The Philadelphia 76ers have a long period of introspection ahead of them after another disappointing second-round exit. Time and time again, the Sixers have failed to put the necessary pieces around Joel Embiid. And, time and time again, we have seen them fall short because of it.
Very few basketball minds are as accomplished, innovative, and bold as Daryl Morey. He will make winning a championship next season his top priority, because the Sixers have the prime talent — Embiid — to go the distance. Opportunities are few and far between in the NBA. To squander Embiid’s prime would be a historic travesty.
Many are convinced Ben Simmons has played his last game as a Sixer. That may very well be true. I’m not sure the fanbase can stomach another season of half-baked offensive stardom from the weirdest and most inexplicable $30 million player on the planet. That said, if the Sixers cannot retrieve reasonable value for Simmons on the open market, it would not shock me to see Morey keep him around — at least long enough to rebuild some trade value in 2021-22.
So, with that said, here are three players (other than Simmons) who have probably played their last game in a Sixers uniform.
Sixers who have played their last game in Philly: Mike Scott
When talking about poorly allocated resources on the Sixers’ roster, we don’t talk often enough about Mike Scott. The Sixers signed him to a two-year contract at the mid-level exception. He made $5 million last season so fans could beg at the altar for Doc to bench him. There are plenty of quality role players every year who sign on the mid-level exception. Scott was not one of them.
While he may or may not get another chance in the NBA, Scott is basically done in Philadelphia. Even on a minimum contract, there’s no reason to expect the Sixers to have interest. Sure, he’s a likable person who carved out his niche in the locker room, but Philadelphia should use its 15 roster spots on players with a purpose. Morey understands that, and therefore, he will not re-sign Scott just to keep the handful of remaining Hive members happy.
Mike Scott shot 36.0 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from deep last season. For a player whose one and only NBA skill is his jump shot, that’s not near good enough. He is gone.