NBA Draft Dilemna
Within months, on May 17,2016, the Philadelphia 76ers will know where they will be selecting in the NBA draft. On that date, the team will also learn how many draft picks they will be making in round one. If everything fell “just so”, the Philadelphia 76ers could be selecting 1, 4, 22, and 27 in the draft. If the Miami Heat struggle at the end of the season, their 22 pick could end up in the top 20.
But the NBA draft, and trades for players, have limits because it depends on what other teams do. There is another option, the free market of the NBA, which is free agency. There the only strings are what the team believes the value of the player to be, versus what the player/agent believes their service is worth. When the two numbers align, the contract is signed and everyone is happy. But the Philadelphia 76ers have shunned that route before, what makes me believe anything will change? Well, the words of head coach Brett Brown for starters.
#Sixers Brown: 'We're definitely going to be in the free agent game.'
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) March 9, 2016
Why here? Why now? Synchronization. The team can only develop so many players at once. In this 2015-2016 season, the team has assembled a team comprised of 20-24 year old players , with the exception of 32 year old power forward Carl Landry, recently turned 25 small forward Robert Covington, and three recent acquisitions in 27 year old point guard Ish Smith, 36 year old power forward Elton Brand, and 29 year old shooting guard Sonny Weems.
Ten players on the team with limited experience, and vast upside. That many players need a great deal of coaching, and with the arrival of next season, the demands on the coaching staff will merely increase. Another wave of rookies, another onset of new faces, another roster make-over to such intensity that the team could have more new faces than familiar ones returning. That’s a lot to absorb on one team.
A team must manage many things, and one of the most important factors is the financial aspects. As players outperform their existing contracts, they turn to the next contract opportunity to make up the difference. Fortunately, the Philadelphia 76ers face the loss of just two players: point guard Ish Smith and power forward Elton Brand. Shooting guard Isaiah Canaan will become a restricted free agent, which will give the Sixers an opportunity to match any offers from another team. As a result, this off-season will be focused on building, and not replacing, players.
Next: Free Agency Isn't Free