade partner.
It appears that their primary area of concern is point guard, an area that they hoped to solve on draft night by making a deal for another top-5 selection, to draft Providence's Kris Dunn. Unfortunately, that didn't work, and we're now back to the drawing board. As Deveney mentioned, Ricky Rubio and Patrick Beverley are certainly possible names to watch for. Other names to look for via trade, could include Shaun Livingston, Trey Burke, and Marcus Smart. If the team opted to search the free-agent market, they'd find very little beyond top option Mike Conley. The next best option is Rajon Rondo, but one would imagine that this late in his career, Rondo's looking to win a ring. Other possible free agent options include: Jeremy Lin, Matthew Dellavedova, and Ty Lawson.
In addition to Deveney's report, multiple other sources have reported that the Sixers plan to be aggressive. As seen in the tweet above, ESPN's Marc Stein is hearing that the Sixers plan to be "serious suitors" for the services of Harrison Barnes, while insider Chris Haynes is reporting that the Sixers are on a list of teams that DeMar DeRozan could possibly meet with, following his meeting with Toronto.
Whatever happens, it appears that the Sixers are going to be one aggressive team this summer. They've got the money, the need, and apparently the desire to get better. Teams are beginning to realize that, as are players and agents. Philadelphia will continue to be heavily linked to just about everybody on the market, but until it's announced, it's just rumors. Nonetheless, it should be an interesting summer for the blossoming Sixers...one way, or another.
