The Sixer Sense
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What happens if the Philadelphia 76ers don’t land a star?

By Rusty Gorelick

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 20: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder defends against LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game at Quicken Loans Arena on January 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 20: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder defends against LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game at Quicken Loans Arena on January 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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The fate of the Philadelphia 76ers’ future rests on whether or not they add a superstar this summer. What happens if they don’t?

Brett Brown said it himself: the Philadelphia 76ers are hunting for a star this summer. Rumors about LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George have circulated around the franchise for the past few months, and it has become clear that the Sixers fully intend to acquire at least one of those stars this summer.

Adding a superstar is the best way for a team to expedite a rebuilding process, but obviously, every other team in the league covets those players, too. While dreaming of a Ben Simmons–Markelle Fultz-Kawhi-LeBron-Joel Embiid lineup is fun, creating a plan B is just as important. So, what happens if no superstars come to Philly this summer?

If LeBron, Kawhi, and PG13 all go to Los Angeles or somewhere besides Philadelphia, then the Sixers should focus on keeping their core together. Yes, the Boston Celtics’ backups ran them off the court in the conference semifinals in May, but with playoff experience and a full season of playing together, the group should develop into legitimate contenders by the time the 2018-19 season rolls around.

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The Sixers cannot afford to trade for a star who does not fit their needs. For instance, DeMar DeRozan is on the trade block and he started in last year’s All-Star game, but his career 28.8 percent shooting from three-point range means he will not fit in next to Ben Simmons.

Even though a player like DeRozan would add a dominant scoring presence to the Sixers, it’s not worth it to ship Fultz or Saric to Toronto in return for an All-Star who does not fill the team’s needs. Anyways, the 76ers will still add some key players to the squad ahead of the new season.

Markelle Fultz will be the biggest addition to the Sixers rotation if Coach Brown and Co. can’t bring a superstar to the City of Brotherly Love. His trainer, Drew Hanlen, has dished out plenty of praise for the 2017 first-overall pick’s progress in the quest to find his lost jumper.

If Hanlen is serious about Fultz’s progress, then Brown will get to add a young version of James Harden to the rotation. Fultz won’t match the MVP’s production this year, but the Sixers need an athletic guard who can score from all three levels, and Fultz will fill that void if he learns to shoot again.

Jonah Bolden will certainly work his way into Brown’s rotation if he comes back to the States from Maccabi Tel Aviv. The Australian averaged 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 21 minutes per game in Euroleague play. He only hit 31.9 percent of his shots from long range, but he has more than enough confidence in his stroke, as we saw in NBA Summer League play last year.

The forward will play an important role on this summer’s squad, as his length, athleticism, and handling ability make him a tough matchup for any defense. The Sixers lacked quality perimeter defenders off the bench last season, so look for Bolden to fill that gap.

Finally, the Philadelphia 76ers can look to add lower-tier free agents if they fail to land a superstar-caliber player. Tyreke Evans, Trevor Ariza, Avery Bradley, or Fred VanVleet would add depth, athleticism, and scoring ability to a second unit that had trouble creating quality shots last season. As long as no team desperately hurls an obscene amount of cash at any of those free agents, then the Sixers could potentially land two of them for the price of LeBron.

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If the Sixers can acquire a superstar who fits in with their current core, they absolutely should make a deal to do that. It’s important that the team makes sure the player can successfully line up with Simmons and Embiid because if Brown trades for someone who clashes with their styles, the 2018-19 Philadelphia 76ers could resemble the 2017-18 Oklahoma City Thunder.