Following a season where they went 24-58 and finished with the fifth-worst record in the association, the Philadelphia 76ers enter a very crucial offseason that could dictate their fate a few years from now. The front office does not sound like it is pressing the panic button just yet, but at this point, there is virtually zero reason for them to ease up on making changes to the team.
For now, the 76ers are in wait-and-see mode if Lady Luck will smile on them during the draft lottery. Having said that, draft night will not be the be-all and end-all for the squad. There is also free agency to be mindful of, especially with most of the team’s role players hitting the open market this summer.
Unlike the draft, which should be more straightforward, free agency will be a ton more complicated for the 76ers this time. After all, the team’s brass will be constrained financially thanks to their congested payroll, and they also do not have full control over the fate of a handful of their own stalwarts who have player options they can exercise.
Unfortunately, with respect to two of their biggest impending free agents, the 76ers could be forced to make a big concession.
The 76ers could be forced to choose between Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency
With Philly already over the cap, the team will have to make do with whatever spending power they have to retain key players. Two of which, Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele, project to have rather costly retainers.
In his offseason preview, ESPN’s Bobby Marks expects the 76ers to face a huge quandary with regard to both players, as the team’s financial situation could force them to choose only one between them.
If so, the club stands to lose either way. Grimes has emerged as the league’s late-season breakout star and has seemingly already started to realize his potential as a star scorer. Meanwhile, for his part, Yabusele is arguably the most versatile player on the roster, and losing him would macerate a frontcourt that is already flimsy.
Grimes will be entering restricted free agency, so the benchmark for the 76ers to clear could still be a tad lower than expected. But with Yabusele being an unrestricted free agent, some team out there with cap space could very well make an expensive play for the Frenchman.
Anyhow, the Philadelphia 76ers have to deliberate in choosing between the two, if that question truly materializes as people anticipate. But the worst thing is that no matter which route they tread, there will be a huge loss.