The Philadelphia 76ers currently have one of the more top-heavy payrolls in the NBA. Thanks to the recent mammoth extensions and/or deals they handed out to their troika of All-Stars in Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, the front office will have to navigate through a very delicate road when it comes to building the roster in the near future.
Heck, even calling their current direction as a delicate one could be too optimistic of a proposition. The thing is that the 76ers are not like those teams that have an entrenched pecking order moving forward. After all, aside from their established stars, they have a couple of up-and-coming players who could very well end up matching their counterparts sooner than later.
Take Jared McCain for example. Prior to his very unfortunate injury last season which premature ended his rookie campaign, he was on his way to comfortably securing the Rookie of the Year trophy thanks to his standout play as a scorer right off the bat. Next season, he will have the oppotunity to prove that his brief breakout was not a fluke, but rather, his actual floor as a young prospect.
Keeping him in the fold, however, is a different story, And making matters more complicated on that end is what the latest rumor surrounding Austin Reaves points out for the front office.
Latest Austin Reaves rumor is bad news for the 76ers
Reaves’ free agency situation next summer will be among the most interesting storylines to watch in the league. After all, due to the Lakers having signed him for dirt cheap, they are basically handicapped when it comes to tendering a lucrative offer on his way.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, current market prognostications for Reaves have him commanding a contract at around four years and $160 million or approximately $40 million a year. Currently, the maximum offer the Lakers can shell out is four years and $90 million.
Forget about the Lakers part, though. This is a pretty stark signal for the 76ers, which could see McCain hover near what Reaves could command if his production gets to that level it is expected to be at.
Reaves is probably the best example of someone who is far from an All-Star, but also has a lot of distance between your pedestrian role player. Currently, McCain is on that track, and the thought of him commanding anywhere close to $40 million a year (which could increase further) could be a huge turn-off for the front office at this juncture.
More than the exactitudes and the actual figures, the reality is that the 76ers will have to pay McCain a lot to keep him in the loop, especially if his current trajectory remains intact. For now, that is difficult to envision given the team’s messy salary book.
Sacrifices will have to be made later down the road, and while the Philadelphia 76ers are not in that phase just yet, if Jared McCain ends up being as good as advertised, the front office will have a wildly difficult time moving the parts necessary to keep him and the other core players as well.