The Pros And Cons Of Dreaming About Marquis Free Agency

Some big dreams are just too big for Philadelphia

So there is this guy, playing in the NBA, and he like says to a sports writer, knowing full well that it will be published, that um, he wants to play on the same team as Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul. Well, the guy is Lebron James, and um… he can play. So why not sign the lot of them Sam Hinkie?

The cause of all this excitement in the NBA? None other than the infamous LeBron James, who once more has set all 30 NBA teams on a scavenger hunt of epic proportions. In essence, setting a willing to take a pay-cut enticement out there for the one team that can sign all four players to the same team at the same time. Doubt me? It was his own words.

"“I really hope that, before our career is over, we can all play together. At least one, maybe one or two seasons — me, Melo, D-Wade, CP — we can get a year in. I would actually take a pay cut to do that. It would be pretty cool. I’ve definitely had thoughts about it.” -LeBron James discussing another dream team scenario"

So here we have the Philadelphia 76ers, dreaming about winning. And there we have LeBron James, dreaming about winning with Anthony, Wade, and Paul. Why not dream together?

Well, the Pros of this scenario are easy to do. With both LeBron James and Dwayne Wade entering free agency, the first team to contact both about the run at Carmello Anthony and Chris Paul would certainly have the upper hand. But with that accomplished, the Sixers would need to deliver on the other two, and with the NBA, the cost would likely escalate quickly as soon as word broke. The second concern is the salary cap, suddenly a huge matter. Well, the Philadelphia 76ers have space to add some huge salaries, and with the likes of these four, they most certainly would. The salary requirement to sign all four to one team runs like this James ($30-36 Million), Paul ($22.8 Million), Anthony ($24.5 Million) and Wade ($20 M). In one fell swoop, the team would go from one of the cheapest in the league to one subject to the NBA luxury tax.

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Such is the life on NBA teams who want elite players. The Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James’ team, is currently sitting on a payroll of $107 Million and paying a luxury tax of $22 Million . That would likely be the scenario of any team who undertakes the grand task of delivering LeBron James’ dream to him. Can Philly do it? Yes, they can, they have plenty of team option contracts and could get as close to under as any team just on salaries.

But the final piece, wresting both Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks and Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers. First, let’s examine needs of the Clippers. Doc Rivers understands that a team has a window to succeed. If that window closes before the championship happens, the team has to be brutally honest with itself:

"We’re right on the borderline. I have no problem saying that. I’m a believer that teams can get stale. After a while, you don’t win. It just doesn’t work. We’re right at the edge. Oklahoma City is on the edge. Memphis, too. We just have to accept it.” – Los Angeles Clipper General Manager Doc Rivers."

So win or reset. But do the Sixers have those kind of pieces that could entice a perennial playoff powerhouse? With the clippers looking for depth, the Sixers could deliver some help there. The Clippers need backup at both their front court (center and power forward) and back court (point guard). If they see the opportunity, this could be the spot to package both Nerlens Noel, T.J. McConnell and a first round draft pick for Paul. That would give the Clippers two players who would immediately upgrade their depth, and a draft pick to find a future starter.

With Paul on his way, the team then turns their attention to the New York Knicks. To peel Anthony from the Knicks might require a third team, as they are ahead of the Sixers in terms of rebuilding. But the Knicks do have needs, and that can translate into draft picks if the Lottery is kind enough. Two picks and a player could be enough to bring the fourth and final piece of the dream to fruition.

Now why would we? (Yes, this is the segway to Cons)

This is a publicly shared dream of one NBA player, not the goal of the Philadelphia 76ers. Just like the stock market, as soon as someone comes out and recommends buying a stock, the cost escalates. If the players enjoy playing together, that is certainly something, but can they win together? For how long?

There are other marquis free agents in the NBA, names like Kevin Durant who can align with the Golden State Warriors, and thwart any hope of a championship going anywhere else in the NBA. At that level of play, it will take more than GM simulations and just throwing household NBA names onto the same roster. Building a championship just doesn’t work that way.

The Philadelphia 76ers are building a team from the ground floor up. Adversity, spending years together on a losing team, has forged a closeness among these young men that supercedes the team jersey. If you don’t believe me, check out the footage of JaKarr Sampson‘s reunion with his former teammates. He will always be in touch with his former teammates throughout their careers. The dynamics of this team would shatter if they suddenly brought four marquis players who have developed their own circle of relationships. The Philadelphia 76ers remaining roster simply would not connect with the four newcomers on any level except the basketball court. That dysfunction would linger, and while the Sixers would likely win quite a few more games, they would actually find themselves further from the ultimate goal of championship.

Exactly how long can any NBA team expect to sign and keep a roster of those four anyways? One season? Two seasons? Until the team is embarrassed in a huge playoff loss? The alarm clock is set as soon as the fourth player arrives on the same roster. Eventually, the team will awaken from that dream to find they are back at the starting line.

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And that brings me to the final counter to that scenario. The Philadelphia 76ers are not built to run like that. They are set up to grow and develop slowly over time. No superspeedway. No lightning in a bottle. None of that. This team is already three years into a complete overhaul. Adding four top talents from the NBA now is like siding a house that is still just a frame shell interior. This team is investing in basketball analytics, nutrition, monitoring and charting. If four veteran NBA players arrive simultaneously, they will automatically shift the culture to suit them. If they don’t want analytics, they won’t do it. If they want pizza and beer, they’ll order it.

They won’t give two thoughts to what the Sixers are trying to build. They will have a critical mass to run whichever team they play for.

After all the sacrifice of so many to get to this point, I just can’t embrace that path. I have far too much hope for the road currently traveled.