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2024 NBA Draft: first round thread nba,draft,first,round,thread,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-news,76ers-discussion-threads,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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It’s that time. The 2024 NBA Draft is upon us and Daryl Morey will be on the clock at pick No. 16.

Will the Sixers make a pick in the 2024 NBA Draft? Check out our full list of prospect profiles here, as our team (Harrison Grimm and Paul Hudrick having led the charge especially) has already put in a ton of homework scouting prospects.

Fans are holding their breath wondering what the heck the Sixers might be planning this offseason. Tonight they could make a selection, trade up or back, trade out of the first round entirely, or even make a pick with a future trade in mind. Nothing feels off the table at this point.

Your chat thread for night one of the draft is here. Game on.

Who: Philadelphia 76ers : pick No. 16, Day two: pick No. 41

When: 8:00 p.m. EST

Where: Barclays Center in New York

Watch: ABC, ESPN

Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

Follow: @LibertyBallers

New York Knicks acquire Brooklyn Nets’ Mikal Bridges in blockbuster trade ahead of NBA Draft, free agency new,york,knicks,acquire,brooklyn,nets,mikal,bridges,in,blockbuster,trade,ahead,of,nba,draft,free,agency,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-analysis,nba-rumors-news

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Boom. In the quiet, with less than 24 hours before the start of Wednesday’s 2024 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks have pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Knicks are shipping out four future unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks, an unprotected swap, a second-rounder and Bojan Bogdanovic for Mikal Bridges.

In a follow up tweet, Woj added: “The Knicks pay a steep price to land one of the league’s most coveted trade assets and the Nets get a massive haul to replenish assets and embark on a rebuild with mass cap space and future draft picks.”

With Jalen Brunson, fresh off his first All-Star bid, the All-NBA Second team, and having finished fourth in MVP voting, along with Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, Bridges will now round out the Villanova Knicks.

The Nets once depleted their draft warchest for James Harden, who they then traded for Ben Simmons back in 2022. So this allows Brooklyn, who has reportedly turned down numerous other offers for the quintessential 3-and-D stud in the past, to restock and then some.

The next major question for the Knicks is what this could mean, if anything, for OG Anunoby’s future?

The former Raptor recently opted out of his one-year player option. And all insiders seem to agree that he’s all but certain to re-sign in New York. Would adding Bridges, someone who essentially plays the same small forward position as OG, change the equation? Could this be a form of “insurance” should Anunoby somehow walk? There have at least been rumors that OG’s camp was not satisfied with the extension offers he received from Knicks’ President Leon Rose — fueling rumors out of Philadelphia, a team named by numerous sources as having interest.

But there is still plenty of room to keep him around in New York if they trim in other places.

According to Yossi Gozlan, previously with Hoops Hype, the Knicks are now hard-capped yet could still theoretically retain both Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein.

Where would they cut costs then? We’ve already seen rumors that Mitchell Robinson could be on the move, with the Wizards being one team named.

Another former All-NBA Second Teamer, Julius Randle, also has a hefty salary, and should offer back some value if the Knicks looked to move the former Lakers and Pelicans power forward too. If they truly want to avoid the hard cap, then it makes sense why SNY’s Ian Begley had this to add:

As far as the Sixers are concerned, well, you can figure out the bad news rather quickly. Not only does Bridges’ name go off the trade market, he lands with the very team that just knocked Joel Embiid and the squad out of the playoffs back in May.

In many ways, Mikal would have made a perfect fit playing alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — and it doesn’t make things any easier to swallow remembering the Sixers once drafted the rangy wing before quickly trading him on Draft Day 2018.

As for Paul George? Well, the Knicks were one team that had been rumored to potentially have interest in PG should the nine-time All-Star opt in to his one-year player option. Brian Windhorst, Marc Stein and other reporters had previously named the Knicks as a team to watch should the Clippers’ former All-NBA forward pass up the chance to hit free agency — where Daryl Morey and the Sixers would almost certainly have a $212M max four-year deal waiting for the Palmdale native… assuming they don’t surprise us between now and July 1 like the Knicks just did.

With this move, George may lose one option he may have had in an opt-in and trade scenario. That is likely the one part of this move that Morey will — at least momentarily — enjoy. But the Golden State Warriors have already been named as another team to keep close watch on if PG doesn’t wind up hitting free agency but rather seeking trade from his native L.A.

The Athletic’s Fred Katz has been reminding fans that Anunoby is likely re-signing with the Knicks. And with this news bomb, Katz doesn’t appear to be changing his tune much:

Same goes for SNY’s Ian Begley:

If the Knicks really started to feel a cap crunch, in the instance they do keep Anunoby on a deal somewhere in the (rumored) $35M annual-range, perhaps Hartenstein would ultimately become New York’s casualty of this Bridges blockbuster.

The Nets were not done either.

More fro Woj on X:

“Another massive deal: Brooklyn has a deal with Houston to return the Nets’ 2026 first-round pick for a 2027 Phoenix Suns first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Rockets also acquire 2025 right to swap Houston/OKC first for 2025 Suns first-round pick. More details coming on picks deal.”

So not only do the Nets “make up” for some of the picks they lost in that Harden deal by moving Bridges to the Knicks, they recouped some of their own picks they once moved in 2020-2021.

That means… wait for it… you guessed it… the Nets can finally tank and “improve” their own picks — something they couldn’t do back when the Boston Celtics possessed Brooklyn’s lottery picks — helping Danny Ainge and subsequent execs like Brad Stevens begin building the current 2024 champs back in 2016.

On the Rockets side of things, Woj had this to add:

So now Morey and co. can keep watching the clock hoping that there isn’t a news bomb that PG has opted in; unless of course the Sixers have one of these shockers brewing themselves.

And oh right, maybe Kevin Durant could be available too, I guess? Add Durant to your wish list along with PG, Jimmy Butler, Anunoby and Brandon Ingram.

Must be nice….

2024 NBA Draft: Will the Sixers make a pick? Check out our full list of prospect profiles nba,draft,will,the,sixers,make,a,pick,check,out,our,full,list,of,prospect,profiles,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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The Sixers’ vibes are a little different this season ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.

At this time last year, we didn’t know what would happen with James Harden. The Sixers also had zero draft picks. Well, Harden is a Clipper (for now) and thanks to the trade that sent The Beard to L.A., the Sixers now have a decent chunk of draft capital.

Going into Wednesday night, the Sixers own a first-round pick (No. 16) and a second-round pick (No. 41). They also have one player on a guaranteed contract (Joel Embiid) and another that is about to receive a max contract (Tyrese Maxey). That means Morey could potentially have 13 roster spots to fill before the start of the 2024-25 season.

But what will the Sixers do? Take a player at 16? Trade back to acquire more future picks and provide more cap flexibility? Trade it in a package for a player? This is likely the type of optionality Morey envisioned when he enacted his cap space plan. Wednesday night’s draft will reveal the first phase of that plan.

Below are all the draft profiles we published at Liberty Ballers over the last month.

76ers Reacts Survey: Has the Sixers’ interest in Paul George really waned? ers,reacts,survey,has,the,sixers,interest,in,paul,george,really,waned,liberty,ballers,front-page,reacts,nba-reacts

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Philadelphia 76ers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Just as it felt more and more realistic that the Philadelphia 76ers could pry Los Angeles Clippers’ star Paul George away from the SoCal native’s home, Shams Charania tweeted last week that the Sixers’ interest in the nine-time All-Star has “significantly waned.”

Did the price of someone like Pelicans star Brandon Ingram, Jazz star Lauri Markkanen or Knicks’ star OG Anunoby suddenly drop? What would cause PG to go from Philadelphia’s “Plan A” (as had been previously speculated by insiders all offseason) to a consolation prize — just days away from both the 2024 NBA Draft and free agency period?

In the several days since that Shams bomb, we’ve heard numerous bits of intel suggesting that some rival teams or insiders are not quite convinced Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office has cooled on the PG plan A — and that PG may opt into his one-year player option and seek a trade.

But we’re curious what our readers think….

2024 NBA Draft: Ron Holland’s talent and fit make him a near-perfect fit for the Sixers if he falls nba,draft,ron,holland,s,talent,and,fit,make,him,a,near,perfect,fit,for,the,sixers,if,he,falls,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is the G League Ignite’s Ron Holland.

Ron Holland was one of several prospects who opted to play with the G League Ignite rather than playing overseas or in the NCAA. After one year at a professional level, he’ll now make the jump to the NBA, where several analysts predict he could fall on draft night.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 15 games, 30.3 minutes, 18.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.1 blocks, 47.4% FG, 23.9% 3P, 68.2% FT

Team: G League Ignite

Year: N/A

Position: SF/PF

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’6.50” | 196.8 lbs

Born: July 7th, 2005 (18 years old)

Hometown: Duncanville, Texas

High School: Duncanville

Strengths

Athleticism, athleticism, athleticism. Holland is an explosive finisher around the rim and can hang in the air and score through contact. With the Ignite, he also showcased an ability to hit floaters as well. He’s a decisive attacker, often cutting to the rim, driving against closeouts and recognizing when backdoor cut opportunities are available. From a playmaking perspective, he’s a selfless passer that is capable of making fast decisions.

Defensively, he’s versatile with the mobility to switch onto a multitude of players. He hustles consistently and has good timing on chasedown blocks. Holland is one of the youngest players in this draft and will actually be 18 on draft day, but has plenty of experience with the G League and with USA Basketball’s junior teams, winning two gold medals.

Weaknesses

Holland’s biggest weakness revolves around his shooting. When spotting up, he has a stiff shot that doesn’t convert consistently. His free throw shooting, which is typically a good indicator on where a prospect’s shot is, is lackluster at 68.2 percent. I wouldn’t say his shot is fully broken, but there will definitely need to be some refinement in the coming years. Holland also struggles to convert when isolating; he’s better as a straight-line driver rather than creating his own shot.

Positional Fit

Ron Holland’s size, agility and playmaking should allow him to slot into several positions over time— especially if he can refine his shooting. For the first few years, I’d expect him to mainly slot in as a forward. Holland’s game has shades of a more skilled Gerald Wallace, or for younger fans Houston’s Tari Eason, or a younger Andrew Wiggins.

Draft Projection

SB Nation Mock Draft: No. 9, Memphis Grizziles

Many mocks have Holland going comfortable within the lottery, but there’s smoke out there that he could slide into the late lottery or out of it completely. If he’s available at 16, it’s hard to find a better talent that’ll still be on the board. Holland would also slot in nicely alongside Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.

For more on Holland, check out this feature from SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell.

Sixers rumor roundup: Paul George, Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, OG Anunoby, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Zach LaVine sixers,rumor,roundup,paul,george,brandon,ingram,jimmy,butler,og,anunoby,kentavious,caldwell,pope,zach,lavine,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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The Paul George bomb distracted many of us from some other nuggets of intel that came out over the last handful of days leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft and subsequent free agency period.

Let’s get to a roundup and try to stay up on the latest before the next newsbreak shakes everything up again in one hour.

Paul George

First, we were surprised to hear the Sixers’ interest in Clippers star Paul George had waned in recent days, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Then by Friday morning we received some key intel helping us make sense of that update from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst: PG may be leaning towards an opt in and trade scenario.

It would make sense then that if obtaining the Palmdale, Cali native would cost the Sixers a max contract AND precious draft picks, they might start putting alternative options in front of what was once described as their “Plan A.”

But I don’t think it’s a mortal lock that PG will opt in yet, and the Sixers perhaps projecting diminished interest may even decrease a bit of PG’s leverage.

Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports added Friday:

“On the Sixers’ end, league sources maintain that they are still interested in George, though it would be fair to say he’s not their only option or target in free-agency. Philadelphia is spending the pre-draft and free agency period talking with teams about different scenarios, including some which have been reported or speculated about previously.”

So one might reasonably deduce that the puzzling tweet from Shams was a bit of gamesmanship on Philly’s part in response to some discreet indication PG isn’t all in on a max from Daryl Morey and Co.

But don’t close that door just yet. The fact that Fischer did not talk about Orlando’s possible pursuit of PG might further decease George’s leverage too.

Brandon Ingram

Neubeck continued:

“Brandon Ingram, for example, is still a player the Sixers have interest in, per league sources. On the list of desired targets, he still probably falls below George because it would cost draft capital to acquire, not to mention the clunkier skill set fit with Embiid and Maxey, but the broader point is that it is not George-or-bust in Philadelphia.”

Ingram wouldn’t be quite as pricy as PG in terms of cap space, but since he’s not a free agent, and would require parting with potentially significant draft capital to acquire, all before potentially extending the soon-to-be 27-year-old.

We’ve covered that The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reported the following:

“…New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram was mentioned as a player seen in a lower tier than Mitchell and in recent days, rumors have swirled about the Pelicans dangling Ingram in trade talks and in one iteration, a hypothetical Ingram-for-Alperen Şengün swap was mentioned, but the Rockets have no interest, team sources said. League sources said New Orleans also contacted the Philadelphia 76ers concerning a possible Ingram trade.”

So maybe that conversation went relatively well, contributing to the idea the Sixers’ interest in PG has waned. BI is substantially younger than 34-year-old PG, and might allow the 76ers to add another key free agent (worth more cash than a player they could target were they to land George via cap space).

We learned that BI might be a primary fallback plan sometime ago, and we’ve heard little to dispel that notion since. The latest on PG should only increase this scenario’s likelihood.

OG Anunoby

Ian Begley of SNY recently told Jon Macri of Knicks Film School he’d be very surprised if the Knicks don’t re-sign the former Raptors wing.

Days prior to that, Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto reported:

“The leaguewide expectation is that OG Anunoby will return to the Knicks. The question is, for how much? From executives I’ve talked to around the league, Anunoby’s floor appears to be $35 million, and his ceiling is a max contract. Philadelphia will be looking for a 3-and-D small forward and has the max cap space to make the offer if they believe they’ll miss out on their top target, Paul George. Two general managers told me they’d pay Anunoby $35 million annually and that a max would be tough because of his injury history.”

With all of the reporting the Knicks — who parted with both former 2019 No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett, and former 2020 No. 25 overall pick, Immanuel Quickley for the oft-injured former Hoosier, Anunoby — are expected to keep him, it feels like the most Daryl Morey could do here is play spoiler, forcing New York to ultimately pay full price. But you just never know, right?

Neubeck reminded fans that the Sixers did demonstrate interest in OG last winter and added Friday: “If Anunoby is in play and not just trying to generate leverage, league sources expect the Sixers to be in the mix.”

Jimmy Butler

On Thursday’s “Get Up” on ESPN, Alan Hahn boldly declared “Jimmy Butler’s days in Miami are over.”

And one very credible Howard Beck, now with The Ringer, chimed in definitively as well:

Per Neubeck:

“One move I am skeptical of relative to the field — a trade for Jimmy Butler, for the Sixers or anyone else. Maybe the NBA intelligentsa is right and I end up wrong on this, but from what I can tell, Butler doesn’t have real interest in leaving Miami and simply wants to get paid. The issue is that Pat Riley can be as stubborn as he is, leaving both sides sort of stuck.)”

So if you believe Beck is right, and the Sixers can’t convince PG or OG to take their $212M, maybe they’d empty out the warchest for the former Sixer, Butler.

But haggling with Riley probably wouldn’t feel very good. If the Sixers can’t entice someone like PG to join them, Riley might be substantially more confident in the allure of South Beach.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

ESPN’s Senior Writer Zach Lowe recently speculated-connected the Sixers to Nuggets’ two-way guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a Klutch Sports client like Tyrese Maxey.

Jake Fischer for Yahoo added:

“Therefore, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would seem, at present, to be the veteran in line to benefit from the Magic’s cap space. Caldwell-Pope is also believed to have a potential home in Chicago, should the Bulls ultimately lose out on Williams, in addition to Philadelphia viewing the veteran wing as a backup option.”

Back in late May, Fischer reported:

“The Sixers, sources said, took note of Indiana’s two-year splurge for Bruce Brown that then became the biggest salary headed back to Toronto in exchange for Siakam. Veteran wings like Klay Thompson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would fall on the Sixers’ list of targets for similar one-plus-one contracts, sources said. Striking out on a big-time wing would also leave the door open for Philadelphia to consider taking back a player such as Zach LaVine, sources said, in the event Chicago or another team is willing to attach draft capital to move off salary.”

And if PG is less of a realistic option, maybe that dials up the chances they look at KCP.

Zach LaVine

The price for Bulls’ former two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, who shares a trainer in Drew Hanlen with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, may have come down considerably recently. But insiders still don’t think he’s a realistic candidate to play in Philly next season.

NBC Sports’ K.C. Johnson said Chicago contacted the Sixers to talk business here:

“League sources reiterated that the Bulls remain active on several trade fronts centered on Zach LaVine, including with the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers. Does this take-a-step-back move make DeMar DeRozan consider unrestricted free agency more strongly?”

But PHLY Sports’ doesn’t seem to be buying this idea just yet:

Neubeck would report: “I will reiterate here that the Sixers are not interested in pursuing Zach LaVine, per sources familiar with their thinking, in spite of reports connecting them to the Bulls’ star guard.”

Fischer’s reporting vibes similarly:

“LaVine remains merely a backup option for the Sixers, sources said, but not a player whom Philadelphia truly covets with the team’s ocean of cap space. If there’s any suitor for LaVine that seems most likely at this juncture, it would be the Kings.”

So if you’re tracking the Ingram and Caldwell-Pope markets, it seems their odds of becoming Sixers have each increased, even if they wouldn’t ultimately both land here.

Names like George, LaVine and OG don’t seem nearly as realistic. As for Jimmy Butler, I cannot imagine Riley would enjoy sending him to play with Embiid and Maxey and would try to move heaven and earth before he let that happen. But you never know.

Report: Clippers could be ‘calling [Paul George’s] bluff’ in contract talks report,clippers,could,be,calling,paul,george,s,bluff,in,contract,talks,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-analysis,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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That’s a wrap on the NBA Season, and the dreaded Boston Celtics fans get to party in the streets for the 13th time since 1957.

If the Sixers want to beat a team with as much top-end firepower as the team that Danny Ainge (now with the Jazz, although he did most of the heavy lifting here), Mike Zarren and current President Brad Stevens have built, they’re going to need major reinforcements.

The name at the top of Daryl Morey’s wishlist is Clippers’ star Paul George. PG has a player option for the coming season worth $48.7M.

But we heard reports earlier this season that Steve Ballmer, by far the NBA’s richest owner worth an estimated $129.7B, was hesitant to allow his front office to offer PG more money than Kawhi Leonard on a potential extension.

Leonard, the two-time NBA Finals MVP, is the Clippers best player when healthy. But as Sixers fans know all too well, that “when healthy” distinction is kind of a big asterisk. PG, now 34, isn’t exactly an exemplar of perfect health himself, but he was the safer bet than Leonard to be healthy by playoff time. And he seems like the safer bet for the next three-four seasons as well.

On ESPN’s “Get UP” Monday, insider Brian Windhorst speculated on the latest from Clipperville:

“What is interesting to me is that is that the Clippers are very aware that somebody is going to offer [George] a four-year max contract. Whether that’s the 76ers or the Magic or a team could even trade for him. But there’s another thing with Paul George that I want to point out. He has an option in his contract. It’s known as ‘The Chris Paul Move.’ Where you come to a team and say ‘I’m either going to sign with this team over here, or you’re gonna pick up my option and trade me there.’ So even if you don’t have cap space, a team for example, like the New York Knicks. Okay, if they wanted Paul George they could say ‘okay, you could come to us, we’ll trade for you.’ You don’t have to sign him outright. Clippers know all this is gonna go on. And yet they’re still not making this offer. They’re still not [inaudible] to do this. And so if you get to July 1st, and the Clippers have done this, they’re gonna play hardball, that’s when you know he’s truly gonna be in the market. I suspect the Clippers read, at least on June 17th, is that they’re calling his bluff. They don’t actually think he’s gonna leave his hometown of L.A. to go to Philly or Orlando or some thing like that.”

This stalemate would seem to have begun back in January.

The Clippers essentially drew a line in the sand implying PG wasn’t deserving of what Kawhi was (three years, $152M) received last January, offering him less on an extension. PG wisely scoffed at the insulting, paltry bid. Now that miscalculation may bite them.

If George opts out, he is eligible to sign a four-year deal (the NBA’s “Over 38” rule forbids teams from offering him a fifth year) max deal worth up to roughly $221.1M. Possessing George’s Bird Rights, the Clips can offer the nine-time All-Star 8 percent raises, while all other teams can only offer 5 percent raises.

That means the Sixers can “only” offer George $212.5M over the same deal. Still, it’s only an $8.6M difference.

As one might expect in any ongoing negotiation, the PG-to-Philly barometer has swung a few times lately. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski back in May reported that, “The Clippers are determined to keep Paul George and James Harden in free agency, and the organization will move into the new, state-of-the-art Intuit Dome for the start of next season.”

But Windy is, more recently at least, singing a different tune.

Examining that Chris Paul opt-in-and-trade scenario (the kind Daryl Morey, while in Houston, once famously executed to rescue Chris Paul from Doc Rivers the Clips), with an expanding salary cap, it does seem PG could make more money long-term by opting in.

But he’d have to wait six months, and if any player knows that catastrophic injuries can occur, it’s PG, who broke his leg in multiple places back in 2014 during USA Team play.

If I were deciding between $212M today or waiting I’m not sure I’d want to risk playing from November through January for the additional ~$12M. Additionally, PG could learn the “Carmelo Anthony” lesson, and try to avoid depleting whichever new team he wants to play for of precious draft assets they’d need later to beat the Celtics.

So the best news here is that it appears the Clippers are still playing hardball with George. They’ve done nothing to suggest thus far that they feel he’s worth every penny of a max deal. As stellar as the quintessential triple-threat-3-and-D wing has been, with a new arena set to open, deciding he couldn’t make as much as Leonard, now trying to catch a bluff? It’s all pretty weird. Imagine how Kawhi would feel if they wound up letting him walk for nothing in return?

Is there any chance they’re pulling a bit of a 2023 version of the Morey-with-Harden, and sending these silent signals in hopes he opts in, so that they can make a blockbuster move? Unlike Beard, PG has max offers elsewhere tempting him not to do that.

The less good news for the Sixers here is this idea that PG could ultimately make more money by opting in, which could give him incentive to listen to pitches from contenders without cap space. Yuck.

The Sixers can spend up to $65M in cap. But if other teams can trade for him — with plans to extend him come January for even more than the max he’ll command in July — well, you can see the problem there. Miami? Cleveland? New York?

George, a CAA client shares an agent with Knicks’ star Jalen Brunson. The Knicks have been linked to PG in some reports too.

If PG felt Brunson is a safer bet than Embiid to be healthy come next year’s playoffs… maybe that throws a monkeywrench in the works for Morey — even if things fall apart with PG and the Clips.

But let’s focus on the good news for today. The Clippers appear to think that PG won’t leave, they certainly aren’t rolling out any red carpets like Morey is, and are perhaps “calling a bluff.” That would, I’d argue, mark the second time they’ve insulted him in five months. First, by deciding he’s not worth what Leonard was last January, and again now, knowing that other teams are prepared to drop a full stack, while they quibble over an amount that equates to about 0.17% of Ballmer’s total net worth.

Is Daryl Morey setting expectations too high for Sixers fans in free agency? is,daryl,morey,setting,expectations,too,high,for,sixers,fans,in,free,agency,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-analysis

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A few weeks into last summer’s James Harden Trade Demand saga, Sixers president Daryl Morey went on the Anthony Gargano Show and revealed his long-term plan.

“What we’re attempting to do is have the best team possible this year, but also have the ability that, if we get into a next-season situation, to be a very unique team with the most cap room of a team that’s as good as us,” he said. “That’s a very unique situation to have.”

The Sixers now have the ability to create nearly $65 million in cap space this summer, which puts them in the neighborhood of the Detroit Pistons for the league lead. The Pistons certainly do not have an established MVP and a first-time All-Star as their top two players at the moment, so Morey is technically correct in that regard.

However, the Sixers aren’t the only playoff team with that type of flexibility this offseason. The Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder both aren’t far behind. And those two wouldn’t be the Sixers’ only threats for any stars that do become available.

Cole Anthony is Orlando’s highest-paid player under guaranteed contract next year at $12.9 million, as Jonathan Isaac’s $17.4 million contract is fully non-guaranteed until Jan. 10. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs both become extension-eligible this summer, and Paolo Banchero will follow next offseason, so the Magic won’t have cap space for long. But they have the ability to carve out more than $65 million in spending power this year.

The Thunder can’t quite meet those same heights. They can create up to $37.8 million in cap space at most, barring any trades. Still, they’re fresh off a Western Conference-leading 57-win season and an appearance in the conference semifinals. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams all under contract for at least the next two years, there’s no better time for them to strike than now.

Unlike the Sixers, who enter the offseason with virtually no one under contract, the Magic and Thunder could each offer young fliers to sweeten sign-and-trade offers as well. Josh Giddey’s stock took a beating this season, especially in the playoffs, but he could be a second-draft candidate who thrives in a more ball-dominant situation elsewhere. Cole Anthony, Jett Howard and Anthony Black should all have at least some modicum of trade value, too.

All things being equal, win-now veterans would likely prefer to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey than Banchero and Wagner, and OKC can’t carve out max cap space. That should still put the Sixers in the lead for Paul George, LeBron James or any other star that decides to leave their team in free agency this summer.

However, some of the Sixers’ top targets aren’t even guaranteed to become free agents. They could pick up the player options in their respective contracts, which would widen their list of potential destinations thanks to the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement.

Teams over the first apron—projected to be $178.7 million in 2024-25—can’t acquire players via sign-and-trade. Among others, the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns all project to be over either the first or second apron next year, which would take them out of the running for any sign-and-trades unless they shed a significant amount of salary.

Anyone who picks up their player option rather than becoming a free agent wouldn’t have to worry about that. They’d just be subject to the league’s normal trade rules, which are far less restrictive for teams below both aprons. Teams above either apron aren’t allowed to take back more salary in a trade than they send out, and teams above the second apron can’t aggregate contracts in trades either. Meanwhile, teams below both aprons can take back 125 percent of the salary they send out plus $250,000 as long as they send out at least $29 million in salary.

Take Paul George, for instance. The Sixers’ Plan A, per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Sixers and Magic could both afford to sign him to a max contract in free agency, although they wouldn’t be left with much cap space with which to round out their roster. Instead, George could pick up his player option and force his way to a specific destination via trade by threatening to leave the Clippers empty-handed in free agency if they didn’t comply.

That isn’t just baseless speculation, either. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested that as a legitimate possibility during a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

All of this is to say: It is far more likely than not that the Sixers will whiff on signing either George or James in free agency. That doesn’t mean that they’ll be doomed or that the cap-space plan was a mistake from the start, but it means Morey and the Sixers front office might have to get creative.

“I think the actual big transactions this summer will be trades,” Windhorst added on McAfee. “Teams taking on salary in trades. Philly, potentially, if they don’t get Paul George, try to trade for guys into their cap space.”

Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine may be the more realistic high-end targets available to the Sixers this offseason. Whether they acquire either one will likely come down to asking price and offers from other teams. And if they strike out on all of their top options, Morey plans to sign players to shorter-term deals to maintain his flexibility for the next star that hits the market.

“The main mistake that could be made—that we won’t make—is if some of the better options don’t go our way,” Morey said at his end-of-season press conference. “Trade into our cap space, free agents, turn our draft picks into things. If all of those things don’t yield what we want, we are definitely not going to just sign for a lot of money some player who’s just an OK player. That’s not happening. Because that will be where we can’t continue to build a contender around Joel and Tyrese. In those scenarios, we’ll be doing shorter deals and then using our draft picks to set ourselves up for trades or set ourselves up for the next opportunity when it comes.”

That’s all well and good, but it’s clear that the Sixers plan to go star-hunting this summer. Morey telegraphed it during his end-of-season presser, and reporting since then has confirmed it.

”Philadelphia, according to league sources, views its opportunity this summer as something just shy of Golden State’s rare opening to sign Durant as a free agent without the league’s cap smoothing in 2016,” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported in late May. “Teams with an MVP and an All-Star can’t typically afford to sign a maximum-salary third banana into room, while holding other avenues to spend and mid-level levers to pull, plus a cupboard of draft picks. The penalties baked into the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement are almost designed to dissuade that exact coalition.”

The Durant signing led the Warriors to win two straight championships and make it to a third straight Finals before Durant and Klay Thompson both suffered major leg injuries. The Sixers would be lucky to make a single Finals thanks to whatever they do this offseason. It’s clear that they’re aiming high, though, which means they’re setting themselves up for criticism and setting fans up for disappointment if they come up short.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Joel Embiid seemingly recruits potential soon-to-be free agent Paul George on live TV at the NBA Finals joel,embiid,seemingly,recruits,potential,soon,to,be,free,agent,paul,george,on,live,tv,at,the,nba,finals,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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The Celtics are about to win the NBA Finals. Who cares?

The most important thing to happen ahead of Game 4 was Joel Embiid popping on NBA Countdown on ESPN — seated next to potential free-agent-to-be Paul George.

Social media was abuzz as soon as that picture went live. George, a nine-time All-Star, has a player option with the Clippers for the 2024-25 season. If he declines that option, he’ll hit free agency. If that happens, the Sixers are expected to be the top team after his services.

When Embiid spoke, he made sure to let everyone know how he felt about the basketball team from Boston:

Embiid has been steadfast over the years in saying that he doesn’t want to meddle with what the team’s front office is doing. But when the opportunity presented itself, he seemingly made a not-so-subtle pitch to George on live television. Below is a zoomed in look at the video above.

Embiid is a former MVP. One of the best players on the planet. Even at his size, there are few things he can’t do on a basketball court.

But subtlety has never been his strength.

For many Sixers fans, this is likely a welcomed sight (depending on how you feel about the team signing George). Embiid basically saying on ESPN, “Hey, Daryl, this is the player we should get!” is quite the departure from his previous offseason approaches.

For what it’s worth, George has admired Embiid from afar and the two have developed a relationship. Just this past season, George gushed about Embiid on his podcast, calling the big man this generation’s version of Shaquille O’Neal.

The funny thing is you would think Tyrese Maxey, who grew up in Garland, Texas, would be there in Dallas to join the recruitment wagon. Alas, Maxey appears to be in Paris for an event with New Balance. Perhaps Maxey joined Embiid and George for a late-night FaceTime call.

While we shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves, Embiid being in Dallas at the NBA Finals while George is also there feels mighty purposeful.

2024 NBA Finals: Game 4 Thread nba,finals,game,thread,liberty,ballers,front-page

On: By: admin


We already basically know the Boston Celtics are our 2024 NBA Champions. (Excuse me while I choke down the vomit threatening to rise up the back of my throat.) NBA teams who go up 3-0 in a seven-game series are 151-0. Teams that go up 3-0 in the Finals are 12-0, and have completed the sweep seven out of 12 times. It would take something literally unprecedented in the history of the league for Boston to not emerge the victor. And we’re looking at about even money that the season ends tonight, which current betting lines agree with, as DraftKings lists the Dallas Mavericks as just one-point favorites in tonight’s Game 4.

The question remains as to how the Celtics will be crowned champions. Will they complete the sweep tonight, capping an incredibly efficient regular season and dominant postseason run, after which we’ll have to have a reckoning about their place among the better teams of all time? They were a star-studded superteam completely unselfish with the ball offensively and terrorizing at the point of attack on defense. I, for one, sure hope not. Or can Dallas fight back, winning a game or maybe even two? We can then return to thinking in the back of our minds, ‘Sure, Boston was a good team, but they had a super easy path laid out in front of them and we don’t know how they would have responded to a real challenge.’ That would be a nice, cozy place to go back to heading into the offseason.

On one final note, I don’t understand all the backlash towards Luka Doncic. Are there areas of his game he could improve upon? Sure. But the Mavericks fought through a tremendously talented Western Conference to reach the Finals with him as the centerpiece. The young man is getting pain-killing injections to go out there and play and his teammates largely haven’t stepped up against Boston like we saw in prior rounds. There’s really no shame in losing to a better team, and the fact that everyone wants to bury him for fouling out in Game 3 just seems a little misguided. Yeah, some of those fouls were really poor decisions on his part, but I also felt he got a rough whistle (perhaps because the refs are sick of him chirping at them), he’s playing hurt and soaking up a ton of usage, and Boston always seems to have some answer for what the Mavs throw at them. It’s understandable if Luka is getting a little frustrated during these games. It’ll be a good learning experience for him.

We’ll see what happens tonight and whether we’ll have a Game 5.

Game Details

Who: Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Watch: ABC
Follow: @LibertyBallers