Philadelphia 76ers: Will any players opt out of playing in Orlando?

Might any Philadelphia 76ers decide not to finish out the season?

Due to a miscellany of concerns around the NBA’s anticipated July return, the league has given players an option to opt out of playing in Orlando. It would mean a reduction in salary — eight game checks, plus a potential loss of postseason — money, but it’s an option nonetheless.

The first domino to fall on that front is Davis Bertans, the Wizards sharpshooter who, on the verge of a big payday this summer, will sit out and avoid unnecessary injury risk. Washington has slim odds to make the postseason, and roughly $520,000 in forgone salary is pennies to pay ahead of a significant uptick in salary.

Bertans is likely the first of many who, for non-injury related reasons, will decide to stay home. While the Philadelphia 76ers are firmly in the postseason race, it’s reasonable to question if any current Sixers will decide to steer clear of Disney World.

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One can assume all the players who are currently on multi-year contracts will travel to Florida. Unless someone is genuinely concerned about the coronavirus or would prefer to channel his influence to social justice causes (in my view, totally legitimate stances to take), it stands to reason all the long-term pieces will arrive in Orlando next month.

The players to watch are those on expiring deals: Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III, Raul Neto, and Kyle O’Quinn.

To me, the ones to watch here are O’Quinn and Robinson, both of whom have voiced displeasure with their roles in the past. Upon his arrival, Robinson — who was en route to a big payday as a featured scorer in Golden State — said he felt unsure of his purpose in Philadelphia, citing a lack of clarity around his role in Brett Brown’s rotation.

While Brown disputed Robinson’s claims about clarity, it’s clear Robinson was less than thrilled about moving from a starter in Golden State to a marginal bench piece in Philadelphia, where he’s overshadowed by younger wings and a wealth of star power.

If Robinson is unhappy competing for minutes with Furkan Korkmaz and Matisse Thybulle, it’s not unfathomable for him to pull the cord and turn his attention to free agency. His days in Philadelphia are already numbered, as the Sixers don’t have enough cap space to accommodate him next season.

As for O’Quinn, he feels most likely of everyone on the roster to drop out. Just yesterday, I pondered whether or not the Sixers should consider waiving O’Quinn in favor of Trey Burke, who may have more situational utility down the stretch of the season.

O’Quinn wanted out in February, but Philadelphia chose not to oblige him. He is instead the third-string center, competing with Norvel Pelle for non-existent minutes behind Joel Embiid and Al Horford.

This decision, both for O’Quinn and Robinson, will come down to how they view the Sixers’ title chances. If they have confidence in Philadelphia’s ability to compete, then both will presumably hang on and hope for a ring. If that’s not the case, it’s easy to imagine one, if not both, simply moving on the greener pastures.