The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Three Ways To Optimize Two-Way Contracts

By Bret Stuter

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) and President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo (M) and number twenty-fourth overall draft pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (L) during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) and President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo (M) and number twenty-fourth overall draft pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (L) during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 4, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Shawn Long (36) drives against Brooklyn Nets center Justin Hamilton (41) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Brooklyn Nets won 141-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Shawn Long (36) drives against Brooklyn Nets center Justin Hamilton (41) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Brooklyn Nets won 141-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Option I : Reinforce Roster

In option I, the focus is specifically upon the current roster and where the team needs to reinforce the numbers.  The perfect example of this would be the 2016-2017 situation with the team’s front court situation and the fact that Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, and Nerlens Noel all had health limits and concerns as the season began.

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Optimally, this is not the way a team SHOULD run their two-way contract options.  But realistically, the Sixers truly needed this option last year, and will likely need it this year as well.

Why?

Roster Restrictions

The NBA season roster is limited to 15 players.  Healthy or not, just 15.  And if you’ve followed the Philadelphia 76ers, the team has had at least one (sometimes six) player(s) injured. That pattern began in 2013 when the 76ers traded for the rights to Nerlens Noel.  He had an ACL injury which would require a year’s worth of rehab.  That was followed in 2014 with Joel Embiid, who needed two years to rehab his foot.  That was followed in 2016 by Ben Simmons, who needed a year to rehab his foot.

Four consecutive years, four NBA rookie stars who all sat on the bench.  If there is a problem with this, it’s a problem with the NBA rules.