The Sixer Sense
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Sixers Potential 2016 Free Agent Targets

By Michael Kaskey-Blomain

Jan 18, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) dribbles the ball as Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) defends in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Blazers won 108-98. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) dribbles the ball as Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) defends in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Blazers won 108-98. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers rebuilding process may be determined by this offseason. Who should the team target in the free agent market this summer?

It’s never too early to talk about NBA free agency. The summer of 2016 projects to be an extremely intriguing one, with a lot of big names to hit the market and a lot of money to be thrown around, especially with the new television deal money coming into play.  For the Philadelphia 76ers, the approaching free agency period may represent a time that the franchise is finally ready to utilize some of the cap space that Sam Hinkie has cleared over the past several seasons.

The Sixers have had ample cap space over each of the past couple summers, but with the team firmly entrenched in rebuilding mode and not looking to add any veterans, the space went largely unutilized, at least in terms of needle-moving additions.  However, with a plethora of young assets already acquired (and more to come in the ’16 Draft), ownership feels ready to move the rebuild forward–signified by the addition of Jerry Colangelo–and the summer of 2016 may be the first big example of that.

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While heavyweights like LeBron James and Kevin Durant likely won’t be interested in signing with the Sixers, there are several players that could serve as excellent additions as the team builds back up into a contender. With the ability to lay out some serious coin, and several promising young players already in tow, Philadelphia could be an intriguing option for some FAs.

Here are some players that the Sixers could potentially pursue this summer:

(The inclusion of a player on this list does not necessarily indicate that I think that the Sixers should pursue the player, or that a union is feasible. The Sixers roster is rather unique as currently constructed, as it consists mainly of young players, many of whose organizational future is uncertain. Thus, free agent fit is difficult to determine. However, both Sam Hinkie and Jerry Colangelo have entertained the notion of the Sixers being buyers in the market this summer, so this list will entertain that notion as well.

Furthermore, this list takes into account the fact that the Sixers already have several promising young frontcourt players in tow–Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Richaun Holmes–and thus operates under the assumption they won’t be looking toward the frontcourt in free agency.

Also, this list assumes that some of the game’s bigger names–read: James, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan–will not be interested in joining Philadelphia at this point.)

Bradley Beal (Restricted): Although there are some concerns about his long-term health, Beal is one of the best young shooting guards in the league. With several formidable frontcourt players in Okafor, Noel, Embiid, Holmes, and Saric already on the roster, the team needs to address their perimeter positions.

Beal is a knockdown shooter, and his presence on the floor would open things up for the bigs to operate in the paint. He provides an excellent outlet option for a post-up player like Okafor, and is also able to play at the preferred uptempo pace of the Sixers. He is a two-way wing player that can flat out put the ball in the basket, and such players are becoming increasingly important in today’s NBA.

The Sixers would be far from the only team interested in Beal however. They would likely have to compete with a handful of other suitors, if, and only if, Washington doesn’t opt to keep him around, which is unlikely. He is a restricted free agent after all.

Nicolas Batum (Unrestricted): Batum is a guy that can do a lot of things on the court, and his style of play is well-suited for the pace-and-space approach popular in the league today.

With size and athleticism, he can play either perimeter position on the offensive end, and can guard 1-4 defensively. His versatility makes him extremely valuable to a franchise, potentially especially for one without a rigid roster like the Sixers.  Batum could provide the Sixers with some flexibility on the perimeter moving forward.

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Harrison Barnes (Restricted): Harrison Barnes has been an integral part of the Warriors’ recent string of success. His ability to bump to the power forward spot from his natural shooting guard position allows Golden State to play at the pace they prefer. He is young, versatile, and still improving.

Like Batum, Barnes’ skill-set is well-suited for the Sixers’ style of play, as well as the league-wide trend of play. You would assume that Golden State would retain his services, but with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, and Andre Iguodala all already under contract for next season, and Barnes market value at a high level, it may be difficult for them to do so.

Jordan Clarkson (Restricted): Clarkson is a dynamic young guard, who will be due for a big pay bump this summer (he’s making $845,000 this season). The guard spots are areas that the Sixers will eventually need to address, and if the team is able to snag a top-tier forward like Simmons or Ingram in the draft, Clarkson could be a potential option. He has solid size for a point guard at 6’4’’, and is more than capable of running the break and operating an offense. He has his fair share of deficiencies–he needs to improve defensively and shot-wise–but there is a lot of potential there.

The Lakers remain high on him, so the likelihood of him going elsewhere seems slim. Also, with a plethora of solid guards across the league’s landscape, Clarkson would not be a guy worth over-paying for, but he remains an option nonetheless.

Arron Affflalo (Player Option): Afflalo is a guy that the Sixers could consider if they wanted a reliable, veteran presence on the perimeter to balance out some of the younger players that figure to hold down a majority of the Sixers’ spots next season. He is capable of knocking down open opportunities and putting the ball in the basket, but he does not demand a ton of touches on the offensive end, which is good as the Sixers have several young players that figure to be offensive options.

Next: Which 2016 Draft Picks Will Sixers Claim?

Afflalo is one of the league’s better perimeter defenders, and a good ‘glue’ guy; he does a lot of the little, fundamental things that younger players may have yet to pick up on. In the absence of the acquisition of a ‘star’ at the shooting guard position, the presence of an experienced, reliable player on the perimeter could be a big benefit developmentally (and win-loss wise) to the team’s core of younger players.

Courtney Lee (Unrestricted): Afflalo and Lee possess a similar skill, are the same age, and could potentially play a similar role on the Sixers.