NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia 76ers have money to spend but the question is, who will they break the bank for this offseason? Who will Daryl Morey pair with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey?
Following another disappointing playoff showing, this time at the hands of the New York Knicks, the 76ers will lick their wounds and look to regroup. But who is worth a max contract on the open market?
The names being thrown around are Paul George, Brandon Ingram, and surprisingly, Jimmy Butler. George will be a good fit but is he trustworthy? Butler will be another great add but is the bad blood between him and the franchise still there? Ingram can get buckets and is younger than PG and Butler but is he willing to play the third wheel?
While adding these guys will make the Philadelphia 76ers contenders, do they fix the glaring issues the team has that the Knicks exposed with such ease?
Embiid needs help on the blocks as far as rebounding and defense go. The Knicks crushed the Philadelphia 76ers on the glass. Embid did his part but the Knicks were just too aggressive for one player to contain. Tobias Harris was a no-show after the 2nd game. With some help, the 76ers would have moved on to the second round.
George has averaged 6.2 boards per game while playing either SG or SF throughout his career. His boards won’t be enough. The same with Butler. Both are good at their position but not the 9-10 per game rebounder the team needs. Ingram falls in that same category.
Who Will The Philadelphia 76ers Sign
While adding more scoring is needed, Morey can bring back players such as Kelly Oubre Jr De’Anthony Melton, and Buddy Hield to help in that department. The 76ers need to prioritize defense and rebounding above else this offseason.
What Morey has to focus on is not having that money burn a hole in his pockets. Just don’t go and grab a player or players based on the name on the back of their jersey. Each player has to be the right fit. If these playoffs have taught us anything, it’s that the right mixture of talents can take a team far.
Despite the Knicks having injury issues throughout the playoffs, they have still managed to do well. The Indiana Pacers are still alive thanks to players knowing their roles. And let’s not mention the defending NBA champs, Denver Nuggets who are a real unit.
However, to get either a Butler or Ingram, a trade will have to be made and this is where the Philadelphia 76ers must be careful. It’s one thing to sign a free agent that costs money but it’s another direction to trade assets and still give up the money. The main focus should be adding not subtracting and adding.
Morey should do his best to bring back as much of this core as he possibly can. This was a good team that fell short due to determination and lack of a skill set. This is the offseason to remedy that and the Philadelphia 76ers have the resources to get the job done. The problem is, who do they give the money to?
