Lakers NBA Draft pick key to Philadelphia 76ers 2018-2019 season

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 4: Ben Simmons #25 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers react against the Phoenix Suns at the Wells Fargo Center on December 4, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ben Simmons;Joel Embiid /

Why will it matter for a post-playoff team?

The initial argument about why this matters is predictable. Why should this matter to a post playoff Philadelphia 76ers team. After all, the goal is to win championships, right? Not win repeatedly on NBA Draft nights…

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Well, if you examine the team’s current roster, you will notice some curious roster holes open up in the 2018-2019 season. The team has just 11 players currently under contract for the 2018 -2019 season. The team projects to lose J.J. Redick, Amir Johnson, and Trevor Booker from the roster, plus the team traded away both Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas for Booker, and are currently carrying only 14 players.

Conveyor belt keeps rolling

Now that is not saying that the team will not consider retaining any player with an expiring contract. Nor does it assure all players currently on the team projected to play next season will do so. But in terms of roster projections, the currently payroll projection is a great place to start.

Events can modify those presumptions. Who plays well in the playoffs could, for example, shift the priorities for the front office. Slumps or surges by players in their statistics could play a role as well. But in the end, players mature, and age, simultaneously. An NBA career is a conveyor belt of sorts. To sustain success, the team must continue to add young talent to develop for future success.