Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.
No team gave the 2019 champion Raptors a more competitive series than the Sixers, who were inches away from forcing overtime in Game 7 in Toronto last spring. That knowledge helped fuel lofty expectations in Philadelphia entering the 2019/20 season, with the 76ers widely considered part of the conference’s two-team top tier alongside Milwaukee.
An up-and-down season saw the Sixers fall short of those expectations — they were 39-26 and ranked just sixth in the East entering the NBA’s hiatus. However, there was still hope that they could make noise in the playoffs, and it’ll be fascinating to see if they get that chance. After all, decisions on Brett Brown‘s future and potential roster changes may hinge in large part on whether or not the club can make a deep postseason run.
Here’s where things stand for the Sixers financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:
Guaranteed Salary
- Tobias Harris ($34,358,850)
- Joel Embiid ($29,542,010)
- Al Horford ($27,500,000)
- Ben Simmons ($27,285,000) 1
- Josh Richardson ($10,865,952)
- Mike Scott ($5,005,350)
- Zhaire Smith ($3,204,600)
- Matisse Thybulle ($2,711,280)
- Shake Milton ($1,701,593)
- Total: $142,174,635
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Furkan Korkmaz ($1,762,796) 2
- Norvel Pelle ($1,517,981) 3
- Marial Shayok (two-way)
- Total: $3,280,779
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- No. 21 overall pick ($2,478,840)
- Alec Burks ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights
- Raul Neto ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights
- Kyle O’Quinn ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights
- Glenn Robinson III ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $8,961,096
Offseason Cap Outlook
No matter where the cap lands for the 2020/21 season, the Sixers will have a tough time avoiding the luxury tax. A flat cap – with no increase – would result in a tax threshold of $132.6MM; the NBA’s $115MM cap projection called for a $139MM tax line. The 76ers already have more than $142MM in guaranteed money committed for nine players next season, and that number will only increase once the team fills out its roster.
Reducing team salary via a trade is a possibility, but there might not be many clubs looking to take on unwanted contracts this offseason. Philadelphia would have to trim a substantial amount of salary to gain access to the full mid-level exception and bi-annual exception.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,718,000 4
- Trade exception: $1,882,867 (expires 2/8/21)
Footnotes
- This is a projected value. Simmons’ actual maximum salary will be 25% of the cap, unless he makes an All-NBA team, in which case it will be anywhere from 28-30% of the cap.
- Korkmaz’ new salary guarantee date is unknown.
- Pelle’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 22.
- This is a projected value.
Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
I can see Jo Jo saying the same thing Kobe did at the trade deadline … “just came by to say by to some of you bums that are about to get traded tomorrow” lol
Lmao right tho
Trade Horford (27m) JRich (11m) and Mike Scott (5m) plus the 2020 first round pick for Harrison Barnes (22m) and Buddy Heild (24m).
This adds 3mil to the Sixers next year which they can get rid of by trading Zhaire Smith.
However both Heild and Barnes deals decrease by 2mil each every year so it would save you money.
Barnes and Heild are both better fits than Horford and JRich. Barnes (even if you don’t like him) is a decent 3 and D combo forward who can provide better spacing than Horford and is 6 years younger. Heild again is a better fit than JRich as he’s a much better shooter which suits Ben Simmons.
After that you have Milton, Thybulle, Korkmaz and Pelle plus 3 second round picks. Plus you can add vets on the minimum or make trades using the second rounders.
I’d swap a second for James Ennis from the Magic who is signed on the minimum for 2 years.
And then target Kyle OQuinn, Wilson Chandler, Amir Johnson and Mathew Dellavedova.
1. Simmons. Milton. Delly
2. Heild. Korkmaz
3. Barnes. Thybulle. Ennis
4. Harris. Chandler. Pelle
5. Embiid. OQuinn. Johnson
Simmons gets shooters, Embiid gets shooters and good options to pass out of the post to.
The bench has a mix of youth, vets, defence and shooters. Love the Aussie connection of Simmons, Delly, Thybulle and Brett Brown.
Dellavedova, Chandler, O’Quinn and Amir effing Johnson are ALL TERRIBLE and Ennis already asked to leave. GTFOH
It’s called the vets minimum your not getting LeBron James. You have to be realistic about who’s signing for 1.6mil on a 1 year deal.
OQuinn gives you a solid back up centre behind Embiid who if you call upon him gives you rebounds.
Wilson Chandler plagues here before can play SF/PF is a decent defender and has a little bit of an outside shot.
Delly would be a good back up Point guard who can defend a little and lead a second unit.
I think no one team like horford.and barnes still have 2 years contrack.sixers need to trying sign gianis.they need more cap space.better if sixers trade tobias haris to bulls for opj+markkanen.opj & markkanen just have 1 years.26+8.tybulle will be their future sf
English…..
No way ever the Sixers sign Giannas.
No way they trade Harris for OPJ (1 year deal) and Markeneen (needs an extension).
Harris is a great third option for us
Kings likes Horford and wanted to sign him in FA before the Sixers got him and they don’t want to keep Heild and Barnes cause they dont like giving them those deals.
Atleast from this deal they get JRich and a first which are two nice assets to add
Burks & Robinson did not have long for their test. The team went 7-5, and they weren’t bad, but Shake Milton did better. Burks was put at the 3 mostly, which would shut out Robinson. Milton was given the 1, which Simmons may not like.
The stars do not fit, so they won’t win like they should. They can tweak the roster, but it won’t matter, unless Simmons or Embiid goes.
Why did they sign Horford to begin with. There must of been better options
T he u thought he could be a
Sorry they thought he could be a good PF that can defend and space the floor. He could play centre when Embid is resting and Embid struggled against him so they wanted to take that away from the Celtics