NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
For the 5th straight season and 4 out of the last 5, the Philadelphia 76ers will not make it to the Eastern Conference Finals since “The Process” began. For a team loaded with so much talent and potential, the 76rres have nothing to show for it but early playoff exits. While the finger pointing will continue all offseason, it’s now up to the front office to right the ship. Most notably, Daryl Morey and Elton Brand.
The 76ers, like most teams, will face an offseason of questions. The main one will be what to do with James Harden? Should they give him a max deal, let him walk, or try to get him to sign a team-friendly deal? No matter how this plays out, the future of the 76ers is tied to the decision. Morey and Harden have history, Brand and Harden don’t. This cannot be made with friendships as the core. A decision must be made regarding what’s best for the organization.
Brand has a job to do and so does Morey. The bigger question is, can they agree on what’s best for the 76ers as a whole and keep their egos out of the equation?
Harden can opt into his player option at $47M or he can sign a longer-term deal that will give the team more flexibility. But Harden is not the only issue here. Joel Embiid has at least 3-4 years left playing at an MVP-type level. So, it’s in the best interest of the team to surround him with players reaching for a goal of a championship.
While Harden’s future will be a big decision, Morey and Brand cannot ignore other glaring aspects of the team’s future. As solid as Tobias Harris has been during his tenure with the team, his contract is causing issues. Harris is set to take home another $37M for the 2022-23 season. After averaging 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, one would think Harris’ job is safe. Not so fast. His contract, possibly coupled with Embiid’s, and Harden’s new deal will have the 76ers in salary cap hell, again.
With Harris’ name floating around in trade rumors for the past two seasons, now may be the time to actually pull the trigger and get something of value for the PF. Once again, will Morey and Brand look to run things back with this group and take their chances with the cap or will they look to make the tough choices and improve the roster?
As stated by some of the 76ers after their crushing second-round loss to the Miami Heat, the team must find players willing to do the dirty work necessary to help get this team over the hump. But they won’t come cheap. The 76ers have bench issues that must be addressed. And in all fairness, Harris is not the PF they need. Maybe a switch back to his natural position of SF will give the team more flexibility on the floor. But still, that means that the front office will need to find a way to plug the holes with limited cap space.
Daryl Morey and Elton have their jobs cut out for them and rightfully so. This is what they signed up for. They have done a great job getting the star power needed but still, something is clearly missing. While the money may be great, I would hate to be either one of those guys this offseason. They will be making moves under a microscope for a city that’s craving an NBA title. Can they deliver?
