Nicolas Batum
A few weeks ago, I definitely would not have had Nic Batum on this list, but at this point, I have no problem putting him here and saying that the Sixers have no reason to pursue him this summer. Listen — Batum is good. I don’t know if he’s worth the max, but he’s worth a decent amount of money, that’s for sure.
Earlier this season, he seemed like an athlete that the Sixers could possibly swing their way during free agency. But now, he’s got teams such as the Golden State Warriors looking at him. With that caliber of teams looking to sign Batum, I don’t see a realistic scenario where he says, “no thank you,” to them and comes to the Sixers.
The Warriors will reportedly target Batum if they come up short with Durant, which I expect to happen. I think if the Warriors want Nic, they will easily get him to come play for them. That temptation of such a good team and the opportunity to win a title is tough to turn down. I think Batum also fits into that system better than he fits into the Sixers system.
Next: J.R. Smith