5 Reasons Philadelphia 76ers Deal Expiring Contracts Before Trade Deadline

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Jan 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (L) practices with center Joel Embiid (R) before a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Reason V: We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

The Philadelphia 76ers are as much speculation as realization today. That’s because the team has only one player from the known future playing now – Joel Embiid. Ersan Ilyasova, Nerlens Noel, and Sergio Rodriguez all have varying levels of compatibility with Embiid while playing alongside him.

Jahlil Okafor has yet to demonstrate that same level of compatibility.

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But just as Okafor’s style may not mesh well with Embiid, we have yet to see who can compliment the style of Ben Simmons. It may be that he won’t be as compatible with Rodriguez. Simmons has all the skillsets of “El Chacho”, plus the ability to score and work the paint more physically. Perhaps the presence of Simmons will minimize the value of a high shooter/scorer like Ilyasova.

I Dunno

And so, we don’t know what we don’t know.

That being the case, the team would be wise not to overextend in the effort to retain this year’s players. With a strong NBA Draft class about to arrive soon, there will be numerous opportunities to load up on areas the team needs to reinforce.

In summary, the Philadelphia 76ers have decisions to make at the end of the season. While the play of Ersan Ilyasova, Sergio Rodriguez, and Nerlens Noel will warrant consideration, the future of the team rests upon other players. As such, the smart money may simply be to part ways here and take a different path.

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Don’t get me wrong. For the right terms, each player would be a solid contributor to the team next season. But realistically speaking, the number of years or dollars required to retain any of the three seems very formidable at this point in time. With so many untapped young players on this team’s roster, I can’t see the team exerting the effort to strike new deals.