July 17 Just Became Important To The Philadelphia 76ers
By Bret Stuter
Meanwhile, the NBA goes on
On June 23, the 2016 NBA Draft takes place. And for the third time in NBA history, the Philadelphia 76ers will have the first pick of an NBA Draft. On that night, the Philadelphia 76ers will likely select forward Ben Simmons.
But that’s not the end of draft night by a long shot. The Philadelphia 76ers have two other picks in the first round : the 24th pick from the Miami Heat and the 26th pick from the Golden State Warriors Oklahoma City Thunder. But the Philadelphia 76ers do have a history of multiple picks in the first round of the NBA draft, and in that history, they’ve done well with their first pick, and whiffed on all the other picks.
Hopefully, this year will change that trend. But shortly afterwards, the moratorium will be lifted and the NBA off-season will officially be underway. That happens on July 7th, ten days before the big decision day.
So by the time the deadline for Dario Saric’s decision arrives, the Philadelphia 76ers will be quite deep into the building of a winner. Whether they manage to do so or not, the Sixers will have to keep an eye on the roster to ensure that they have room in the front court – whether this year or next – for Saric’s eventual arrival.
If Saric does not join the team this season, we have many alternatives to set up the lineup. The team will start the season with Joel Embiid (only injury prevented his selection at the number one position) and Ben Simmons, whom many feel to be a true franchise type player.
Next: History of the Philadelphia 76ers and Number One Selection
Some of you may be tired of hearing about him, but Saric is truly playing at an NBA starting level right now. With Simmons, we know we need shooters and Dario’s perimeter shooting is a wonder to watch. With the Sixer’s retention of Carl Landry, whose contract expires in 2017, the year of Saric’s current contract expiration, there would be an easy swap of unrestricted free agent Carl Landry’s contract for a new contract with Saric. It may be that is how it turns out. But the deadline for the decision is July 17, 2016. That’s why that date is so very important to the Philadelphia 76ers.