The Philadelphia 76ers have plenty of questions surrounding the franchise now that the 2019 NBA Draft is over and free agency is close to happening.
The 2019 NBA Draft was a unique journey for the Philadelphia 76ers. They entered the draft with five picks and ended the draft with only acquiring two players in Matisse Thybulle and Marial Shayok. Our followers had plenty questions about the draft and free agency in this edition of the Sixers mailbag.
This group of questions comes from our followers on Twitter.
Carsen Edwards was a prospect that could have filled the void as backup point guard immediately. It was disappointing when the Celtics selected him right before the Sixers could have. To answer your question, no the Sixers can’t get a refund.
Who are your top targets in free agency, and what kind of impact do you see Thybulle having next season
— Shaun (@barket1221) June 22, 2019
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Great combo of questions, let me start with the first part of that. Re-signing Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick should be the biggest priority of the front office. That core of players would make the Sixers a contender for a championship.
For the second part of your question. I anticipate Thybulle contributing right away. His defensive skills should be the part of his game that should translate to the NBA. His 3-point shot could translate at some point in this upcoming season, but he could struggle with it to begin his career.
Louis king And jontay could they help
— Disciple of the Son (@quelledeyez410) June 22, 2019
Sadly, Louis King just agreed to play for the Detroit Pistons under a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Jontay Porter is an interesting prospect. He has the potential to be a stretch big in today’s game. His injury history is something that the Sixers may want to stay away from at the moment. He should be a prime candidate to join Philly’s G-League affiliate the Delaware Blue Coats as he makes his way back from his most recent injury.
Come on, that’s not fair to Elton Brand. He was able to land two big name players without having to sacrifice Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid. While the draft didn’t turn out ideally, let’s see how free agency plays out before making a decision about his ability as a general manager.
The following questions comes from our Facebook followers.
- The first set of questions are very similar from David Gehret and Colin Woon-Sue, so I will be answering them at the same time.
"“What year will Ben Simmons take a jumpshot” -David Gehert“When is Ben Simmons going to practice his jump shot even…smh” -Colin Woon-Sue"
In exit interviews, Simmons stated that he knows the importance of improving his jumper this offseason. Don’t expect him to be taking a lot of 3-point or mid-range shots this next season. Hopefully, he can take a couple per game occasionally entering next season.
- This next question is from Brian T. Zoppel.
"“Why trade in division to a rival again and trade other pics for cash consideration when u need them for The bench after inking up buckets, JJ and Tobias and maxing out Simmons real soon?”"
After the draft, Brand stated he didn’t believe a team built with a majority of young players can compete for a title. Which seems to indicate that Brand will be pursuing veterans in free agency. They made the trade with the Boston Celtics for Thybulle, because they really like the upperclassman.
- Cora’s Son had the following question.
"“In your opinion what would you like to see as far as the roster goes for next season?”"
Hopefully the team can keep intact their starting five from the playoffs. That means a starting five of Simmons, Redick, Butler, Harris and Embiid. Outside of those five, the bench currently has Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden, Thybulle, and Shayok, with Shake Milton and Haywood Highsmith on two-way contracts. As I hinted in my answer to Brian T. Zoppel’s question, I suspect the Sixers will target veterans on minimum contracts to fill out the rest of the roster.
- The next question comes from Beth Silverman Finkelstien.
"“Who has the best dimples on the Sixers?”"
To be honest, I never really looked at them like that Beth. Let’s wait before the regular season when the roster his filled out before making a decision on that.
- Dave Butler’s question is the final one in this mail bag.
"“So what happens next? Brand mentions the trades as part of his plan. What if he strikes out in free agency, besides us being screwed?”"
As stated previously in two questions above, it appears that targeting veterans on minimum contracts very well could be the plan after re-signing key free agents. Striking out in free agency would mean the team doesn’t re-sign both Butler and Harris.
If that happens, there’s plenty of secondary star options the Sixers could look at in free agency. They could also build their depth out and become a deep team. If those two stars leave in free agency, the 76ers will still have only around $40 million on the salary cap. That gives the team a lot of space to add talent, either through star power or improved depth.
That finishes this Philadelphia 76ers mailbag. Agree with opinions given? Comment below if you have any questions for the next mailbag.