The Sixer Sense
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What If The Philadelphia 76ers Strike Out In Free Agency?

By Joe Tusio

Nov 9, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Philadelphia 76ers logo on the warm up shirt of center Jahlil Okafor (not pictured) prior to action against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. The Bulls won 111-88. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Philadelphia 76ers logo on the warm up shirt of center Jahlil Okafor (not pictured) prior to action against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. The Bulls won 111-88. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers seem to be a team well suited to pay free agents, but what if they strike out this season?

Free agency is underway and it seems like there is no shortage of rumors and contracts this summer as numerous deals have already been agreed to since free agency began early Friday morning.

Various big name players have already agreed to new contracts including DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, Nicolas Batum, Hassan Whiteside, Jordan Clarkson, Jeremy Lin and Timofey Mozgov according to multiple reports. With the amount of signings and contracts being thrown around, how does this affect the Philadelphia 76ers and general manager Bryan Colangelo?

Over the last week, many reports surfaced around the 76ers and their pursuit of multiple free agents including Golden State’s Harrison Barnes, Oklahoma City’s Dion Waiters and Portland’s Allen Crabbe. With Kevin Durant still deciding his next destination, the chances of the 76ers signing Barnes remains a question mark while Waiters and Crabbe continue to weigh their options.

Knowing the amount each free agent is making with his new team, what if the 76ers are not able to land a free agent like Waiters or Crabbe? Do they decide to sign a veteran like Courtney Lee or Jamal Crawford? The amount of options for the 76ers is slowly dwindling and if Colangelo wants to add experience to this roster, he will have to do it soon.

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The other issue that might affect the 76ers strategy thus far is the amount of money being given out in these contracts. If Colangelo wants to sign a veteran player, he might have to overpay due to the lack of depth in this free agency class.

Former 76er Ish Smith has agreed to a contract with the Pistons and that is an example of someone that the 76ers might have to have over payed in order keep on the roster. The probability of Colangelo and the 76ers starting all rookies this season is slim to none, but they may not have a choice if they are not able to secure themselves a free agent.

What if the 76ers do strike out in free agency though? Maybe they decide that the only way to land a guard is to trade one of their centers at a lower value instead of a trade that is of fair value. According to reports, a potential trade could occur between Toronto and Philadelphia that centers around Noel and Terrence Ross. Maybe this is the best option for the 76ers to acquire a guard. If this trade is made the 76ers would gain a young guard with some potential left in the tank, but the value may not be fair. Below is a proposed lineup if the 76ers were to acquire Ross:

  • PG: T.J. McConnell
  • SG: Terrence Ross/Hollis Thompson
  • SF: Robert Covington
  • PF: Ben Simmons/Dario Saric
  • C: Joel Embiid/Jahlil Okafor

This lineup may not excite fans and it may not result in a substantial increase in wins, but the 76ers save themselves from overspending on free agents and go into next year’s draft with another potential lottery pick to go along with the Lakers pick as well.

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The next few days will be intriguing to say the least and the main topic of discussion will be what direction the 76ers go in if this situation does indeed occur.