The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of entries jotted down on their summer whiteboard. But having said that, the same can be said for the amount of concessions they might be forced to make in order to check off some of their to-dos in the offseason, although they only have themselves to blame for being in that position to begin with.
Philly will not have deep pockets to play with this time around, meaning that tough decisions (and cuts) would be incumbent upon the front office. Aside from the draft, where they project to usher in an elite, young prospect, the 76ers do not yet have a clear and relatively risk-averse pathway to improving the roster.
Among the biggest questions that surround them this summer is the fate of their two most important free agents — Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele. Both players paraded strong individual campaigns and are therefore ripe for bigger paydays, yet the 76ers seem destined to be be able to keep only one of them.
Now, after a recent development, it seems like the 76ers have a clearer sense of which player they are more likely to retain.
The 76ers face an inevitable Guerschon Yabusele free agency exit despite positive news on Quentin Grimes
With Grimes breaking out in his brief stint with the team after getting traded midway through the season, the 76ers were gearing up for the scenario that his market turns out to become too lucrative for them to afford, even within the context of restricted free agency where they will have the final say. But now, there appears to be a more tangible projection on the kind of salary he could command in the open market.
According to Jake Fischer (subscription required), Grimes is slated to command a price tag north of the taxpayer’s mid-level exception.
”Multiple numbers-crunchers we consulted indicated that Grimes, after his breakout scoring for the Sixers in March, does appear to be heading for a payday that starts north of the $14.1 million midlevel exception.”
The 76ers will have to face a delicate zone in their payroll to do so, but they can certainly afford that price tag to keep Grimes, who emerged late in the season as a vital piece of the puzzle for the franchise with his strong all-around play.
However, that should be plenty sufficient to boot Philadelphia out of the bidding war for Guerschon Yabusele. The Frenchman is likewise expected to draw strong interest and multiple offers from teams after his impressive comeback season, and fans already look prepared for his seemingly inevitable exit.
An argument could be made that Yabusele’s absence could be felt more emphatically due to the vulnerability he offered as a malleable frontcourt piece, but Grimes would be a prudent choice to make for the 76ers. After all, he is younger, and also packs a ton of promise as an on-court weapon and a possible trade chip for the future.
The Philadelphia 76ers are definitely in a lose-lose situation whatever decision they choose to make. Still, losing Yabusele would hurt, and the front office should mint a great alternative to make up for his exit, if it truly gets to that point.