The Sixer Sense
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Are Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons a selling point for free agency?

By Matt Delaney

Jan 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (L) practices with center Joel Embiid (R) before a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (L) practices with center Joel Embiid (R) before a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Is it possible that Philadelphia 76ers could become a free agent destination this summer with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid?

Historically bigger cities do well as a place that free agents gravitate towards. Los Angeles, New York, and Boston have always done well in the past attracting top talent. Most believe that bigger cities do well at attracting top free agents because of all the commercial endorsements that players can receive outside of the NBA.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown has stated earlier in the season that when Ben Simmons comes back from his injury, he foresees him as the point guard for the Sixers. Regardless of how you feel about this and whatever position you think Simmons will actually play, Simmons will be the primary ball handler.

Ben Simmons can do a little bit of everything. He will be the focal point of the Sixers offense as it runs through him. We’ve yet to see Simmons play his first official NBA game, however, we did get to see him in action a little bit in the summer league prior to his foot injury on September 30th. In the summer league play at Utah and Las Vegas he averaged 5.5 assists per game. This ranked him among the top leaders in the tournament.

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Sixer’s fans are ravenous about the prospect of his return to action. We’ll possibly see him after the All-star break according to league sources in a report by ESPN.

Rookie sensation Joel Embiid has been nothing short of spectacular in his NBA debut season. In the 31 games that Embiid has played this season, he has averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks. He has been awarded NBA player of the week in January. Additionally he’s earned rookie of the month in November and December. He is widely considered a lock for Rookie of the Year.

Sixers fans can’t wait to see Embiid and Simmons play together this year. Fans want to get an idea of what the Sixers future will look like for the next 5-10 years. We wont get to see them play much together this season. Will it be enough to entice free agents with the talent on the Sixers roster?

The 76ers have plenty of room in the salary cap. In fact, the past few seasons, they’ve had trouble hitting the cap floor. Veterans guards like Jeff Teague and George Hill, looking for an up and coming team with cap flexibility like the Sixers, could be interested. Playing alongside of Simmons and Embiid would help their number and result in a big pay day. Other players that the 76ers might be interested in attracting are Tim Hardaway Jr, Otto Porter, and Jrue Holiday.

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The Sixers are always looking to add talent, and the bounce back season the Sixers are having definitely got the league’s attention. In the month of January, the 76ers record was 10-5. With the franchise on the rise, free agents players wont simply overlook and dismiss the Sixers. Many NBA analysts believe that the Simmons/Embiid combo will be one of the leagues best for years to come. The real question is, how can they convince free agents to believe the same?