Sixers: 3 reasons to re-sign Danny Green this summer

The Philadelphia 76ers have a few upcoming free agents, but none more important than 34-year-old Danny Green. His recent beef with the fanbase aside, Green had a good first year in Philly, contributing both on and off the court in the Sixers’ ascent to the No. 1 seed.

Just about all logic points to Green returning next season. And he should return — the Sixers have very little excuse to let him walk. That said, Keith Pompey’s seemingly offhand remark that Green “probably won’t be a Sixer moving forward” is enough to raise some eyebrows. He is, after all, one of the city’s most plugged-in beat reporters.

Green played in 69 games last season, averaging 9.5 points and 3.8 rebounds on 40.5 percent shooting from 3-point range. He shot the most 3s of any Sixers starter, and did so while playing mostly above-average defense. He is worth keeping around, and the Sixers have his Early Bird Rights — the ability to re-sign him for up to 175 percent of his previous contract, which was worth $15.4 million.

So, again, on paper, there’s no reason to let him walk. Unless he simply refuses to return, the Sixers can offer him more money than any sane-minded team, and do so with no real cap ramifications.

Let me explain.

3 reasons the Sixers should re-sign Danny Green: On-court benefits

Green is not a flashy player, nor is he a spring chicken, but production is production. The most important stat on Green’s Basketball Reference page is his 6.3 attempts per game from 3-point range. That set a new career high, despite playing just 28.0 minutes a night.

The Sixers need spacers next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and more importantly, sharp decision-makers. Green does not dilly-dally on the perimeter. He rarely dribbles, and for good reason. He understands his limits, and excels within the confines of his game and athleticism. He shoots a lot of 3s and makes a lot of 3s. When he isn’t shooting, he’s moving without the ball, making sound entry passes, or setting timely screens.

A quintessential glue guy who practically invented the 3-and-D label, Green does a lot of what the Sixers need in the starting five. He’s no longer a great one-on-one defender, but he’s a smart team defender, which is more valuable when you have Ben Simmons smothering the ball-handler and Joel Embiid cleaning up back-aisle messes. Simmons may be gone, yes, but Green is still rock-solid.

If the Sixers let Green walk, the replacement options who don’t totally tank the defense are George Hill or Matisse Thybulle. Hill looked lost in the playoffs. Thybulle still does not command the respect of defenses, which becomes even harder to manage if Simmons does stick around. The Sixers can avoid that conundrum by re-signing Danny Green.