FRIDAY, 12:02pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.
6:03pm: The total value of the deal is about $4.2MM, as Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops hears (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 5:54pm: The contract will run four years, with a team option on the final season, Fischer tweets. The first two seasons are guaranteed for a total of $2.1MM, according to Fischer.
WEDNESDAY, 1:44pm: The Sixers have agreed to a deal with 37th overall pick Richaun Holmes, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). The power forward from Bowling Green will see a “significant” amount of guaranteed money over the next two seasons, a league source tells Jake Fischer of SI Now (Twitter link). It’s unclear just how much he’s getting, but the deal will probably be similar to the four-year contract for more than $4MM that No. 36 pick Rakeem Christmas recently signed with the Pacers.
The 21-year-old, who’ll turn 22 in October, was a late bloomer who caught the eye of scouts out of the Mid-American Conference. He didn’t put up particularly eye-popping numbers this past season, averaging 14.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game, aside from his 41.9% three-point shooting, an especially valuable asset given his 6’10” height. Holmes spoke about the development of his shot and more in an April interview with Zach Links of Hoops Rumors. At that point, the Keith Kreiter client seemed like a late second-rounder, but he climbed into the top end of the round and ultimately didn’t seem like a reach, with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranking him the 34th-best prospect in his final listings for this season while Chad Ford of ESPN.com pegged him 44th.
Holmes is one of three 2015 draftees to which the Sixers hold the rights, including No. 3 pick Jahlil Okafor and J.P. Tokoto, the 58th selection. Philadelphia avoids the scenario it was in with K.J. McDaniels, last year’s No. 32 overall pick, who remained unsigned right up until the end of training camp as he balked at a long-term deal. McDaniels instead penned a one-year, non-guaranteed tender for the minimum-salary, helping hasten his way off the Sixers at this year’s trade deadline and into a three-year, $10MM deal with the Rockets this summer.
What do you think of the chances that Holmes turns into a rotation-caliber player in the NBA? Leave a comment to give us your thoughts.
#MACtion
Tony Wroten, Nik Stauskas, Robert Covington, Nerlens Noel, Joel Okafor
Norris Cole or Pierre Jackson, Hollis Thompson (40%3pt), Jerami Grant, Richaun Holmes, Furkan Aldemir
Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, four first round picks, and $60M cap space in 2016 (or $70M in 2017 when more point guards are on the market).
With their own pick, the Lakers pick and the right to swap with Sacramento if they win the lottery, Sixers are almost guaranteed one of Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown or Brandon Ingram. Then there’s Jamal Murray, Isaiah Briscoe, Kris Dunn….
That’s a lot of Kool-Aid…
Considering their position, how long do you think it will be until the Sixers are playoff contenders?
Fortunately for them they’re in the weak Eastern Conference. Hard to know for sure whether Embiid will ever play, or Saric will ever come over, or whether Okafor or Stauskas can play NBA defense.
Let’s say half of that comes true, and let’s say they use the four picks to come out with Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray and sign RFA Jordan Clarkson. They could be knocking on the door of the playoffs as soon as ’16-17, and definitely in ’17-18.
Even if Embiid can only play limited minutes, you could be talking as soon as next year:
Jordan Clarkson, Jamal Murray, Ben Simmons, Nerlens Noel & Jahlil Okafor, with Tony Wroten, Nik Stauskas, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, & Joel Embiid, along with minimum salary guys like Jerami Grant, Richaun Holmes, Furkan Aldemir and Jakarr Sampson.
Then there’s still cap space in 2017, the Sixers have their own 2017 pick (and the right to swap with Sac if they win the lottery) and two 2018 picks, plus a bunch of second round picks to stash all around the world.
Philly has one more year of pain. Then things blow up. They should’ve gotten Miami and OKC’s first round picks this year, and they would’ve been a lot better a year sooner, with say Jerian Grant and Delon Wright. But the Heat and Thunder missed the playoffs b/c of unexpected injuries.
Hard to be a fan, but one more year of ‘development’ gets us a great shot at Ben Simmons (or Brandon Ingram).