Mike Gansey has been tasked with the difficult job of turning the current Philadelphia 76ers into championship contenders. However, Daryl Morey's tendency to overpay his star players has left the franchise with little financial flexibility to tie down rotational pieces with inflated contracts that allow these assets to be traded. Unfortunately, this will limit Gansey to shrewd free agency pickups, draft selections, and optimistic sign-and-trade deals.
Mike Gansey is going to have to get creative
Analysts, fans, and writers spend the entire offseason breaking down the areas in which a franchise can improve, but covering the 76ers makes this job increasingly difficult. There is an abundance of players that fit the profile Philadelphia is desperate to sign, but matching contracts and creating an attractive proposition that other front offices will be willing to accept is not easy.
While the media can throw countless scenarios at the public to debate, Mike Gansey is not so lucky. His job requires him to make decisions that affect the organization's short and long-term future. In Philadelphia, both instances require championship success, and constructing a capable roster around Joel Embiid is the priority.
Given the current status of the squad, Gansey will have to scour the free agency market for players willing to accept a cheap contract. Additionally, the 76ers executive could tempt players without a team to put pen to paper on a contract, allowing Philadelphia to utilize them in a sign-and-trade deal.
Finding new assets to use in the framework will be difficult; it would be an easier proposition for Philadelphia to re-sign former players and move them on in this manner.
Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. would be the perfect candidates
There is no denying that both Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. will be looking for a larger payday this offseason -- whether Grimes' playoff performances warrant the enhanced wage is another discussion. Nevertheless, giving these players inflated contracts would benefit the 76ers -- only if the end goal is to package their deals into acquiring a more fitting weapon for their roster.
Grimes and Oubre should be seen as two different situations for the Sixers, but both could be prime candidates for a sign-and-trade deal. Kelly Oubre Jr. is a player the franchise should be aiming to retain. His two-way ability and versatility on the floor are attributes that Mike Gansey is currently scanning the market for, so allowing him to leave would be foolish.
However, as we all know, just because the franchise needs the player does not mean the player needs the franchise. Oubre may need a fresh start, but Philadelphia is not in a position to allow anybody to leave without accruing some form of compensation.
If the athletic forward has already decided to leave, the 76ers could offer the player a slightly bloated contract on a short-term basis. An expiring contract, alongside draft capital, could tempt potential trade suitors into accepting a future trade deal.
All of these suggestions are highly optimistic and a best-case scenario. The reality is that Mike Gansey has few assets to work with in his new role with the Philadelphia 76ers. If his primary objective is to create a championship-worthy roster, he is going to have to create something out of, quite literally, nothing.
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