The offseason unofficially begins for the Philadelphia 76ers after they saw their season get axed at the hands of the New York Knicks in another early playoff exit for the franchise. The front office will have little time to pout though, as the upcoming summer could ultimately prove to be the biggest one yet for the team in recent years.
Much has been said about the 76ers’ potential plans this offseason, but the whiteboard almost never completely pans out as illustrated. The free agent and trade market can always be ever-so-volatile. Thus, what would the worst-case scenario for Philadelphia look like as they seek to retool this roster?
What would a nightmare offseason look like for the 76ers?
Cap space will be the 76ers’ biggest weapon this summer as they are billed to have the second-strongest spending power this offseason thanks to the $55.5 million that they can throw onto free agents. In addition, they managed to replenish their war chest of draft picks thanks to the James Harden trade, giving them a more robust profile when dealing with other teams.
Without further ado, Philadelphia’s main target is to find a third star to pair with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Paul George is reportedly the main cog on their radar, and snagging him from the Clippers would single-handedly make them big offseason winners.
Flopping in that regard, however, could send them into a shaky footing. There are not a lot of “stars” available who can be tenable fits next to the 76ers’ duo, while the market for fringe All-Stars is also far from appealing. If so, a dry market could force them to once again tap the services of one-to-two season placeholders.
At the very worst, they may be forced to re-sign, well, Tobias Harris for cheap — a move that could cajole the entire city into rioting. Things would look even grimmer if Nicolas Batum, their steadiest forward this season, follows suit on his preseason announcement of retiring for good.
Failing to find a solid insurance behind Embiid would also count as a loss. Philadelphia looked like a lottery team at times without the MVP, and even if he comes into next season with a clean bill of health, the 76ers should exhaust all options to preserve his body and lengthen his career.
Among many others, the aforesaid scenarios constitute a worst-case offseason for the 76ers. Hopefully, they hit on their targets and prevent themselves from settling once more.