- Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice examines the options for the Sixers‘ fifth starter and compares how the team would look with P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, Matisse Thybulle or De’Anthony Melton in a starting role alongside Embiid, James Harden, Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey.
The NBA is investigating the Sixers‘ free agency moves for possible tampering and “early contact,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As Wojnarowski details, James Harden declined his $47.4MM player option and instead took a pay cut by signing a two-year, $68.6MM deal with a second year player option. That gave the Sixers the flexibility to use their full mid-level exception to sign P.J. Tucker and their bi-annual exception to sign Danuel House — two of Harden’s former teammates with the Rockets under president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who is now with Philadelphia.
Marc Stein first reported that the Sixers were likely to face a tampering investigation, and he was also one of the first reporters to link Tucker to Philadelphia, with rival teams reportedly convinced that Tucker was signing a three-year deal for the mid-level multiple days before free agency officially opened.
Some around the league have wondered whether the Sixers and Harden already have a future deal in place, which is against the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Wojnarowski notes. Such a handshake agreement would involve declining his player option in 2023 and signing a lucrative new contract at that time.
The Sixers are complying with the investigation, Wojnarowski adds. The Knicks are also likely to face a tampering investigation due to an early free agency agreement with guard Jalen Brunson, as Fred Katz of The Athletic wrote last week.
The Heat (Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade last summer) and Bucks (Bogdan Bogdanovic deal that fell through in 2020) both lost their 2022 second-round picks as a result of previous tampering investigations, and the Bulls will lose their 2023 second-rounder for their early sign-and-trade agreement for Lonzo Ball in 2021.
- Longtime Sixers executive Vince Rozman will join the Thunder as vice president of identification and intelligence, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
With James Harden‘s new contract complete, the Sixers will be able to get a long-term look at what he can do for the organization. Harden played just 21 regular season games after being acquired from Brooklyn at the trade deadline, and there were concerns about his conditioning during that time. He dealt with a hamstring injury that affected his workout schedule last summer, but now he has the benefit of a full, healthy offseason and some familiarity with his teammates heading into training camp.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who was determined to reacquire Harden after having him in Houston, expressed his delight about the new deal in a press release distributed by the Sixers.
“He is one of the best scorers and passers to ever play, and his knowledge of the game allows him to dissect defenses and make everyone around him better,” Morey said. “James’ commitment to winning continues to resonate throughout our organization, and I believe we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible in his partnership with Joel (Embiid) and this talented roster. This is an exciting time for our franchise.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice sets some goals for Harden for the upcoming season, which include helping the Sixers build a top-eight offense, playing at least 70 games, and leading the NBA in assists. Neubeck notes that Harden was second in assists last season and should benefit from the additional shooting provided by P.J. Tucker and Danuel House.
- De’Anthony Melton, who was acquired from the Grizzlies in a draft-night trade, could be a major bargain, Neubeck adds in a mailbag column. Melton’s ability to guard multiple types of players and his versatility on offense make it easy to fit him into numerous lineups. Neubeck notes that Melton was extremely effective in Memphis when he was paired with another ball-handler, and he figures to see a lot of minutes beside both Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
- Isaiah Joe and Trevelin Queen are likely to battle for the final roster spot in training camp, Neubeck adds. Queen holds a $330K guarantee for the upcoming season, along with a non-guaranteed deal for 2023/24. Joe will have a fully guaranteed $1.78MM salary if he remains on the roster through October 23.
JULY 27: Harden’s new contract is official, the Sixers announced on Twitter.
“This is where I want to be. This is where I want to win, and I think we have the pieces to accomplish that goal,” he said in a statement. “From my first day with the 76ers organization, the team and the fans have helped me feel at home here in Philadelphia. I’m excited to build off of last season and I can’t wait to get out on the court with the guys and start this journey.”
JULY 20: James Harden is re-signing with the Sixers on a two-year, $68.6MM deal that includes a player option in year two, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Harden will earn $33MM in 2022/23 and the player option is worth $35.6MM for ’23/24. The former league MVP will have the opportunity to enter free agency again next summer and possibly negotiate another contract.
It was viewed as inevitable that Harden would re-sign with Philadelphia, it was only a matter of when, not if. By agreeing to a one-plus-one contract structure, it will also give him veto power on any trade during the ’22/23 league year.
According to John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), with Harden on board at $33MM, the Sixers are approximately $3.4MM below the tax apron for ’22/23. The 76ers incurred a hard cap when they signed P.J. Tucker to the full mid-level exception and Danuel House to the bi-annual exception, so they cannot exceed the $156,983,000 tax apron at any point during the league year.
Both players were signed due to the flexibility Harden gave Philadelphia when he agreed to a pay cut — he previously declined his $47.4MM player option to sign a new deal. Harden recently explained the reasoning behind his decision to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
“I had conversations with (president of basketball operations) Daryl (Morey), and it was explained how we could get better and what the market value was for certain players. I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign and give me whatever is left over,” Harden said. “This is how bad I want to win. I want to compete for a championship. That’s all that matters to me at this stage. I’m willing to take less to put us in position to accomplish that.”
Harden, who turns 33 next month, had a down season by his lofty standards, appearing in 65 regular season games (37.2 MPG) with averages of 22.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 10.3 APG and 1.3 SPG on .410/.333/.877 shooting. Those averages dipped to 18.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 8.6 APG on .405/.368/.893 shooting in 12 postseason games (39.9 MPG) with the Sixers last season.
He was reportedly hampered by a hamstring injury for much of the season, the same issue that plagued him in the playoffs last year with Brooklyn. Harden famously requested a trade from the Nets ahead of the deadline in February in a deal that sent Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and other assets to Brooklyn.
When Harden officially signs his new deal, Philadelphia will have 12 players on the 15-man roster signed to guaranteed deals, as shown by our roster count. He was ranked No. 3 on our list of the top 50 free agents this summer.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores the new agreement between James Harden and the Sixers, wondering if the two sides have a wink-wink agreement to complete a lucrative long-term deal next summer or if Philadelphia is hedging its bets by not making a long-term commitment to Harden at this point.
The Sixers announced on Thursday morning that they’ve created a new development company, named 76 Devcorp, to spearhead a $1.3 billion project to build a privately funded downtown arena, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN details. The 76ers’ lease at Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia expires in 2031 and the team is aiming to move into a new arena for the 2031/32 season.
“We know the best thing, we believe, for the city, for our fans and for our organization, is to be downtown in a state-of-the-art facility that’s going to be privately funded by our ownership team,” team president Tad Brown told ESPN. “And that’s going to create a brand-new environment, a whole new environment, that’s going to also really give a great economic boost in a development boost to a part of town that really needs it.”
According to Brown and Philadelphia business leader David Adelman, who will head up 76 Devcorp, there are currently no plans to accelerate the project to move into the new arena prior to 2031.
As Bontemps writes, it’s unclear whether the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers – who currently share the Wells Fargo Center – would accompany the Sixers in their downtown move. Brown said the 76ers would like to have the Flyers join them, but intend to move forward with the project regardless of the NHL team’s plan.
Here’s more on the Sixers
- Sixers youngsters Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed outperformed Charles Bassey at the Las Vegas Summer League, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. As we outlined on Wednesday, there won’t be room for all of Joe, Reed, and Bassey – none of whom have fully guaranteed 2022/23 salaries – on the opening night roster if Philadelphia hangs onto Trevelin Queen and the 12 players who have guaranteed deals.
- In a mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Keith Pompey discussed Tobias Harris‘ value, the Sixers’ starting lineup, and whether the team should trade Matisse Thybulle, among other topics. Pompey added that he thinks Philadelphia will make one more big roster move either later in the offseason or before February’s trade deadline.
- In case you missed it, Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that James Harden and the Sixers are in formal agreement on a new two-year, $68.6MM deal that includes a second-year player option.
We’re approximately three months away from the deadline for NBA teams to finalize their rosters for the 2022/23 regular season, so there’s no urgency for those clubs to get their 15-man squads in order anytime soon.
Still, there are already a small handful of teams that are carrying more than 15 players on guaranteed contracts for ’22/23. Sooner or later, those teams will have to trade or release one or more of those players in order to get down to the regular season limit.
[RELATED: 2022/23 NBA Roster Counts]
Here’s an early look at the teams that will have some decisions to make:
Teams with more than 15 guaranteed contracts:
Oklahoma City Thunder
- 17 guaranteed contracts
- 1 partially guaranteed contract
The Thunder will technically dip to 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts once JaMychal Green‘s reported buyout is completed, but that number will climb back to 17 once Mike Muscala officially re-signs with the team.
There are a number of directions Oklahoma City could go with its final roster spots, but at least three players (besides Green) will have to be traded or released. The best candidates appear to be Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Theo Maledon, Darius Bazley, and Vit Krejci (who has the lone partially guaranteed contract).
None of those five players is owed guaranteed money beyond this season — Favors, Jerome, and Bazley are on expiring contracts, while Maledon and Krejci have non-guaranteed salaries beyond 2022/23.
By reaching a buyout agreement with Green, the Thunder signaled they’re not necessarily prioritizing keeping bigger expiring deals around for potential trades later in the offseason or during the season, so Favors ($10.2MM), Bazley ($4.3MM), and Jerome ($4.2MM) certainly aren’t locks to make it to opening night.
Houston Rockets
- 18 guaranteed contracts
The Rockets’ roster surplus is largely a result of the four-for-one trade they made with Dallas for Christian Wood. Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, and Boban Marjanovic came to Houston in that deal, but reports have suggested that at least two or three of those players probably won’t be on the team’s opening night roster.
Marjanovic is said to be the most likely of the four to remain in Houston. Trading or waiving the other three would get the Rockets down to the 15-man regular season limit.
The club could also explore other moves to pare down its roster count. Eric Gordon and Kenyon Martin Jr. are among the players who have frequently been mentioned as potential trade candidates.
Teams with more than 15 players on standard contracts:
Note: Exhibit 10 deals aren’t considered standard contracts for the purpose of this section.
Memphis Grizzlies
- 15 guaranteed contracts
- 1 partially guaranteed contract
Danny Green looks like the probable odd man out in Memphis. His $10MM salary is only partially guaranteed (for $6.96MM) and he’ll likely miss most or all of the 2022/23 season while he recovers from a torn ACL.
Still, I wouldn’t consider that a lock quite yet. Green could be a valuable piece in the postseason if he has recovered by then — and if his recovery does take longer than he anticipates, his $10MM expiring contract could still be a useful asset at the 2023 deadline. Perhaps the Grizzlies will find a small deal involving a player like Santi Aldama, Killian Tillie, or Xavier Tillman before the season begins in order to make room on the 15-man squad for Green.
Toronto Raptors
- 12 guaranteed contracts
- 4 partially guaranteed contracts
- 1 unsigned second-round pick
While second-round picks are often signed to two-way contracts or stashed overseas, that rarely happens for a player selected as high as Christian Koloko was (No. 33). Those players usually receive at least a couple guaranteed seasons, and I’d expect the Raptors to take that route with Koloko.
If they do, that would leave four players on partially guaranteed contracts – Justin Champagnie, Dalano Banton, Armoni Brooks, and D.J. Wilson – vying for the final two roster spots. If the Raptors want to keep more than one of those players, or if they’d like to promote two-way RFA David Johnson to the 15-man roster, Svi Mykhailiuk could be a release candidate, despite having a guaranteed minimum salary.
Philadelphia 76ers
- 12 guaranteed contracts (once James Harden re-signs)
- 2 partially guaranteed contracts
- 2 non-guaranteed contracts
The Sixers don’t have a major crunch, but after Harden re-signs, there will only be three roster spots available for four players without full guarantees.
One of those players is Trevelin Queen, who has a $330K partial guarantee and was just signed this offseason. Those factors will likely give him a leg up on a 15-man roster spot. Charles Bassey also has a small partial guarantee (about $75K), while Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed are on non-guaranteed contracts.
In order to keep all four players, the Sixers would have to make a trade or a cut to reduce their roster count. Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, and Shake Milton are among the players who have been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- 13 guaranteed contracts
- 2 non-guaranteed contracts
- 1 RFA
At this point in the offseason, restricted free agent guard Collin Sexton looks like a solid bet to end up back in Cleveland. If he returns to the Cavaliers, they’ll have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens on non-guaranteed deals.
If the Cavs want to keep both Wade and Stevens, Dylan Windler could be the odd man out. He’s on an expiring contract and has struggled to find a place in the rotation while battling injuries in his first three NBA seasons.
Detroit Pistons
- 15 guaranteed contracts
- 1 signing to come
The Pistons have yet to formally sign Kevin Knox — they’re likely waiting to determine if and how they’ll use their cap room, since Knox’s reported two-year, $6MM deal could fit into their room exception if it has to.
Knox would be Detroit’s 16th player on a guaranteed contract, but the fix looks pretty simple. Kemba Walker‘s reported buyout agreement with the Pistons isn’t yet official. Once Walker is bought out and Knox signs, the team will be back at 15 guaranteed contracts.
Orlando Magic
- 15 guaranteed contracts
- 1 non-guaranteed contract
Barring a surprise, Devin Cannady – the only player without a guaranteed contract – will likely be the casualty of Orlando’s roster crunch.
This is the fourth entry in our series breaking down the major trades of the 2022 offseason. As opposed to giving out grades, this series will explore why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into a draft-day swap between the Sixers and Grizzlies…
On the night of the 2022 draft, the Sixers traded the No. 23 pick (David Roddy) and Danny Green to the Grizzlies in exchange for De’Anthony Melton. Unfortunately, Green suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee during Philadelphia’s season-ending Game 6 loss to Miami in the second-round of last season’s playoffs, so he’s likely to miss a significant part of the 2022/23 season, if not the entire year.
The Sixers’ perspective:
Why were the Sixers motivated to trade their first-round pick for a bench player?
For starters, there’s a lot of variability with first-round picks, especially as you get down into the 20s. The likelihood of the No. 23 pick becoming an immediate contributor on a team with championship aspirations is pretty slim.
As an example, look no further than Philadelphia’s last couple first-round selections, who showcase the inherent risk involved in trading a first-rounder, as well as that aforementioned variability.
In 2020, the Sixers picked Tyrese Maxey at No. 21 overall. He had a decent rookie season, appearing in 60 games (15.3 MPG) with averages of 8.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 2.0 APG on .462/.301/.871 shooting. You could see his speed and ability to get to his shots, and his free throw percentage was encouraging, but it wasn’t exactly predictable what would happen with him last season.
In year two, Maxey exploded onto the scene as an emerging star, appearing in 75 games (74 starts, 35.3 MPG) with averages of 17.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 4.3 APG on .485/.427/.866 shooting. Maxey went from a trade chip to the Sixers reportedly viewing him as basically untouchable in the span of months, finishing sixth in the Most Improved Player Award race (I personally had him second behind Desmond Bane and had no qualms with anyone who thought he should’ve won).
By contrast, the Sixers selected Jaden Springer with the No. 28 pick in 2021. Springer appeared in just two regular season games as a rookie last season, spending the majority of the season in the G League with Philadelphia’s affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats (he also made five cameos in the postseason). In 20 regular season games with the Blue Coats, he averaged 14.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.7 SPG on .470/.241/.651 shooting.
Springer, one of the youngest players in his draft class, is still just 19 years old (he turns 20 in September), but he looked rough around the edges in Summer League action and doesn’t seem close to contributing at the NBA level anytime soon. This isn’t a personal knock against Springer, it’s just an example of the roll of the dice that comes with drafting any player.
Melton, on the other hand, is a more proven commodity, and he was reportedly coveted by teams around the league. Now entering his fifth season, Melton is still only 24 years old, so it’s not like he’s a finished product by any means, but he’s shown he can be a productive player at the NBA level.
A big part of what made Melton such a hot commodity on the trade market is his defense. Although he stands just 6’2”, Melton has a 6’8” wingspan and is one of the better guard defenders in the NBA. I’m not a big fan of using advanced stats for measuring defensive impact, but they almost universally love Melton on that end of the court.
A very good athlete who plays with physicality, lots of energy, and a knack for the ball, Melton gets plenty of deflections (2.8 per game), steals (1.4) and blocks (0.5) for a guard. In fact, he was one of the league leaders at his position in all of those categories on a per-minute basis (he averaged 22.7 MPG last season).
He’s also an outstanding rebounder (4.5 RPG) who likes to push the pace in transition. Those are hugely beneficial attributes for a Sixers team that ranked 29th in rebounding and 25th in pace last season.
Melton should be an excellent complement next to Maxey or James Harden, or even both. Harden tends to play better defensively against bigger players, so allowing Melton, who is a far superior defender than either of his new backcourt mates, to defend the opposing team’s best guard sounds good on paper.
He’s an immediate and major upgrade over both Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz defensively, and a better offensive player than Matisse Thybulle. Those were Philadelphia’s three primary backup guards at the end of last season.
Melton will earn $8.25MM next season and his $8MM salary in 2023/24 is partially guaranteed at $1.5MM, so he’s on a reasonable contract and is eligible for an extension this offseason, though Philadelphia might want to take a wait-and-see approach before making that decision.
There are a few other things worth noting about Melton’s acquisition. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey actually drafted Melton with Houston back in 2018 prior to attaching him to Ryan Anderson in a salary dump move, so Morey has been familiar with the guard’s game dating back to his lone college season with USC.
Melton was basically treated as a non-shooter during his first couple of NBA seasons, making just 29.4% of his three-pointers in that time, but he has improved drastically in that area over the past two seasons, shooting 38.8% from deep on much higher volume. Being able to space the floor around Joel Embiid is vital for Philadelphia’s offensive flow and spacing, so while Melton can run hot and cold, he should get plenty of open looks.
Finally, Melton is a combo guard, and because Harden, Embiid and Maxey control the ball so much, the fact that Melton will be an ancillary player instead of a primary ball-handler is an added benefit. That’s not to say he’s bad at playing the point, it just isn’t his main strength.
The Grizzlies’ perspective:
If Melton is such a solid young player, why were the Grizzlies willing to deal him? Why not just keep him?
Memphis is one of the few teams in the league that has a luxury of riches at multiple positions, and backcourt depth is perhaps the team’s greatest strength. Led by starters Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies had Tyus Jones, Melton, John Konchar and Ziaire Williams vying for minutes at guard (Williams also spent a lot of time at forward last season and could open the season there due to Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s injury and Kyle Anderson‘s departure to Minnesota in free agency).
Melton’s strengths weren’t necessarily redundant among that group of players — he was the best defender of the guards — but moving him clears additional minutes for his former teammates. Jones re-signed with Memphis as an unrestricted free agent on a two-year, $30MM deal, and the Grizzlies later gave Konchar an extension (Williams was a rookie last season and still has three years left on his first NBA contract).
Melton also saw his role reduced and his offensive production decline significantly in two consecutive postseasons, averaging just 5.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.4 APG on .333/.266/.667 shooting in 15 career playoff games (16.9 MPG). That may have contributed to Memphis’ decision to move him.
Acquiring first-round picks isn’t easy, but GM Zach Kleiman has been consistently aggressive in dealing for them in his tenure, and he got an experienced college player in Roddy, a forward built like a linebacker (6’5″, 252 pounds) with a unique skill set. He had an excellent junior season for Colorado State, averaging 19.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.1 BPG on .571/.438/.691 shooting in 31 games (32.9 MPG).
There’s no guarantee that Roddy will turn into the level of player that Melton is, but as I said, there was a minutes logjam in the backcourt, and Roddy’s contract will pay him just shy of $13MM over four years, compared to the $16.25MM ($9.75MM guaranteed) Melton will earn over the next two.
Both financially and as long-term upside swing, it was an understandable gamble. If Roddy makes the type of leap that Maxey was able to in his second year, it could look like a home run. Only time will tell.
As previously mentioned, the Grizzlies also acquired Green, though his future with the team is far less certain. One of the most reliable 3-and-D players in the league over the past decade, hopefully Green will be able to make an NBA return and eventually go out on his terms. At 35 years old, it’s hard to say how much he has left in the tank, but he has had a great career, winning three championships with the Spurs, Raptors and Lakers.
In the meantime, he’s a good veteran to have around for a young Memphis squad, and mid-size contracts like his $10MM expiring deal are always useful for trade purposes even if he doesn’t wind up making any on-court contributions this season.
Of the players eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason, Spurs forward Keldon Johnson became the first to sign a new deal worth less than the maximum. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), Johnson’s new four-year contract will have a base value of $74MM, with $1.5MM in annual unlikely incentives that could push the total value of the deal to $80MM.
Johnson’s contract will serve as a point of comparison for many of the other extension-eligible players who will be negotiating with their respective teams this summer and fall, Fischer writes in a full story for Bleacher Report.
For instance, representatives for De’Andre Hunter figure to seek a similar deal for their client, though the Hawks may be reluctant to invest heavily in a player who has appeared in just 76 games in the last two seasons due to injuries. One cap strategist who spoke to Bleacher Report said Hunter’s injury concerns “are very real,” and sources tell Fischer that the 24-year-old and Atlanta are approximately $20MM apart in their discussions about a four-year extension.
Johnson’s extension with San Antonio is worth roughly the same amount annually as deals signed by sharpshooters like Davis Bertans, Duncan Robinson, and Joe Harris, and all four of those deals will be reference points when Cameron Johnson and the Suns discuss a new deal, according to Fischer, who suggests an extension for Johnson could easily surpass $15MM per year.
Here are a few more notes from Fischer on rookie scale extension candidates from around the NBA:
- There’s a sense that the Warriors may be best off waiting on an extension for Jordan Poole unless they can get a team-friendly rate this offseason, Fischer writes. “What’s the upside in locking him in now?” the team cap strategist said. “He’s not Luka Doncic or Donovan Mitchell, who’ve proven they can carry a team. He’s close. If he does it again, you pay him. But prior to this year he was a borderline rotation player.”
- Cap experts who spoke to Fischer believes that the Celtics‘ four-year extension for Robert Williams (worth $48MM, plus $6MM in incentives) will be a benchmark for their extension talks with Grant Williams. However, rival executives don’t think the C’s will want to spend much more on Grant than they did on Robert.
- The Trail Blazers and Nassir Little may both be motivated to work out a new deal this summer. As Fischer explains, Little could increase his value (and his price tag) in 2022/23 if he’s part of Portland’s new-look starting lineup, but his injury history might make him inclined to take a guaranteed payday sooner rather than later.
- There has been no traction on extension talks between the Sixers and Matisse Thybulle, sources tell Bleacher Report. Fischer also classifies Bulls guard Coby White as a player who is unlikely to sign an extension before the season.