Sam Hinkie resigned, and Bryan Colangelo is in charge now. That means it could be spending time for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason.
The 2016 offseason was always expected to be a big one. The only difference now is that there’s a new man at the helm calling the shots and choosing the personnel for the 76ers. Whether you’re frustrated about it, or excited for the future, just know change is coming.
Perhaps the biggest change will be how the Sixers approach free agency in 2016. They are going to want to build a roster than wins several more games than this year’s team, and to do that you need to bring in more talent than currently present.
The Sixers are projected to have about 50 million in cap space next season, and Jerry Colangelo’s “It’s time to cash in the chips” notion could not be more imminent. A simple peek of the Sixers roster reveals their massive imbalance between talent in the front court, vs the backcourt. Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid, Richaun Holmes, Robert Covington, and Jerami Grant can’t all be on the court at the same time so there will likely be trades made to even out the depth chart.
Those trades could happen prior to free agency (particularly during the NBA draft), and that would obviously effect the certain “big name” targets they attempt to sign. Either way, the Sixers’ goal should be to acquire a primary ball handler, and an elite/great shooting guard.
So without further ado, here are 5 free agents you can expect Bryan Colangelo to go after.
Next: #1 Demar DeRozan
Bryan Colangelo drafted Demar DeRozan out of USC back in 2009 with the 9th overall pick with the purpose of making DeRozan his premier backcourt player of the future, and although Colangelo is long gone from Toronto, his vision still became a reality.
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Don’t let his early playoff struggles fool you. Demar DeRozan has put up career numbers this season (23.3 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, 4 assists per game) and finds himself firmly planted at #8 in the league leaders for scoring. That puts him above names like Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony.
His 3-point shot is still questionable (just 34 percent on the season) but that’s actually a career high for him, and he makes up for it with a myriad of other scoring abilities. He’s quick, athletic, and has great footwork that allows him to create his own shot. DeRozan can get to the rim and finish at a high clip, he can stop on a dime from mid range to sink shots, and he’s extremely proficient at getting to the free throw line. This versatility on offense is why he’s been a top 5 player in the East, and will be a surefire target for Philadelphia.
DeRozan will be aiming for a max contract this offseason, and considering the Raptors are already paying $12 Million+ to three different players, (Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas, and Demarre Carrol) Toronto may be a bit frugal. Next year is his final season on a 4-year $40 million dollar contract, but it’s a player option that won’t be picked up because DeRozan can demand more than that now.
This opens the door for the 76ers to pull out the red carpet for DeRozan, and convince him to come to Philly. Whether you can consider him a “max-deal player” is up to interpretation, but next to Lebron James, or Kevin Durant having an epiphany about playing in the Wells Fargo Center, DeRozan is by far and away the Sixers best shot at a star signing.
DeMar has had nothing but positive things to say about new GM Bryan Colangelo in the past, and even went as far as saying “He’s one of the most stand-up guys I’ve known.”-per Nets Daily
Players remember the people that drafted them, and gave them a chance to pursue their dreams. Hopefully that, along with a hefty payday will be enough to bring DeRozan to Philadelphia.
Next: #2 Mike Conley
All of the parameters aren’t quite in place with Mike Conley like they are with Demar DeRozan, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer. Mike Conley Jr. is represented by his father Mike Conley Sr. and you can bet the father-son team will be looking to cash in on a max contract, or at least close to it. I’m sure Jerry and Bryan can appreciate a family good ol’ family business. With Conley being 28, this will likely be his final chance at the big bucks before he hits the tail end of his career.
Before rupturing his achilles back on March 7th Conley was in the midst of his third straight season with 15 points per game and 5 assists per game. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking…”Ish Smith put up those kind of numbers this year, and we sure as hell aren’t paying him a max deal.” True, but its the consistency that Mike Conley has shown in a very tough Western Conference that leads me to believe he could be a force in Philly. No one holds up as a starting PG in the West for 8 years if you’re not a very solid basketball player.
Mike Conley holds the record for most games played as a Memphis Grizzlies player, and current Vice President of Player Personell, Ed Stefanski has been adamant that he expects Conley to stay in Memphis. Not only because the Grizz want him back badly, but also because Stefanski thinks players like Conley really do love Memphis. Marc Gasol‘s willingness to stick around last season despite a plethora of other options is a testament to that.
All signs in Memphis point to Conley returning next year, but nothing is ever set in stone when you’ve got that UFA tag next to your name. Perhaps Uncle Jerry and cousin Bryan could pull off a shocker.
Next: #3 Nicolas Batum
Charlotte Hornets Swingman Nicolas Batum is exactly the kind of three-and-D type of player that the Sixers have been lacking throughout their three years of tanking. They had players like Hollis Thompson, and Isaiah Canaan that could efficiently shoot threes, and players that could lock down the defensive side of the ball like Luc Richard Mbah Moute, and Jakarr Sampson. Unfortunately, the shooters at times lacked defense, and the defensive stalwarts couldn’t shoot a lick.
Batum has floated around 35-40 percent from beyond the arc throughout his seven year career. While that’s just enough to get him inside the top 100 in 3-point percentage, It’s actually a great bounce back for him. He had a very down year in 2014-2015, which hurt his status as a building block in Portland. Subsequently he was moved in a deal to the Hornets that was basically a notion that the Trail Blazers no longer believed he was worth the last year of his $12 million a year contract.
Now that he’s once again playing at a high level, Batum is actually going to command more than his current salary on the open market this summer. The rumors are that Batum and his agent Bouna Ndiaye will command upwards of $15-17 million a year-Per John Canzano. To be honest, that’s quite steep, but if Bryan Colangelo wants some potential all-stars on his team he’s going to have to open his wallet.
I see Batum as sort of a very good consolation prize if the Sixers lose out on Demar DeRozan this offseason. He’s not nearly the kind of quick scorer DeRozan is, but he is longer and more rangy on defense, and on the boards. One of the most impressive traits I love about Batum is that he can get you 5+ assists on a nightly basis without handling the ball very much at all.
The fact that he was able to go to a new team and turn his career around says a lot about Batum’s adaptability. While he’s not a superstar, he is indeed a great player, and would immediately give the Sixers someone they can stick on the other team’s best player, and drill threes when you need him to. That’s right, he can do both of those things.
It’s worth noting that Batum has the same native tongue as Joel Embiid. Perhaps JoJo could recruit his next mentor since Mbah Moute is long gone. Maybe they’ll bring in Evan Fournier with them too. French party in Philly!
Next: #4 Ryan Anderson
The signing of Ryan Anderson wouldn’t make much sense with the current collection of big men, but there’s a reason he’s a part of this slideshow. Trades made involving the three pillars (both literally and figuratively) Noel, Okafor, and Embiid could result in the Sixers needing a starting front court partner to one of their centers.
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For example, if the Jahlil Okafor trade with the Celtics is revisited during the draft, I could see Ryan Anderson as a perfect fit alongside Nerlens Noel while Joel Embiid works himself into his first NBA season. Anderson is a prototypical stretch-four in every sense of the word. He shot above 40 percent from deep all season prior to a down month in March where he struggled mightily before being diagnosed with a sports hernia on the 20th. Anderson has not been back since the injury, and seeing as he’s set up to cash in this offseason, a shutdown for the remaining games only makes sense.
The confidence Bryan Colangelo has in Richaun Holmes, as well as the status of overseas prospect Dario Saric will likely provide fans with a better outlook of the power forward position going forward. If Saric is a Sixer next season, he projects to offer the same qualities as Anderson (and more), so I wouldn’t expect them to offer Anderson a deal. Unfortunately, Saric is a Sam Hinkie special that kept in contact frequently with the former GM, so I’m not sure how the hire Bryan Colangelo will sit with the Croatian star. Saric does has the option to play one more year overseas with Anadolu Efes should he choose to do so.
In the event of a major roster shuffle, the Sixers could be in the market for a player of Anderson’s caliber, and play type. When healthy, Anderson is one of the very best at what he does, and that’s stretch the floor from the power forward spot while still offering good size and adequate rebounding.
Next: #5 Brandon Jennings
There is no guarantee the Sixers will bring back Ish Smith next season, and despite a good rookie campaign from T.J. McConnell, he’s not an every night starter at this point. This means the Sixers could be looking for a new maestro on offense. We all know Conley is a long shot, and aside from Providence’s Kris Dunn, there really aren’t too many NBA ready point guards in this year’s draft. So, the Sixers may end up looking to free agency for a solid stop gap guy that can fill the hole until they find that future franchise PG.
Enter Brandon Jennings.
A lefty point guard with serious quickness, Jennings scored 15 points per game every year up until this season. The play of Reggie Jackson in Detroit made Jennings expendable, and he found himself as a part of a last-minute trade deadline deal that sent him to the Orlando Magic. Unfortunately for Jennings, the team he was moved to already had their future point guard also in Elfrid Payton. As a result, Jennings started just one game with Orlando, and found it hard to gain serious playing time.
Injuries are what’s been holding Jennings back from hitting his stride lately as he’s missed nearly an entire season over the past two years playing just 41 games in 2014-15 and 47 in 2015-16. His skinny frame never quite made anyone confident that he’d hold up in the NBA, but he had success staying healthy in Milwaukee for the most part.
The Sixers and Bryan Colangelo will likely give Jennings a long look this offseason, and because his performance has been sporadic these past two years, he could actually be quite the bargin buy in what otherwise looks to be a very expensive offseason for the Philadelphia Sixers. Jennings is not the kind of passer that Ish Smith is, but he has better scoring ability, and athleticism that can be deadly when he’s healthy. He’s not going to take over the game on a nightly basis, but Brandon Jennings is a smart option for the Sixers this summer.
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Obviously there are a lot more than 5 players that the Sixers will be looking to sign this offseason, and when it’s all said and done, Philly could end up with upwards of 6-9 new players on the roster. Look for Bryan Colangelo to erase any possible Hinkie-ness of this team (looking at you, Hollis Thompson), and bring in his own guys both on the court, and on the staff. What that means for the 2016-2017 roster remains to be seen. I can tell you one thing, and that is that Bryan Colangelo will be sure to build a team that doesn’t make you cringe when you look at the day one depth chart.
Whether you’re a Hinkie enthusiast or not, you can’t deny that will be a refreshing sight. The paying fans will certainly reap the benefits, and that’s what seems to be the immediate plan in place. Give fans at the Wells Fargo Center something they can cheer for.