4. Shake Milton
Shake Milton is at the tail end of his extremely affordable, Hinkie-style rookie extension. He will no doubt be looking for a payday, and multiple teams around the league should be willing to oblige. While Milton’s playing time has been sporadic because of Philadelphia’s deep backcourt, his production early in the season — most notably during the stretch in which both Harden and Maxey were hurt — was truly eye-opening.
In eight starts between Nov. 19 and Dec. 2, Milton averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on .547/.455/.964 shooting splits. Those are All-Star numbers. I’m not saying Milton will ever make an All-Star team, but if I were a team in need of guard depth, I’d certainly take a stab at Milton this summer.
The Sixers should obviously want to keep Milton around. He was one of the few reserves Philadelphia could rely on last postseason. He has earned his minutes the hard way over the years, improving drastically as a defender and adapting to off-ball duties upon Harden’s arrival.
But, as previously mentioned, the Sixers will find themselves severely restricted financially. Ownership’s willingness to pay the tax is a fickle thing, especially if other key players bolt in free agency. Milton feels like maybe the prime candidate to get a bigger contract elsewhere.