With the Philadelphia 76ers’ reception of the third overall pick in the upcoming draft still fresh in the air, it’s easy for fans to get lost in the excitement. While Philadelphia’s good fortune is nothing short of a miracle, this pick comes with multiple implications that could very well shape its offseason plans.
Sam Veceine of the Athletic reported that the 76ers are expected to listen to offers for the third overall pick. He theorized a deal between Philadelphia and the Brooklyn Nets involving salary filler and the third overall pick in exchange for Cam Johnson and the eighth overall pick. However, if the 76ers kept their pick, it’s unclear who they would draft as Ace Bailey is viewed by league executives as a project player with great upside. Veceine stated that his read of the situation is that Philadelphia would prefer V.J. Edgecombe and Knueppel over Bailey.
The 76ers may not be able to keep both Grimes and Yabusele
Whew, that’s a lot to unpack. I wrote at length on the 76ers possibly trading their highly discussed pick here. In this article, I want to focus on another part of the equation that’s just as important regarding Philadelphia potentially trading down. What I’m referring to is, of course, the 76ers’ salary cap situation and their lofty aspirations to retain Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele.
With the acquisition of the third overall pick, Philadelphia’s ability to keep both players became much harder. If the 76ers draft someone with that pick, they would have to pencil in an $11.1 million contract into their payroll. This is another reason why I’d imagine that Philadelphia will consider offers for its first-rounder, since the rookie scale amount for the eighth overall pick is $6.3 million next season, for reference. When you combine the financial aspect with the fact that the 76ers don’t seem to be in love with any prospect in their range, it’s understandable.
As it stands, Philadelphia’s salary cap total comes to about $170.3 million, which puts it nearly $8 million below the first tax apron. On the surface, this seems like a good spot for the 76ers to be in, and it is, but the player options of Kelly Oubre Jr, Andre Drummond, and Eric Gordon may cause some headaches.
The 76ers can cut some corners
According to multiple reports, the veteran trio is expected to pick up their player options, which will roughly add on an extra $16.9 million to the 76ers’ cap sheet. The first thought that should pop into the minds of Philadelphia fans after reading this is that this number could make up Yabusele’s annual salary for the next few seasons. One way or another, the 76ers need to hope against hope that all three players don’t accept their options, or multiple salary-dumping moves are in order.
In addition to Philadelphia’s player options, it also has three options for Lonnie Walker IV, Justin Edwards, and Jared Butler. Edwards is undoubtedly returning to the 76ers for the foreseeable future, so it comes down to Walker and Butler, whose options are a combined $5.3 million. I believe if Philadelphia were choosing between the two, it would retain Butler, but there is another option. Ricky Council IV has a non-guaranteed $2.2 million on the books for next season. The 76ers could clear $5.2 million between the cuttings of Walker and Council.
Until the 76ers utilize their draft picks and the various free agency options are determined, we have no way of knowing their exact salary cap numbers. Regardless, Philadelphia will likely be able to retain Grimes with his bird rights, and Morey has repeatedly expressed his confidence in doing so. The real issue lies within Yabusele’s unrestricted free agency. As I mentioned, there are many ways that the 76ers can cut costs, but with their player options, Grimes’ potential multi-year salary, and rookie contracts, re-signing Yabusele may be out of the question.