Free Agency Will Break Our Hearts + Big Summer Questions
Already so much to look forward to this offseason.
This is the last time we’ll talk before draft night, so let’s hit five big questions. before the chaos ensues.
What do you make of the Celtics winning the title?
Well I guess the best team did win. I feel indifferent — maybe because I’ve been expecting it, bracing for it even. But congrats to them. Actually fuck them but whatever. They took advantage of not having to go through Embiid/Giannis & Dame and did what they were supposed to do. That said, of course I want the same for the Sixers. I used to care about the road but to hell with it. Let’s get there and if it turns out there’s no Tatum or Brunson standing in the way, even better.
Thoughts on the revisionist Sixers history that comes with literally every basketball conversation now?
I HATE it. Everything doesn’t need a Sam Hinkie gotcha or a zing as to why Joel Embiid hasn’t been to a conference finals yet. We know, we get it, we acknowledge it. Before, it was fine, sometimes funny even. Now it’s annoying and most folks just mention it for content or engagement bait. You mention Joel Embiid on the internet and the replies and quote tweets don’t stop.
Should we be happy for Jrue and/or Horf?
Don’t hate Jrue, but he hasn’t been here in 10 years and this is his second ring. And fuck Al Horford and anybody who loves him.
Have your thoughts on the Sixers draft strategy changed?
I still think there’s a very high chance they trade the pick altogether as part of a package for an already established young guy and am still leaning that way — but given the daily intel that a lot of guys are rumored to fall into that late lottery range, I could see them trading down a few spots to the 20s to get a guy at a much cheaper cap hold.
If they hold, I think they could very well have their choice of Duke’s Jared McCain, Pitt’s Carlton Carrington (Bub!) or Dayton’s DaRon Holmes. Any of those three at that spot would be an immediate upgrade in the youth and athleticism department.
What’s your advice to Sixers fans who are going into these next few weeks jaded or uninterested or just plain bracing for the worst?
There’s so many teams in much worse spots. Honestly. And no they shouldn’t even entertain trading Embiid, I understand the vitriol and the doubt but also, seven-time all-stars with a league MVP under their belt don’t grow on trees. You don’t have to trust Daryl Morey, but let’s at least see what the guy can do with as clean a balance book as he’s ever had and 60 million to spend.
SPIKE’S CORNER - THIS OFFSEASON IS PROBABLY GOING TO DISAPPOINT US
It was never going to be as clean as we wanted it to be. The dream, some version of “the Sixers enter the summer with tons of cap space, sign a max free agent, and live happily ever after” is, and has been for a little while now, unlikely. Even the “trade for that max free agent player” option doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen.
It is more likely that our offseason looks like a mishmosh of low-investment trades and signings, building a team that is marginally better than last year’s, with the powder kept dry and the Sixers ready to pounce on the next star that asks out. That sort of thing is far more likely than Daryl Morey going all-in on a player that isn’t worth it, and also more likely than Morey abandoning his love for star players to build some sort of role-player super team.
Whether the Paul George dream is dead or not (Shams started digging the grave), it started as a pretty improbable scenario. Paul George forced a trade to the Clippers from the Thunder because he wanted to go home to Los Angeles. I know our idea of “going where you can win” seems to be the most important thing, but it’s far more likely this guy in his mid-30s just wants to live where he wants to live. Also, if winning a title was the most important thing, sadly, I am not sure that we would be first on his list. I would say PG remains a possibility but not a likelihood.
[For a moment, let’s discuss what Shams’ tweet might mean. This is always easiest to determine when you think to yourself, “Who does this benefit?” The potential benefitting parties here could be the Sixers, Paul George, The Clippers, or ‘other NBA teams.’ I think it’s most likely the Sixers.
The case for it benefitting Paul George: There isn’t one. I don’t see how this would benefit him at all.
The case for it benefitting the Sixers: There are a couple of scenarios here that could work:
1. The Sixers have gotten intel that signing George is unlikely, so they want to get out in front of it from a PR standpoint, and also let everyone in the league know they’re open for business.
2. Let’s say Sixers haven’t gotten any intel at all (or less than they’d like) on Paul George and his willingness to sign with the Sixers. Since they’re not allowed to talk to him directly, they want to put some pressure on his camp to send out signals that he’d be interested. June 30th will be here quickly, and things will move even more quickly after it’s here. With the NBA Draft next week, it would be beneficial for them to have a better idea where they stand with him.
The case for it benefitting the Clippers: They want him to sign for the three years they’ve offered, and want to pressure him into doing so before free agency officially begins. I don’t feel like this one is particularly likely, as they’re allowed to talk to him. But I suppose it’s possible.
The case for it benefitting other teams in the NBA: Let’s say a mystery team, maybe the Knicks, wants PG to do an opt-in and trade. They leak this, and maybe his mind starts going other places besides LA and Philly. I also don’t think this is very likely.]
After Paul George, there are just not a lot of great fits for the Sixers on the market that are at all likely.
It’s fun to joke about LeBron, but it’s never going to happen. Even with the 2% chance that he’d leave the Lakers, he’s not spending his final years in a cold weather city pressure-cooker with a co-star who seems to be hurt every playoff run. It’s just not happening.
Jimmy Butler seems super unlikely. Not only would it take Butler demanding a trade and the Heat deciding to be agreeable to it, but they’d also have to be agreeable to sending him to Philly (if he wants that). Damian Lillard just tried to force himself to Miami and ended up in a city that is the opposite of Miami. As well, there also is no way the Heat just want draft picks for Butler; they like being competitive. I just don’t think it’s happening.
I think OG Anunoby is staying in NY, and if he’s not, I don’t want round two of a giant contract for a player who has never made an All-Star team and can’t carry the offense when Embiid isn’t there. Add in the fact that he plays fewer games a year than Embiid, and he just isn’t the right fit for what they need. He’s the sort of player who would fit on any team, but he’s not the kind of guy who completes the Sixers’ puzzle.
The name that left is Brandon Ingram. While I think a trade for Ingram and his expiring contract is possible is possible, it fits more within the “mishmosh” scenario I mentioned above. I find it almost impossible that we trade for him and give him some giant extension, and much more likely he’s painted as the savior but is a placeholder for something better (they hope).
All in all, I have not given up hope that Morey will eventually put a team together that’s exciting. I trust him. I really do. I think he’s smart and able and has put them in the best position he probably could have at this point. But it’s not going to be as easy and clean as we’d hoped. The offseason is not going to conclude with all of us thinking “we’ve finally got the team.”
We will probably just have to wait a little bit longer. It’s already been 11 years, what’s another few months? Or another year? Or another decade?