The Philadelphia 76ers have no reason to root for any of the teams still in the running for the championship in the playoffs. But they do have every reason to still keep an eye on the playoff action, especially with a bunch of players standing out for their respective ball clubs in their own ways.
This is pretty emblematic of what the 76ers have to do in this year’s offseason — to scout as much as possible in hopes of landing difference-makers without breaking the bank. Just this season, they already pulled off a huge fleece job, snagging Quentin Grimes from Dallas in exchange for Caleb Martin.
Grimes went on to have a breakout stint in Philly, finishing the season averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per outing. Entering restricted free agency, the 76ers will definitely prioritize re-signing him after the show that he put on during the team’s final stretch in an otherwise deflating campaign.
Now, it seems like a re-do of the same fleece job is not out of the cards.
The 76ers should immediately call the Mavericks after their latest baffling decision
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein bared in his most recent piece (subscription required) that the firings on the Mavericks’ medical staff as of late could point to Nico Harrison, their current president of basketball operations, having convinced team owner Patrick Dumont that he should remain in charge.
If this holds water, the 76ers should definitely make it a point to transact with the Mavericks anew. Philly had already fleeced them big-time with the Quentin Grimes trade, and there is literally nothing indicating that Harrison had already learned his lesson.
The general public already views Harrison with sheer disgust thanks to the Luka Doncic trade that quickly backfired for Dallas, but him still maneuvering to remain at the helm is bad news for the Mavs, but good news for everyone else, especially the 76ers and the Lakers.
Despite their poignant present, Dallas still has a slew of intriguing players that should pique Philadelphia’s interest. Heck, with the Mavericks employing a rather impatient approach from which they have no benefit of a feasible escape route, the 76ers could even try to pluck one of the former’s younger commodities.
Given this development, the Philadelphia 76ers at least have something to be genuinely thankful for — that they are not led by someone like Nico Harrison. Daryl Morey may have his own set of flaws, but man does he know how to pull off an obvious fleece job.