Adrian Fedkiw
The Philadelphia 76ers have over $60 million to spend in free agency, but how much of it should they use? How aggressive should Bryan Colangelo be?
Sufferers of the long and grueling Process finally have something to look forward to. Patience might be wearing thin, not just from the fans, but the owner Joshua Harris as well. The Process wasn’t exactly bringing in a lot of revenue. Barring a showdown against the Golden State Warriors or if LeBron James was coming to town, the attendance was incredibly scarce.
There’s no need to recap the historical amount of ineptness this franchise just went through the last few years.
So is Harris looking to be ultra aggressive in an attempt to put a “good” product on the floor for Sixers fans to attend and make some money, or is he going to remain patient and reap in the reward of a potential title-contending team a few years from now. Dishing out a lot of dough now may hinder the franchise from being a title contender if you hand it out to the wrong players.
I’m hoping he continues to exhibit the foresight to see everything through. The selection of Ben Simmons itself is going to dramatically increase the amount of butts in the seats. Then there’s the intrigue of Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, who were both picked in the 2014 NBA Draft, but of course have yet to step on the floor.
The fans aren’t going to tune out after the first couple of games like the most recent seasons.
That brings me to Colangelo, whose reputation of being a win-now GM comes into play. Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel’s names have been on the trading block for months. Is Colangelo going to make a trade simply to make a trade, or will he have to willingness to endure an entire summer’s worth of rejected trade offers and sub-par proposals. This is the same guy who traded for the washed up Jermaine O’Neal and Hedo Turkoglu while with Toronto.
This free-agency frenzy this summer is going to be frantic with bloated contracts. The projected $22 million cap spike is unprecedented. Will Colangelo be able to avoid a similar mistake as he made with the signing of Jason Kapono, who received the full mid-level exception over five years in the summer of 2007.
The two rumored names being floated around are Harrison Barnes and Dion Waiters.
I wouldn’t have a problem with Barnes, but Waiters would be a huge mistake.
The Sixers need guards and wing players who have the ability to defend and knock down shots. I also want to sign free agents who will be entering their prime when the team is ready to contend. Barnes, despite a horrendous NBA Finals appearance, has the length, athleticism and mobility to live up to his lofty potential. He’s only 24 and can knock down spot-up shots, which is key for Simmons’ drive-and-kick game. He’s also comfortable with the ball in his hand and maintains body control when attacking the rim, he just doesn’t have the quickest first step. He likes to use the pump fake and his footwork allows him to pull up and get open looks. He usually stays square, but this wasn’t the case against Cleveland. Barnes visibly lacked confidence and didn’t play with the balance he normally does. Barnes can also finish is transition and is a solid defender as well.
Waiters is a bum. I don’t like players who don’t like to defend and play hero ball. I’m not a fan of the consistent fadeaway and contested 20-footers. Sure, he’s only 24, but there are better options out there. This would be a prototypical Colangelo move.
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The most intriguing name of the free-agent class is Bradley Beal. The 22-year-old, yes he’s ONLY 22, is a restricted free agent. The Sixers would most likely have to work out a sign-and-trade with the Washington Wizards if they want to acquire him. Here’s why Beal has my interest, imagine the possibilities if he can stay healthy? This is a potential 20-plus points per game scorer. Then there’s the other edge of the sword of him being a complete waste of money because he has the prospect of becoming the next Brandon Roy. Beal has never played more than 73 games in a season and appeared in only 55 this year with 35 starts.
Yikes!
Beal, like Barnes, would be a perfect complement for Simmons’ drive-and-kick game because of his ability to hit the corner 3. His knack for running the floor is solid as well and he’s comfortable with or without the ball in those transition opportunities. Beal also possesses a high basketball IQ, driving past defenders when they overplay him. As a defender, Beal is instinctive and does a good job of getting into the passing lanes.
Beal has more potential than Barnes in my opinion, but Barnes might be the smarter play due to the injury history. With the Sixers having so much money, however, Beal is worth the prodigious risk.
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This is where I want to talk point guard because although the Sixers clearly need one, is it worth to aggressively pursue one when next year’s NBA Draft class is LOADED with them? There are 4-to-5 potential top 10 selectees in next year’s class at the point. I would still consider trading for Kris Dunn because of his immense ability of defending the perimeter, which is vital in today’s NBA, and being a fit for the “pace-and-space” style the Sixers want to play. Sure, it’s a concern to have a pair of players like Dunn and Simmons, who like to have the ball in their hands, but that formula has worked out just fine for Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City.
I’m not interested in Mike Conley because he’s already 28 years old and no I don’t want Rajon Rondo either. I can see Philadelphia going after a stop-gap option like a Steve Blake or something. I’m also not looking to trade for Patrick Beverley or Ricky Rubio, although Eric Bledsoe or Brandon Knight would maybe interest me. Just not for Jahlil Okafor.
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Some other players who interest me in free agency, there’s Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, Kent Bazemore and Allen Crabbe.
Fournier and Crabbe interest me the most out of that quartet, especially Crabbe, who is an athletic shooter and comfortable in the open floor with also the capability of defending. He’s 24. Fournier is only 23 and can shoot the lights out, whether spotting up or pulling up off the dribble. His defense isn’t all the way there yet, but he’s worth to keep an eye on.
I love Batum’s game, but he is 27. Batum is a great defender, runs the floor really well and has a sweet stroke from the outside. He’s coming off arguably the best season of his career in Charlotte after a subpar 2014-15 campaign while with the Portland Trail Blazers. Bazemore isn’t going to give you a versatile skill set offensively albeit an improving shooter, but he’s a crafty defender and the Sixers could certainly use a couple of those. He’s got some Matt Barnes in his game.
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Some stop-gap veteran options? How about the defense of a Courtney Lee, who is already 30. Shaun Livingston could be a point guard option for a few seasons if the Warriors decide not to match an offer. As is Jeremy Lin, who broke out with the New York Knicks playing a similar pace to the one that Mike D’Antonio coached team did. Arron Afflalo may not have much value after a terrible season in New York and a bad one before that with Portland, but he’d fit a defensive need. Some other names to toss out there, Jerryd Bayless, Mario Chalmers, Jarrett Jack, Ian Clarke, D.J. Augustin, Randy Foye and E’Twaun Moore.
So there you have it, a very realistic free agency preview without delving into players like Kevin Durant, LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan, who most likely weren’t going to come here anyway.
What’s Colangelo going to do?