You only live once, but you can compete for years.
The Philadelphia 76ers are a Top-5 NBA team. This team has risen from the NBA Dumpster to win 14 consecutive games. At 50 wins, they have earned the right to be considered among the NBA’s best this season. Rookie point guard Ben Simmons is having a career year in just his first NBA season. Joel Embiid, despite virtually no basketball experience, dominates on both sides of the basketball court. In fact, the entire starting 5-man lineup is one of the best in the NBA. And now that Markelle Fultz has rejoined the team, the bench is playing at playoff caliber as well.
They have the makings of a great NBA Championship team, with a solid blend of young players, wily veterans, and even lots of draft picks. But now, the other aspect of the NBA is triggered. The ceiling effect of the NBA Salary Cap will force the team to choose one or the other. Go after LeBron and his max contract, and risk losing Redick, Belinelli, and Ilyasova to other teams because the 76ers cannot pay them.
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It gets no easier from here on out. Now, it’s not just about shopping for who can add to the team’s success, but who can do so economically. Will these Philadelphia 76ers be able to trade away the equivalent of Chris Paul for Victor Oladipo? That’s the next test. The easy answer of course is “Just win baby!” Pour all the future into winning today. But that is not the right answer. Winning the NBA Championship need not be just a one-and-done. Just look at the Philadelphia 76ers situation today. The Philadelphia 76ers have plenty of talent, plenty of salary cap, and plenty of draft picks. Unless the team squanders their riches, this team is set up to win for years and years.