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Sixers Eyeing Immediate Contributor With No. 24 Overall Pick

June 4th, 2019 at 11:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers have the No. 24 overall pick in the upcoming draft and they will look to select a prospect who can immediately help them win games.

“That’s hopefully somebody that can come in and contribute right away,” Sixers senior director of scouting Vince Rozman said of the team’s first-round pick (via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer).

GM Elton Brand will look to players who’ve had more experience. The Sixers will target “a player with more of a mature game than a ‘project.’ But I don’t know if that’s necessarily driven by age,” Brand said.

The fact that Philadelphia is hoping to land a rotation player in the draft comes as no surprise. The Sixers will attempt to bring back Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and J.J. Redick this summer, and if they’re successful, they’ll be limited in their ability to make upgrades to supplement their current group, as I detailed on a recent episode of NBA Math’s Hardwood Knocks podcast.

If the Sixers bring back their playoff starting five, the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception—projected to come in at $9.246MM—would be the club’s greatest tool in acquiring additional talent. Teams have the ability to offer a free agent the entire amount of the MLE as a starting salary but can also split that amount among multiple players.

The Sixers also have four selections in the second round (Nos. 33, 34, 42, and 54). Philadelphia has worked out a bevy of prospects and will continue the evaluation process through draft night. No prospect may be as notable as Terry Harris (North Carolina A&T), brother of Tobias.

“One, they look a lot alike. That’s also interesting,” Rozman said. “But [Terry] is 6’6″. He can shoot. He defends. It’s got to be a proud moment for the family and Tobias and everybody.”

In addition to Terry, the Sixers have also brought in Tyler Harris for an audition at their free agent minicamp.

While Terry isn’t expected to be drafted, the Sixers own four of the draft’s final 28 selections, which gives them the flexibility to take an untraditional route in extracting value from their late picks.

Such late selections typically have a low probability of yielding a contributor, so using them in a manner that would be favorable to one of their max free agents wouldn’t come with great opportunity cost. This is strictly speculation, as the team’s plan with its second-rounders is unknown. All that appears certain is that the Sixers will look to use their first selection on a player who can contribute from day one.

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Sixers To Consider Khem Birch In Free Agency?

June 4th, 2019 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams
  • With Khem Birch eligible for restricted free agency, the Magic will almost certainly issue him a qualifying offer and try to re-sign him, Charania writes. However, the Sixers expressed interest in Birch during the season and could target him again in free agency, and they’ll likely face competition from other interested teams.

    [SOURCE LINK]
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Sixers Interviewing Avery Johnson For Assistant Job

June 4th, 2019 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Former Brooklyn and Dallas head coach Avery Johnson is interviewing with the Sixers for a job on Brett Brown‘s staff, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Johnson spent the last four seasons coaching at Alabama.
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Sixers Work Out More Prospects On Monday

June 3rd, 2019 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams
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Atlantic Notes: Harris, Brogdon, Horford, Handy

June 2nd, 2019 at 11:44am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers don’t know if free agent Tobias Harris will be on their roster next season, but two of his younger brothers might be, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Tyler Harris, 24, was part of the organization’s free agent workouts on Friday and Saturday and Terry Harris, 22, has a pre-draft session set for tomorrow.

The 24-year-old Tyler is a 6’10” forward who might be in the running for a two-way contract with the Sixers next season, according to Pompey. Terry, 22, is a 6’6″ forward who just completed his senior season at North Carolina A&T. He is projected as a possible late second-round selection and could be on the board when Philadelphia selects at No. 54. Terry had recent workouts with the Suns and Clippers and has sessions upcoming with the Kings, Nets and Mavericks.

Rashad Vaughn, Jamel Artis and Jamil Wilson were other players of interest at the Sixers’ free-agent workouts, Pompey adds.

  • Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon could be an attractive alternative if the Sixers can’t re-sign Harris or Jimmy Butler, Pompey suggests in a separate story. Brogdon will be a restricted free agent, but he could become expendable with Milwaukee facing a free agent crunch of its own. He was a steady contributor this year, posting a 15.6/4.5/3.2 line before his season was cut short by a plantar fascia tear in his right foot. Pompey states that Brogdon could work as a complement to Ben Simmons in the backcourt or he could become the primary ballhandler if the Sixers decide to make Simmons a forward.
  • The Rockets’ willingness to reshape their roster could provide an opportunity for the Celtics, states Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. The best chance for a deal, according to Forsberg, is if Kyrie Irving leaves Boston and the Celtics decide to commit to a youth movement. If Al Horford decides to opt into a $30.1MM salary, the organization may look to send him elsewhere, or there’s a chance both sides work out a sign-and-trade deal. In either scenario, Houston is an intriguing location because Horford met with the Rockets when he was a free agent in 2016. “It was a privilege,” Horford said at the time. “(Hakeem Olajuwon) and Clyde (Drexler) were there, and my dad went to high school here in Houston, and he was pushing Houston hard. Hakeem, to him, was a big deal.”
  • Sam Amick of The Athletic talks to Raptors assistant coach Phil Handy, who is facing the Warriors in the NBA Finals for the fifth straight year.
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Sixers Readying Max Offer For Jimmy Butler?

June 1st, 2019 at 8:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

Executives around the NBA expect the Sixers to make a max offer to Jimmy Butler, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his latest podcast (hat tip to SixersWire).

“I’ve been talking to some executives this week,” Windhorst said, “and the executives, I think, now believe that the Sixers will. I don’t know about the fifth year, like, full guaranteed, but yeah.”

Under the latest cap projections, Philadelphia could offer Butler a five-year deal worth $189.7MM, while the rest of the league is limited to four years at $140.6MM. Butler will be one of the hottest names on the free agent market once he officially opts out of his $19.84MM salary for next season.

Complicating matters for the Sixers is the upcoming free agency for fellow starters Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick, along with a potential rookie scale extension for Ben Simmons. With a large deal already in place for Joel Embiid, the Sixers will have to go well into luxury tax territory to keep the current team together long-term.

Butler was outstanding for Philadelphia after being acquired in a November trade with Minnesota, posting an 18.2/5.3/4.0 line in 55 games. He emerged as a leader in the playoffs, raising his numbers to 19.4/6.1/5.2 and hitting several clutch shots.

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Sixers To Work Out Reid, Dort, Poirier

June 1st, 2019 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams
  • LSU big man Naz Reid said on Friday that he has worked out for the Celtics and also has sessions on tap with the Nets, Cavaliers, Sixers, and Spurs, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Previous reports indicated that Reid also auditioned for Detroit, Utah, and Orlando.
  • In addition to bringing in Reid on Monday, the Sixers will also work out Arizona State guard Luguentz Dort, per Keith Pompey of Philly.com (via Twitter). Dort ranks 26th on ESPN’s big board, which could make him a candidate for Philadelphia’s picks at 24, 33, and 34.
  • After visiting the Lakers on Friday, French center Darel Poirier had workouts lined up with the Heat, Sixers, Jazz, and Timberwolves, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando (Twitter link). Poirier played in the G League in 2018/19 with Washington’s affiliate, but remains draft-eligible for 2019.
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Lakers Notes: Butler, Vogel, Draft, Moser

May 25th, 2019 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers forward Jimmy Butler wouldn’t hesitate to join the Lakers if they made a max offer, tweets Arash Markazi of The Los Angeles Times. Butler likes the idea of playing in L.A., and LeBron James has reportedly already reached out to gauge his interest.

Because Philadelphia owns Butler’s Bird rights, the Sixers can offer the 29-year-old a longer contract and larger annual raises than anyone else. However, Philadelphia has two other free agent starters to address in Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick, and there are durability concerns for Butler, who has topped 67 games in a season just once in the past six years. He played a combined 65 games this season for the Timberwolves and Sixers.

There’s more Lakers news to pass along:

  • New coach Frank Vogel offers his first public comments on several players in a video tweeted by the team. Vogel calls Lonzo Ball “one of the most unique players I’ve ever studied” and said he wants Ball’s passing to serve as a blueprint for the whole team. He says “the sky’s the limit” for Brandon Ingram because of what he has accomplished at a young age. Vogel also shares his thoughts on James, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.
  • The Lakers are believed to have strong interest in Virginia forward De’Andre Hunter and Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland with the No. 4 pick in next month’s draft, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The fourth choice is believed to be the first spot of uncertainty in the draft after Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett are off the board.
  • Assistant coach Clay Moser has left the Lakers’ staff to take a job at Arkansas, according to Pete Roulier of HawgSports. Moser, who was with L.A. for seven and a half years, will be an assistant to long-time cohort Eric Musselman. “Clay and I have worked together in the NBA, with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and in the NBA Development League with the Reno Bighorns and Los Angeles Defenders,” Musselman said. “We also worked together with the Dominican National Team. Clay is an incredible ‘X and O’ coach and he has been at the forefront of basketball analytics. He loves player development and brings the NBA experience that our players look for and will soak up.”
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Bodner Explores Sixers' Future Cap Projections

May 24th, 2019 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams
  • If the Sixers re-sign both Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris to lucrative long-term deals and also make a maximum-salary commitment to Ben Simmons, they won’t necessarily be a taxpayer in 2019/20, but it’d be virtually impossible to avoid the tax in future seasons, Derek Bodner of The Athletic writes in an in-depth cap breakdown.
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NBA Announces 2018/19 All-NBA Teams

May 23rd, 2019 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has formally announced the All-NBA First, Second, and Third Teams for the 2018/19 season, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden leading the way as the two unanimous selections for the First Team.

The full All-NBA teams are listed below, with their vote totals in parentheses. Players received five points for a First Team vote, three points for a Second Team vote, and one point for a Third Team vote, so Antetokounmpo and Harden scored a perfect 500 — First Team nods from all 100 voters.

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

As we detailed in March, this year’s All-NBA selections have significant financial implications for several players. Here’s a breakdown of how several All-NBA candidates were impacted:

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo is now eligible for a super-max extension with the Bucks, which he can sign in 2020. It would start at 35% of the cap in 2021/22 and would extend his contract by five years.
  • Damian Lillard is now eligible for a super-max extension with the Trail Blazers, which he can sign in 2019. It would start at 35% of the cap in 2021/22 and would extend his contract by four years.
  • Kemba Walker is now eligible for a super-max contract with the Hornets, which he can sign in 2019. It would start at 35% of the cap in 2019/20 and would be for five years.
  • Bradley Beal, Klay Thompson, Nikola Vucevic, and other super-max candidates who didn’t earn All-NBA honors aren’t eligible for super-max contracts (or a super-max extension, in Beal’s case). Thompson’s and Vucevic’s maximum contracts this summer would start at 30% of the cap.
  • Karl-Anthony Towns‘ extension with the Timberwolves, which goes into effect in 2019/20, will start at 25% of the cap, rather than 30%, because he didn’t earn All-NBA honors.

Beal and Thompson received the most All-NBA votes of any guards who missed out on the All-NBA teams, receiving 34 and 27 points respectively. Sixers guard Ben Simmons got seven points, while no other guards had more than four.

LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) and Danilo Gallinari (Clippers) were the runners-up at forward, receiving 17 and seven points, respectively. Pascal Siakam (Raptors) had four points, while no other forwards had more than three.

At center, Towns received 20 points, followed by Vucevic at four and Pistons center Andre Drummond with three.

Interestingly, the 15 players named to the All-NBA teams for 2018/19 were the same 15 players that Hoops Rumors readers voted for in our end-of-season All-NBA polls last month. The only differences were George swapping places with Durant and Irving flipping spots with Westbrook.

The full and official All-NBA voting results can be found right here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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