The Sixer Sense
Fansided

5 reasons why Philadelphia 76ers compete for 2018-19 NBA Championship

PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 12 : T.J. McConnell #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers is interviewed by Molly Sullivan while Joel Embiid #21 and Robert Covington #33 pours water over him in congratulations after a fantastic game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on February 12, 2018 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 12 : T.J. McConnell #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers is interviewed by Molly Sullivan while Joel Embiid #21 and Robert Covington #33 pours water over him in congratulations after a fantastic game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on February 12, 2018 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Free Agency coup

There is so much talk of LeBron James to the Philadelphia 76ers next season that it’s easy to just ride that story to next season. But the truth is that the team needs wings, and will look to fill the spot vacated by Redick and Belinelli first. Thankfully, there is a host of good wing players projected to hit the free agent market in 2018. Of course both J.J. Redick and Marco Belinelli are two, and they have the insider track of knowing the team and fitting the lineup well.

But there are others. The team may discuss signing with Memphis shooting guard Tyreke Evans, or a name which has surfaced before in the likes of Clippers shooting guard Avery Bradley. There is also Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton, or Chicago Bulls Zach Levine.  Ultimately, the investment made by the team at the shooting guard position in free agency dictates how far along they believe Markelle Fultz has come.

Chemistry chronology considerations

The 2018 free agency market will not become huge paydays for each and every player as in the past. Some project the market to be somewhat tight in terms of discretionary spending. Teams signed free agents to long high dollar contracts, and are now stuck with those obligations this off-season. In the end, there is a price to pay for those big long deals. So far, the Philadelphia 76ers have signed only one-year deals for this season.  Players like Redick, Belinelli, and Ilyasova have incredible chemistry with this team today.  So they would be logical choices to retain.

But there is a chronology factor as well. The Philadelphia 76ers are a fairly young team. And to that, Bryan Colangelo spelled out the need for veterans to bridge playing time until the younger players earned starting roles. Right now, the team struggled to find a capable young player at the shooting guard spot. But next season, the team has Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Furkan Korkmaz, and Markelle Fultz competing for playing minutes, plus whomever the team signs in free agency. Colangelo has created another logjam on the roster with three players at the same development stages of their careers. The obvious solution is for the team to trade away either TLC or Korkmaz and sign a veteran to hold the starting role until Fultz is up to the challenge.