An insurmountable dose of drama will not prevent the Philadelphia 76ers from setting lofty benchmarks next season. With a roster still talented enough to throw any team into submission on any given night, counting them out completely would be an unwise bet.
In fact, while many are not too keen on the 76ers surpassing last season’s finish, their lineup is still one of the better assemblages in the league. Aside from reigning MVP Joel Embiid, the team banners a handful of players who are easily earning much less than they should with their bargain play on the hardwood.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a slew of players on the roster who are earning below their market value
Without further ado, let’s zoom in on the Philadelphia 76ers’ four most underpaid players ahead of the upcoming campaign.
1. Tyrese Maxey – $4.3 million
Starting with the obvious, Tyrese Maxey is definitely the Sixers’ most underpaid player heading into the season. This may be cheating considering that he’s still on his rookie-scale deal, but it doesn’t change the fact that the 76ers will be enjoying a massive bargain for his services.
An inevitable contract extension has been deliberately delayed to garner some more flexibility for the front office, but Maxey should be in line for a handsome raise as talks should commence soon.
With James Harden’s status for next season still unbeknownst to many, Philly will have to bank on Maxey’s development to be viable enough for him to settle in as a legitimate second fiddle to Embiid. And if last season is any indication, the 76ers should be getting just that.
The combo guard’s efficient and crafty scoring prowess from all three levels is unquestionable, but he will have to elevate his playmaking skills to round out a more all-around profile as an offensive hub. Hopefully, Maxey can maximize what should be an even more prominent role to preserve the team’s title chances.
The 4 most underpaid Philadelphia 76ers next season
2. Patrick Beverley – $3.2 million
Patrick Beverley’s detractors will quickly pull up his meager stats and ridicule the fact that he’s even being considered an underpaid player. But if you’re exactly the type of person to judge the veteran guard by sheer numbers, you’ve already fallen into his trap.
One of the 76ers’ few offseason signings, the pesky, defensive-minded guard will be tasked with anchoring the team’s second-unit defense. Sure, his lack of acuity with the common offensive skills puts a damper on his role, but he more than makes up for it with his uncanny defensive impact no matter the amount of court time he gets.
Beverley’s impact goes beyond his histrionics — his defensive presence is contagious and has been a proven culture-setter. His veteran presence is also a very welcome addition to a team with a less-than-inspiring track record in suppressing off-court tensions.
Hence, for just a tad more than three million, Beverley will be one of the more underpaid players not only on the 76ers roster but in the entire association, as long as it pans out.
And going with past precedent, it likely will.
The 4 most underpaid Philadelphia 76ers next season
3. James Harden – $35.6 million
Now, shoehorning James Harden into this topic of underpaid players for the 76ers may be quite cheeky. After all, who knows if he can even still be considered an actual player for Philadelphia going by his recent tune.
But sticking to the topic, it’s not really shoehorning when it’s an actual fact, right?
Making just $35.6 million, no matter how you look at it, Harden is indubitably underpaid. A former MVP and a tremendous floor-raiser still, Harden’s production resembles nothing of a player actually making less money than, well, Tobias Harris.
In fact, that he’s underpaid is the very reason why the 76ers were able to bolster their roster last summer. Though it led to the drama still ensuing without a clear way out, the point stands that Philadelphia was able to enjoy Harden’s tremendous play last season for a massive bargain.
No one knows if that will remain the case next season, but with the new CBA rules giving Harden a red zone if he opts not to report to training camp, there’s still a window for the 76ers to have him on board below his market value until a deal finally materializes.
The 4 most underpaid Philadelphia 76ers next season
4. De’Anthony Melton – $8 million
Somehow, De’Anthony Melton has quietly gone under the radar as one of the league’s best value role players. Last season, he started in 58 of his 77 appearances in the regular season for Philly and still played a key role in the playoffs despite a demotion to the bench.
Melton is expected to reprise his switchy role in the upcoming campaign as a malleable stopgap in the backcourt and in the wing positions. Even with Beverley potentially cannibalizing into his role to some degree, the 76ers will undeniably tout a healthy dose of Melton in varying configurations.
A true three-and-D guard, Melton was one of the most reliable perimeter threats for the Sixers last season, canning 39 percent of his triples — a mark which he sustained in the postseason where he registered a 38.8 percent clip from rainbow country. His ability to also impact the floor as an ancillary playmaker when needed also provided Philadelphia with much-needed variance against opponents cramping up on the bigger names on the roster.
Fortunately, Melton should be a stabilizer for a 76ers squad bombarded with question marks. Even more importantly, the team is lucky to have someone as cool and steady as him without the suffocating price tag for now.