2020-21-22 Sixers Season

[xogfog]

This could be the end for Danny Green. He'll miss his age 36 season, does he really want to come back at 37 after a major injury. He might go directly to coaching.

[schillingfan]

According to theESPN people on radio. Harden has a one year opt in worth $44 mil. They think he’ll take it, so that will limit moves the team can make next year.

[zambonir]

It is $47.4 million but he probably only opts into it if the Sixers don't open up extension talks. That's just his leverage to try and get an extension. The Sixers' leverage is not keeping him after next year (or even trading him before than, hard as that would be) and/or convincing him he'll never have enough good players around him if he doesn't take less money than the max extension.

He also was already making $44 million this year, which is about what Ben and Seth Curry made together, so it doesn't really affect the short-term picture, which is still basically, they need to get rid of Harris. They'll also have Green's money coming off the books.

[xogfog]

Sixers revisionist history exercise:

2015: Instead of drafting Jalil Okafor, the Sixers trade down picking up future picks and drafts Devin Booker.
2016: Can't blame them for taking Simmons, but since this is a revisionist list, Sixers trade back two picks and take Jaylon Brown
2017: Sixers take Tatum instead of Fultz
2018: Sixers keep Mikael Bridges

You still trade Saric and Covington, plus a 1st for Butler.

Sixers roll out: Embiid, Butler, Tatum, Brown and Booker with Bridges, Thybulle, Noel, Maxey, Reed and Joe on the bench, plus you would have had more draft picks. Think that team would do okay?

[zambonir]

I'm kind of tired of people saying that this is a failure of "The Process" though. That ended when the Colangelos took over.

On the list above, trading Bridges is still the most baffling, and not keeping Butler the biggest hindsight mistake IMO. And both happened when the team was technically in between front offices (if you consider Brand transitional/not-that-empowered).

I still don't blame them for taking Fultz, even if not making the trade might have simply left them with Tatum (but probably not).

Of course the theoretical roster would still not have Thybulle, Noel, Maxey, Reed or Joe - all of the other things happening would have led to totally different records and drafts and front offices, as well as other trades and free agents along the way.

[gmwannabe]

Was the Sixers trade for Fultz necessary? would the Celtics have taken Tatum #1? he is having. a heck of a playoff series.

[zambonir]

We'll never truly know, but it doesn't really change anything does it? Sixers really only ever wanted Fultz and either didn't want or didn't think they could sign Ball (who hasn't been a prize either).

[gmwannabe]

yes, thank goodness they stayed away from Ball.

[phillychuck]

Fultz was by far the consensus #1 talent in that draft..look at the threads the day the trade was made. We thought we got a steal. That was just bad luck...

[gmwannabe]

yes. what the hell was missed?

[zambonir]

I don't think anything was missed. Kid just went bad. Ben was arguably more of a miss, in that they already knew a lot more about his make-up.

There's just no scenario where Colangelo was smart enough to take Tatum I don't think. The only what-might-have-been is that the Celtics also squeezed him for something they didn't even really want.

[phillychuck]

I honestly think both the Fultz trade and the Simmons pick were the right choices at the time they were made given what was known about Fultz and Simmons and the alternatives. There was a lot of doubt among scouts that Tatum's game would translate to the NBA, and speculation that he was another typical "Duke soft" player. Give Ainge credit for not buying into those narratives, but Fultz was supposed to be generational star (as was Simmons). Simmons is a two-time NBA all-star who also broke down after being drafted. Does the Sixers organization have any responsibility for both those situations? Fultz, I think no, but Simmons, maybe yes.

[zambonir]

I don't think either picks were wrong, but they were also not without questions - including about how bad their college teams were. And in Ben's case Brown probably just knew and liked him too well to see any red flags.

Drafting teenagers isn't easy! Both of these guys are still younger than most NBA greats were when they won their first rings (and especially in the pre-Kobe and LeBron era).

[Docs]

the only worthwhile sixers revisionist history exercise I would advocate is 2016 - Sixers do not cave to NBA, Sam Hinkie remains with the team and completes the procress. I agree with Zambonir - the process was not completed and the moves by Colangelo were anti-process.

I like to think that giving up 2 firsts for Fultz was not something that Hinkie would have done. (Full disclosure - I wanted Fultz) I suspect Boston wanted Tatum and may have taken Tatum first, but colangelo made it so obvious that he wanted Fultz he had to overpay to trade up. (a very Hinkie thing to do similar to the Orlando trade for Saric) That said - I think the Lakers draft Fultz at 2 if he is available, and the sixers end up with Ball and an additional first the next year. I recall reading something about Colangelo willing to give up that additional first because the sixers had a first already that year, as if it was a burden to have two first round picks. Colangelo was terrible for Philadelphia unless you enjoyed discussing the events that lead to his departure.

[zambonir]

Colangelo was terrible for Philadelphia unless you enjoyed discussing the events that lead to his departure.

lol.

And after all that, we hired Hinkie's old boss, who was really the original "Billy Beane" of the NBA (he even founded the MIT conference).

But he didn't have to tank in Houston, and was known for the team's stars more than the analytics or even the D'Antoni offense, and these last two Sixers teams have been known for their star-related soap operas more than anything else, so I have yet to see any journalist or pundit push back against Morey the way Hinkie always got it. Of course he's about to be under the microscope for the next series of moves.

[bkox]

ESPN Sources: The Brooklyn Nets are deferring acquisition of the Philadelphia 76ers 2022 first-round pick at No. 23 to the 2023 NBA Draft. The option on pushing back pick comes out of the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade. Nets had to inform the league office of decision today.

— Adrian Wojnarowski ( @wojespn ) June 1, 2022

[xogfog]

There may be value at 23, I’d consider trading back for a couple of second round picks. I’d look for a defensive stalwart 3 or 4. Also, he might not even get drafted, but I love Jermaine Samuels from Nova, I think he would be a good depth player.

[bigegypt0417]

You either pick someone you believe can contribute or you trade the pick for a veteran...can't keep adding 2nd round projects.

[zambonir]

It probably gets traded since they can't trade 2024 or 2026, and 23, 25 and 27 are all gone already (provisionally).

[bkeich]

t probably gets traded since they can't trade 2024 or 2026, and 23, 25 and 27 are all gone already (provisionally).

I dont think they can trade it, they must "pick" since the 2023 pick is already traded. You can't go 2 years without a pick.

They could of course make a pick and then trade that player, but I dont think they can trade the pick unless they acquire one this year or next.