Sixers Free Agency Preview: Everything You Need To Know
Every piece of information you could possibly need.
Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He has been legally banned from covering the team in person, and when that ban was set to be lifted, Covid-19 struck. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.
After months of absolutely nothing of note happening, then a month filled with unpleasant things and then a few months of curiosity, we have finally reached the pinnacle of suspicion: we are in the midst of what will go down as the most chaotic offseason in NBA history.
In an attempt to expedite the start of the season, the NBA has mashed together what usually takes an entire summer into a few weeks. We just had the draft, and now free agency is beginning in fewer than 48 hours. New Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has already left his mark on the offseason, dealing Al Horford, a future first-round pick (top-6 protected in 2025, top-4 protected in 2026 and 2027, turns into 2027 second-round pick if not conveyed, per a league source), and the 34th pick in last night’s draft to Oklahoma City for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson.
So, what exactly will be covered here? Well, just about everything -- at least I hope. The goal here is that if you read this entire piece, nothing that happens over the next few weeks will confuse you too much. From the CBA and salary cap rules to free agency targets, trade possibilities and anything else you can think of, it will all be addressed here.
Starting Point
You’ve always got to start somewhere. Here is where the Sixers roster stands entering free agency:
Tobias Harris: four years, $149M remaining on contract
Joel Embiid: three years, $97M remaining on contract
Ben Simmons: five years, $170M remaining on contract
Danny Green: one year, $15.3M remaining on contract
Seth Curry: three years, $24M remaining on contract
Mike Scott: one year, $5M remaining on contract
Terrance Ferguson: one year, $3.9M remaining on contract (Ferguson becomes a restricted free agent in 2021 offseason if issued a qualifying offer; becomes unrestricted free agent in 2021 offseason if not issued a qualifying offer)
Zhaire Smith: one year, $3.2M remaining on contract (Sixers have team option for 2021-2022 at $4.9M -- if they decline it, Smith becomes unrestricted free agent in 2021 offseason; if they accept it, he becomes restricted free agent in 2022 offseason barring an extension)
Matisse Thybulle: one year, $2.5M remaining on contract (Sixers have team options for 2021-2022 -- $2.8M -- and 2022-2023 -- $4.3M. If either option is declined, Thybulle becomes an unrestricted free agent the following offseason. If both are picked up, Thybulle becomes a restricted free agent in the 2023 offseason barring an extension)
Tyrese Maxey: two years, $4.2M remaining (Sixers have team options for 2022-2023 -- $2.2M -- and 2023-2024 -- $3.6M. If either option is declined, Maxey becomes an unrestricted free agent the following offseason; if both are picked up, Maxey becomes a restricted free agent in the 2024 offseason barring an extension)
Furkan Korkmaz: one year, $1.7M remaining on contract (non-guaranteed)
Shake Milton: three years, $5.5M remaining on contract ($3.5M guaranteed -- the third year of Milton’s contract is a team option)
Norvel Pelle: one year, $1.5M remaining on contract (non-guaranteed)
Isaiah Joe: unsigned
Paul Reed: unsigned
Salary Cap: everything you need to know
Now, we must face the slightly more complex cap holds and bird rights. Cap holds are exactly what they sound like: a placeholder in your salary cap for your unsigned free agents. A player’s cap hold is a certain percentage greater than their salary in the previous season, depending on which level of bird rights the team has on the player. Teams may renounce cap holds to increase their amount of usable cap space, but they in turn permanently forfeit their bird rights when doing so.
So, what are bird rights? Well, they’re mechanisms to ensure that teams can have a chance to re-sign players regardless of their financial situation. There are three levels of bird rights, determined by how many consecutive years the player has spent with the team. However, bird rights are transferable in trade -- for example, the Pelicans had full bird rights on Anthony Davis last year. When they traded him to the Lakers, the clock did not reset -- rather, the Lakers inherited New Orleans’ rights. But if Anthony Davis had spent another year in New Orleans and then signed with the Lakers this offseason, LA would only have non-bird rights next season, with the clock resetting.
Here are the three levels of bird rights and what they offer:
Non-bird rights: non-bird free agents are those who have spent one or less consecutive years with their current team. Their teams are allowed to offer them up to 120 percent of their previous year’s salary, regardless of whether or not they are or would be over the salary cap.
Early-bird rights: early-bird free agents have spent two consecutive years with their current team. Their teams are allowed to offer them up to 175 percent of their previous year’s salary, regardless of whether or not they are or would be over the salary cap.
Full-bird rights: full-bird free agents have spent at least three consecutive seasons with their team (or teams, if they were traded in that time). Their team is allowed to offer them any salary up to the NBA’s maximum, regardless of whether or not they are or would be over the salary cap.
Now, to Sixers free agents. Luckily, things were made easier for us this year: every single one is a non-bird free agent, so the Sixers can offer them up to 120 percent of their previous salaries. Their cap holds also are 120 percent of their previous salaries. So, here are the free agents and the numbers that represent both their cap holds and maximum non-bird offers:
Alec Burks: $2,784,052
Kyle O’Quinn: $2,434,312
Glenn Robinson III: $2,259,440
Raul Neto: $2,084,574
Ryan Broekhoff: $1,620,564
(Be honest: you totally forgot that Broekhoff was on the Sixers.)
O’Quinn seems like someone whose cap hold the Sixers will easily renounce. O’Quinn failed to bring value on the floor, and if the Sixers decide to give him a roster spot for his locker room presence, they can always sign him to a veteran’s minimum later on (any team can give anyone a minimum contract regardless of their cap situation as long as it doesn’t take them over the roster limit). Perhaps the Sixers want Broekhoff as an end-of-bench piece, but I doubt it. And like O’Quinn, he’s someone who you can go back to and give a minimum: neither of them will have a market above that.
It’s possible but certainly unlikely that Neto will have a market above the minimum. This is one where the Sixers can enter wait-and-see mode and decide what to do with him based on how the market as a whole unfolds.
And then we get to Burks and GRIII, who have yet to arrive in Philadelphia but are hitting free agency. Neither will break the bank with their next deals, but both should command more than the most the Sixers can offer through non-bird rights.
And that leads us to… salary cap exceptions!
Cap exceptions seem difficult, but they really aren’t. They provide teams… you guessed it: exceptions against the salary cap. What exceptions a team has access to depends on their financial standing, but the Sixers’ position is clear: they are a luxury tax team who will have access to the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, worth $5.7M. This means the Sixers have an extra $5.7M in spending power. However, this $5.7M has to be used on its own: for example, let’s say the Sixers want Alec Burks back in the fold. They can’t add the $5.7M T-MLE to Burks’ $2.8M non-bird maximum and offer him $8.5M. However, they can renounce Burks and his cap hold, then bring him back with the exception for a larger amount. The Sixers can give the entirety of their T-MLE to a higher-profile free agent target (trust me, we’ll get there), or split it up amongst multiple cheaper free agents.
In the beginning, you noticed that Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed, the team’s second-round picks, are unsigned. Because second-round picks are not subject to the rookie scale, things can get a bit tricky. The Sixers have two options when signing a second-round pick: give them a two-year minimum contract and preserve their entire T-MLE, or use part of the T-MLE to sign them, which decreases their spending power in free agency but allows them to ink Joe and / or Reed to a contract as long as four years. The front office must weigh if it’s more costly to burn a portion of their spending power or to cede potentially multiple seasons of team control.
And, finally, traded player exceptions. TPE’s are created as byproducts of trades (trust me, you don’t want the entire explanation of how they become a thing). They’re very similar to the salary cap exceptions I just described. A TPE gives a team a certain amount of money which they can absorb via trade. However, if they use a TPE, they cannot send out any salary in return -- only draft picks. TPE’s cannot be combined with one another, but can be used multiple times (they shrink each time they are used).
As a byproduct of the Horford trade, the Sixers are projected to receive a TPE in between $7M and $8M. That means they can incur that much money without sending any out, which gives them a bit more flexibility.
Trade Ideas
Before we get to free agent targets themselves, there is one specific scenario worth discussing. You know what I’m getting at. But first...
Thoughts on the Horford trade
I was quite honestly extremely surprised that Morey swung a Horford deal last night. I expected him to be patient, but it seems the right deal made itself available early on. Trading a first-round pick so far out in the future is a bit concerning considering the lack of clarity as to where the team will be by then. But to only give up a first- and second-round pick in order to dump Horford is a win, and to do so while adding an elite role player like Green in the process is an even bigger one.
And to be clear, Green is very much still an excellent role player. Despite a few rough plays in the NBA Finals, he is an excellent defender across multiple positions with a remarkable track record as a shooter. Most players described as “3&D” players are just wings who can’t create anything; Green is legitimately the quintessential 3&D wing.
Thoughts on the Richardson trade
I originally had about 1,000 words worth of Josh Richardson trade ideas. But my favorite one was as follows:
“The Mavericks are building around Luka Doncic. Does that mean they want a premier guard defender next to him? If so, Richardson makes a ton of sense for them. The Mavericks have a bevy of role players who would do wonders for the Sixers. Seth Curry would be a dream acquisition. Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith are both elite role players, though certainly not shot creators. Delon Wright provides ball-handling, even if he isn’t a dynamic offensive player.”
After giving me my dream scenario with Maxey, Morey went and got another one with the Seth Curry acquisition. In a vacuum, Richardson and the 36th pick are likely more valuable than Curry, but Seth is such a brilliant fit that it doesn’t matter. Long a hypothetical future-Sixer, Curry will give elite shooting and reliable ball-handling, making him just about a perfect fit next to Simmons. Possibly best of all, Curry has three inexpensive years remaining on his deal. Stylistically and financially, he is exactly what the Sixers need.
I can’t believe Daryl Morey is here.
James Harden?!
After scrapping my many hundreds of words about Chris Paul, I did not expect to need to write more about James Harden. But here we are! Harden is trying to will himself to Brooklyn, with the Sixers reportedly being his other (but much lesser) preferred destination. What excites me is this: if Harden wants out (he does), he is willing to play in Philadelphia (seems more likely than not), the Sixers have interest (why wouldn’t they?), and the Rockets decide they are ready to move him (TBD)... who is topping an offer headlined by Simmons, or even Embiid if the Sixers were willing? Houston would without question take a package led by one of the Sixers’ young All-Stars over Brooklyn’s bunch of okay players. This is not me predicting that the Sixers will trade for Harden, rather an expectation that if Harden does convince Houston to move him, there is a significant chance that the Sixers get involved.
The assumption seems to be that Simmons, not Embiid, would be the key cog of the return in a hypothetical Harden-to-Philly trade. If so, the Sixers should not hesitate to pounce on the opportunity. Simmons is a wonderful player who should only be dealt for legitimate star-level talent. But very few young players are valuable enough to hold out of talks when a player like Harden is available. Simmons is excellent, but almost nobody is more valuable than Harden. I’d be willing to move Simmons and additional assets to bring in Harden.
Is Embiid one of those? I certainly think there’s a case to be made. His defensive impact is unquantifiable, though remarkable by any statistical measurement. He is a very good offensive player, the best foul-drawer in the NBA sans Harden and the best post-up scorer in the league. At his best, he can outplay any other player in the NBA.
I would consider a straight-up swap of Embiid and Harden. I probably wouldn’t give anything more than Joel like I would with Ben, but given Embiid’s physical volatility, you have to consider moving him for an iron man in Harden who is a walking top-five offense on his own. With that being said, I would do whatever it takes to pair Harden and Embiid, be the most annoying team ever and score a million points at the free throw line.
Making the money work
You always hear it around these parts: “do the salaries work?” Before we get into specific trades themselves, let’s address this, as financial rules apply to every trade.
As you probably know, the Sixers will become a luxury tax-paying team this season. And teams in the luxury tax have a special set of rules when executing trades. The one you need to know is this: the team can take in 125% + $100,000 of the amount of salary they are taking in. After their roster explosion last night, the team is a bit more limited in their maneuverability, with Scott and Smith being the only tradeable players at the moment. Here’s how much money the Sixers can take in if they trade Scott and / or Smith:
Just Scott: $6,356,688
Just Smith: $4,105,750
Scott + Smith: $10,362,468
He is not allowed to be traded alongside any other players for the time being, but it’s worth noting that the Sixers can absorb $5,030,016 if they ship out Ferguson. That’s a meaningful amount, especially with someone like Ferguson. I can’t imagine he will have much of a path to consistent playing time barring injuries.
More trades
I was originally running long sections dedicated to Horford and Richardson trades -- but Morey got those out of the way already. So here are some trade targets I would keep an eye on:
George Hill ($9.5M): Hill has been shipped from Milwaukee to New Orleans, and at $9.5M is an easily acquirable salary -- the Scott + Smith combination gets you there. Hill’s shooting and defense at the guard position would be a godsend. With New Orleans having a logjam at point guard, one would think he is attainable.
Reggie Bullock ($4M): Bullock is one of the league’s best movement shooters, but has consistently been on the shelf with injuries. He can likely be had for free, though, making him an intriguing trade target. With that being said, at this point I would simply just play Isaiah Joe.
Luke Kornet ($2.3M): Kornet is a wonderful shooter for a big-man and would give Simmons-on, Embiid-off lineups optimal spacing. With the backup center position very much open for competition, Kornet and his outlier shooting would be an excellent addition.
Nemanja Bjelica ($7.1M): I’m not sure how much the Kings value the almost-Sixer-but-I-guess-also-former-Sixer-depending-on-how-you-look-at-it, but he is a legitimately good rotation player who is worth pursuing if acquirable at a small cost. He would be a considerable upgrade over Scott.
Svi Mykhailiuk ($1.6M): Svi, whose last name I spelled correctly on my first try (I really did!), is an excellent shooter. With a new front office in Detroit, anyone is available, as they already showed by dealing Luke Kennard last night. If the Sixers can trade something of relatively little value for him and take a shot on someone with his shooting stroke, they could find themselves with a useful offensive role player.
PJ Tucker ($7.9M): Let’s begin the “Rockets fire sale” section: Tucker doesn’t necessarily solve any problems for the Sixers, making this unlikely considering how much he can add to other teams.
Danuel House ($3.7M): House is a solid wing, nothing more and nothing less. He has a nice track record as a shooter, with decent or better efficiency on significant volume. He’d make the Sixers quite a bit more stable, even with Maxey and Joe having been added to the fold.
Norman Powell ($10.8M): If the Raptors begin to blow up, Powell would give the Sixers a huge punch offensively. It doesn’t seem like they are going that way, but if things change, Powell should be a sought-after commodity.
Malik Monk ($5.3M): Charlotte may have had enough of Monk at this point, and I certainly wouldn’t blame them. But he has to be more valuable than Scott, right?
Khem Birch ($3M): Someone I’ve hoped the Sixers would target for a few years now, Birch is a solid backup center entrenched in a logjam in Orlando. He could be a meaningful part of the solution as far as the backup center issue goes.
Tyus Jones ($7.9M): I feel like I’ve been writing this blurb every year for my entire life (though that is admittedly not a large amount of time). Jones is a perfectly competent point guard who takes care of the ball and is good enough at everything though not great at anything.
Ish Smith ($6.1M): Ish would of course not bring the optimal amount of shooting, but he pushes tempo better than almost any others and can actually make things happen. If the Sixers can’t find a high-level perimeter scorer, they could do worse than Ish as far as platoon-type players go.
Doug McDermott ($7.3M): Here’s some shooting! McDermott is clearly not an off-dribble creator whatsoever, but his shooting -- more specifically, his movement-shooting -- is an avenue to generate half-court offense, as we’ve seen with players like JJ Redick and Marco Belinelli recently.
Free Agent Targets
Oh boy. After a thorough evaluation of the free agent class, I ended up with 75 names that could conceivably sign with the Sixers. Here’s how I’m going to break them up:
Full MLE: players who, if attainable, would likely need to be offered the full $5.7M
$3M-Full MLE: players who may not take up the entire mid-level, but at the very least will demand a majority of it.
Minimum-$3M: players who will likely receive more than a minimum, but not much more.
Minimum: players nearly certain to get a veteran’s minimum salary
Full MLE
Justin Holiday: Holiday seems unlikely to only get the $5.7M the Sixers can offer, but if his market dries up and he fails to find other contenders interested, I suppose he could consider the Sixers.
DJ Augustin: Now a longtime hopeful Sixer for me, Augustin would bring reliable ball-handling and excellent shooting for a team that desperately needs both.
Jeff Teague: Teague has struggled in the last two years, but will likely command more than he’s worth because of his reputation. I would stay away if I’m the Sixers and he wants more than $3M or so.
Reggie Jackson: Like Teague, Jackson wil coast to a deal he may not deserve based on name recognition. Jackson is definitely better than Teague, enough so that I would not be opposed to giving him the T-MLE. Augustin would be preferred, but Jackson is a rotation-caliber point guard.
Rodney Hood: Hood declined a $6M player option, which is a bit perplexing given his recent achilles tear, but likely foreshadowing that he has a market at or above that range. Given the bevy of uncertainty in Philly, I wouldn't touch a player with Hood’s medical red flags, though the on-court fit would make some sense.
Bryn Forbes: Forbes is an excellent shooter, but has failed to progress as much as many hoped in recent years. I’d be willing to bank on his potential being unlocked, but not before I would sign a true creator.
Garrett Temple: The Nets have to decide on a $4.6M team option for Temple. Given his standing in their locker room, my guess is that they pick it up. If he hits the market, he would be worth the MLE -- but, again, not more than a shot creator would.
Wesley Matthews: The almost former Sixer had a career resurgence this year in Milwaukee, serving as a key perimeter defender and spot-up shooter for a juggernaut regular season Bucks team. I would say the Sixers should pursue him strongly, but in all likelihood other teams will find a way to offer him more money. If his market dries up, this would be a massive addition.
Maurice Harkless: The actual former Sixer may be a bit too costly, and admittedly helps other teams more than he does the Sixers. That makes it unlikely he ends up making a triumphant return.
JaMychal Green: Moving onto the big-men, Green has long been a favorite of mine thanks to his extremely diverse defensive portfolio and ability to stretch the floor as a big-man. Green has a $4.7M player option, so if he opts out it would indicate he needs the entire T-MLE if not more. Green has mostly been considered a four and not a five, but new Sixers head coach Doc Rivers often employed him at center in pivotal playoff moments. A full-time transition to the five would be bold, but not necessarily ill-advised.
Tristan Thompson: My guess is that Thompson will get offered the T-MLE from a whole bunch of teams. The problem is that most need him much more than the Sixers.
Bobby Portis: Portis is a useful player, a four with size who can shoot and occasionally score. I’d say I’d sign him in a vacuum, but given the context of the roster, it probably doesn’t make sense for the Sixers.
Mason Plumlee: Similar to Thompson, he will likely be another center who gets bombarded with T-MLE offers. Once again, other teams have more to offer him than the Sixers.
$3M-Full MLE
Austin Rivers: Rivers has denied interest in playing for his father once again, but is worth mentioning considering his notably good fit with the roster. His shooting and ball-handling would be welcomed.
Emmanuel Mudiay: Mudiay has become a run-of-the-mill backup point guard, and quite frankly I don’t think is nearly as useful as some believe. I’d stay away.
Kent Bazemore: Bazemore makes sense as a prototypical 3&D wing. In 25 games with the Sacramento Kings last season, Bazemore shot 38.9 percent on 2.9 three-point attempts per game.
E'twaun Moore: Moore has a pretty impressive track record from beyond the arc, but is likely a non-factor (or worse) defensively, and has had an ominous injury history.
Alec Burks: Burks was very much up and down after he finished his 3,000 mile walk to Philadelphia, but flashed lots of creation ability this season. If he has interest, a reunion could make some sense.
Glenn Robinson III: I can’t imagine GRIII has much interest in coming back given how little he tried to hide his frustration almost immediately upon arriving in Philly. But you can always use a wing who hits threes.
Courtney Lee: Lee became one of the more reliable two-way wings in the league before injuries derailed his last two seasons. If Lee can get healthy, the contract he signs will be a bargain.
Torrey Craig: Craig is both restricted and a part of Denver’s wing rotation, so I wouldn’t hold my breath here. But if the Nuggets have bigger fish to fry, Craig would bolster anyone’s perimeter defense.
Kris Dunn: Once a top prospect, Dunn had a rough start to his career but has quickly become one of the best guard defenders in the NBA. Because of his shakiness offensively, the Sixers are likely not the right fit.
Robin Lopez: Lopez declined a $5M option, which is puzzling. Either his market is much higher, and doesn’t make sense for the Sixers given his assumed price and notable decline, or he was simply opting out to ensure he wasn’t dealt for Jrue Holiday. Either way, I don’t think Lopez makes much sense at this point.
Minimum-$3M
Langston Galloway: Galloway has been frequently mentioned as a potential Sixers target for years, which is odd because, well, he’s not a player you’d peg to have multi-year suitors. But Galloway provides shooting, size at the guard position and a bit of ball-handling that would help the Sixers in some capacity.
Michael Carter-Williams: I know this sounds crazy. And MCW can’t really play with Ben Simmons. But he has turned himself into a legitimately useful rotation player. This is almost definitely not the spot he will choose, but shoutout to MCW for reviving his career!
Nerlens Noel: Did I hear “this is almost definitely not the spot he will choose?” It’s no secret Nerlens and the Sixers parted on poor terms. In past free agency previews I have ignored the possibility, but with a new front office in place, I suppose it’s conceivable? Maybe? Probably not? I don’t know. I certainly hope so.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: A South Jersey native, MKG has adapted, now utilized as a defensive weapon against big wings and even some big-men. A homecoming would be a bit surprising but not necessarily erroneous.
Marco Belinelli: I’ve never liked Belinelli, who is a major liability against elite competition. His movement shooting can be valuable during the regular season, though. Once again, I would rather just play Joe.
Frank Kaminsky: The Suns have to decide whether or not to pick up Kaminsky’s $4.7M team option. Assuming they don’t, he would be an underrated option to back up Embiid. Kaminsky is a legitimate threat as a shooter and not a total disaster defensively.
Meyers Leonard: Another stretch five who can play backup minutes, Leonard is an excellent shooter for a player of his size. He’ll leave a lot to be desired defensively, but can be part of your big-man rotation -- also, he would become the most active bench hype-man the Sixers have had since Justin Anderson.
Alex Len: Len has evolved his game to keep up with the times, becoming a willing and capable three-point shooter. Ideally he would be lighter on his feet, but there are certainly worse backup center options.
Markieff Morris: Morris ended up getting hot from beyond the arc for the Lakers during their playoff run, but I remain skeptical that he’s anything other than your average back-end of the rotation wing. His size is certainly useful for a player of his size, though, and the Sixers do lack big and strong wings. I’m certainly not excited about the possibility, but also not at all horrified.
Chris Chiozza: Let’s get weird: Chiozza began to blossom into what seemed like a real microwave guard before the season was put on pause, and turned some more heads in Orlando. He is a restricted free agent, and there’s not much reason to let him walk for Brooklyn other than to save luxury tax money. But if Brooklyn is caught up in Joe Harris’ free agency and can’t commit to Chiozza, he would be a fascinating target for the Sixers.
Harry Giles: The former five-star recruit has failed to find his footing in the NBA, first and foremost due to injuries, but also due to simply a lack of ability. Giles should be on an NBA roster, but I’m not sure if he’s a viable rotation player. With his medical history, I’d stay away.
Willie Cauley-Stein: Cauley-Stein would need to decline a $2.2M player option to reach free agency. If he does so, the Sixers should have some level of interest if -- and only if -- they can acquire at least one proven pick-and-roll guard, which they currently do not have. If Cauley-Stein eventually solidifies his standing in the league, it will be in part because of his ability as a lob threat.
Josh Jackson: Jackson had a sneaky career revival in Memphis during the latter half of the year. In many ways, he reminded the league why they thought of him as such a great prospect in 2017. Ultimately, I’m not sure what he does better than Matisse Thybulle. Someone should sign Jackson, but it probably would not be the most efficient use of the Sixers’ resources, even though they could use a wing of his size.
Minimums
Shabazz Napier: A perpetually underrated player, Napier is a useful shot creator who should absolutely be a Sixers target if he continues to be undervalued around the league.
Raul Neto: In what weirdly became a controversial opinion, I thought Neto was a totally competent backup point guard last year. I’d be entirely content having him back.
Trey Burke: It’s safe to say this former Sixer will not make a return, but he’s worth a mention. Burke improved drastically in Dallas, giving them quality minutes.
Brad Wanamaker: The Philly native is a competent enough ball-handler and shooter who boasts a good frame. He would be a decent backup option.
Tyler Johnson: Spike’s guy! Tyler Johnson oddly fell off the face of the earth, quickly going from a solid role player to a non-NBA player. If the point guard market is active and the Sixers need a fallback option, they could do worse than Johnson.
Jordan McRae: It’s a major win for us that McRae seems to be an NBA player. He broke out as a scorer for the Wizards, and the Sixers could certainly use someone that can score.
Brandon Knight: I have little to no interest in Knight, but he’s worth mentioning considering he was once a useful player and isn’t done playing.
Matthew Dellavedova: While I enjoy a player who is accompanied with jokes every now and then, Delly doesn’t seem like he has much left in the tank.
Shaquille Harrison: An unrestricted free agent, Harrison has long been fascinating to me. He is a truly bonkers-level athlete. If the Bulls don’t want him back, someone should scoop him up. Why not the Sixers?
Solomon Hill: Hill provides size and depth on the wing, though his year-to-year variance as a shooter and his injury history are enough to scare me away.
Wilson Chandler: The most average player I have ever seen, I often forget Wilson Chandler even exists. He gives you useful size on the wing and decent spot-up shooting, I suppose.
Andre Roberson: Once an all-world level defender, Roberson’s career has been crushed by injuries. Even if he has anything left in the tank, I can’t imagine the Sixers having interest in such a poor shooter.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson: RHJ did not establish himself in an excellent developmental system despite noteworthy physical tools. That’s fairly concerning. While wings of his size should be targets now, ones who can’t shoot should not be.
Kyle Korver: Korver reportedly was very close to returning to Philadelphia last season before opting to join the Bucks. If he wants to give it one more go, I’m sure he’d have interest in ending his career where he started it. The Sixers can always use a high-level shooter, even with the additions they made last night.
Thabo Sefolosha: This one’s a blast from the past! Sefolosha recently revived his career, signing on with… Morey’s Houston Rockets. It’s not inconceivable that Daryl tries to bring him over if he can fill out an end-of-roster spot as a big wing they may need.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute: Mbah a Moute’s resurgence as an elite role player was vanquished by injuries. At this point, his most important trait to the Sixers is his ability to connect with Embiid. Speaking of connecting with the big fella...
Justin Anderson: Bring JA home! Anderson has honed his ability in the G-League and looked like an NBA wing in Orlando. I’m now mad about the double-technicals in the Miami playoff series again.
JaKarr Sampson: Our old friend JaKarr impressed with Chicago enough in 2018-19 to earn an NBA deal with the Pacers, where he proved versatile enough to continue playing in the NBA. BRING HIM HOME!
Jared Dudley: I know everyone hates Dudley around these parts, but he is a proven locker room leader who thinks the game at a high level and can step out and knock down a three every now and then.
Jeff Green: This is sneakily one of my favorite options as far as big-men go. I never thought I would say that about Jeff Green -- first of all, I have always thought he was extremely bad. But in Houston, he became a rim-running, floor spacing, closeout-attacking center, a fascinating evolution for a once perimeter-oriented wing. I’d approve if Daryl wants to sign him again. Not as a wing, but as a big.
Treveon Graham: A classic hypothetical 3&D wing without any real results, color me skeptical that Graham is anything more than an end-of-roster player. I’d want more size if I’m taking this kind of shot in the dark.
Anthony Tolliver: I loved Tolliver for a long time, but it appears as if his time has come. If Scott ends up being moved, the Sixers could give him a look to appease Embiid’s desire to play alongside a stretch four at times.
Noah Vonleh: Vonleh has become a vastly underrated big-man, an elite athlete for the position who can stabilize your defense in almost any scheme. Sign me up for him if the Sixers choose to take a few throws at the dartboard as far as the center position goes.
DeMarre Carroll: Carroll had such a brutal year in San Antonio that he was bought out in year one of the three-year deal. That likely tells you all you need to know at this point -- though it should be mentioned that Morey signed him in Houston. He’d make more sense than someone like Graham, for example, because he at least has a nice frame.
Ryan Broekhoff: I’m honestly not sure why they would, but if the Sixers want Broekhoff back, they should be able to do so easily. There’s no reason to have him now that Joe is on the roster.
DeAndre’ Bembry: A St. Joe’s product, Bembry is more of a weird and funky player than a useful one. I enjoy watching him, but have yet to find evidence that he is good. Given that he is a restricted free agent and the Hawks likely won’t let him walk for a minimum contract, I’d consider this unlikely -- but we shall see.
Lance Thomas: I’m really scraping the bottom of the barrel here with an aging veteran who just spent most of the year out of the league. This is my sign to stop naming wings.
Bismack Biyombo: He’ll always be remembered for his disastrous contract, but don’t conflate his previous salary with his ability too much -- Biyombo can play in the NBA.
Kyle O’Quinn: KOQ was a major disappointment last season, and there is certainly no basketball reason to bring him back. He was a hit in the locker room, but I’d still have trouble justifying a return.
Tyson Chandler: If the Sixers really care about leadership, they might as well sign Chandler, who is likely washed up physically but still is a brick wall, tough as nails, and widely-respected.
Ian Mahinmi: Mahinmi became a Sixers Killer, because of course he did. He is a fine third center on a minimum deal if he’s healthy.
John Henson: Henson had a quick fall from grace, and I struggle to envision him panning out again at this point. The rebounding ability is there, though.
Willy Hernangomez: Can you say “SIXERS LEGEND?!” Hernangomez was once a promising prospect but has quickly fallen off the radars of most. If he has no market and the Sixers have an open roster spot for a big, this could be a match.
Bruno Caboclo: When I saw his name on the free agent list, I couldn’t resist. Here is the obligatory joke: the Sixers are two years away from being two years away from signing Bruno Caboclo. (Look at the last several names on this list and then try to blame me for trying to lighten the mood around here.)
Caleb Swanigan: Swanigan was a gifted scorer in college, but his scoring and rebounding have not translated to the NBA. He especially seems like a poor fit here, where mobility and shooting will be priorities.
Patrick Patterson: Patterson seemed on his way out of the league, but returned to the scene with the Clippers, where he flashed signs of the player he once was but ultimately fizzled out. Like Tolliver, he could be a fallback stretch four option if Scott is dealt. Unfortunately, he probably doesn’t have what it takes to log center minutes.
In Conclusion
This is about as pivotal an offseason as could be, and Morey got off to what may have been the best start possible. To first dump Horford for a relatively cheap price and add an elite role player in Green in the process, then to make the best pick of the draft with Maxey at 21, find another gem in Joe at 49, and top it off by adding a major offensive contributor like Curry is wildly impressive, and frankly stunning, even for someone as skilled as Morey.
I can’t even put into words how confusing it was to watch the Sixers repeatedly make well-thought-out moves. To go from the Colangeli to the Alex Ruckers of the world to now this is quite the glow-up. Now Morey and his staff have the chance to punctuate this unprecedented offseason by putting the finishing touches on a much-improved roster through the free agency and trade markets.
If last night was any indication, the new man in charge is up for the challenge.