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Sixers free agency rumor roundup: An absolute gallon of fuel dumped on the PG-to-the-Sixers’ fire sixers,free,agency,rumor,roundup,an,absolute,gallon,of,fuel,dumped,on,the,pg,to,the,sixers,fire,liberty,ballers,front-page

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New day, new deluge of Sixers rumors to get to. The 2024 NBA Draft is now less than a week away. Unlike last season, when Daryl Morey was going radio silent on James Harden hoping he’d opt into his one-year player option, teams are now legally allowed to negotiate with their own free agents.

But the Clippers haven’t appeared to gain any traction on keeping their nine-time All-Star, Paul George. (Emoji eyes).

Let’s do a Sixers rumor roundup focused solely on the SoCal native’s potential relocation to Philly.

Photo by Jim Cowsert/NBAE via Getty Images

Okay, so you already know Embiid stole NBA Finals headlines by recruiting PG with a dashing and mischievous smile on national TV days before Boston put the finishing touches on the Mavs.

That marked somewhat of a key change in Embiid’s offseason demeanor. He was no longer staying silent or looking for mere #dawgs like P.J. Tucker. Now he has his sights set on a much bigger fish.

Recent local L.A. reporting

According to Tomer Azarly for ClutchPoints, June 19:

“…there is no indication the Clippers are prepared to drop a max … that offer has not been on the table in recent months and there’s nothing to indicate that line of thinking has changed….George feels that he’s still worth a max contract and, as one league source told ClutchPoints, that Leonard’s three-year, $150 million shouldn’t affect his own.”

Mirjam Swanson, from the SoCal Nes Group, believes the Clippers and George are heading toward a divorce: “that’s why it’s starting to feel, after staring at the tea leaves trying to stitch together a predictive pattern for the past few months, like they’re headed for a divorce.”

The columnist working the Clips beat added, as recently as June 20:

“The 76ers, who are among the collection of teams in contention mode, could – and pretty clearly would – offer George a max deal of four years and $212.2 million. So could the Magic, with whom George could flourish, playing relatively pressure-free basketball – and, in either scenario, paying significantly less state income tax than he would in California.

The Clippers know this. And they’re letting it be known that they’re fine with it.

Perhaps they’re assuming the Palmdale product will find it in his heart to take a hometown discount? I don’t know, though. It’s not been the warmest homecoming; the guy gets booed every time he appears on a Jumbotron outside of Crypto.com Arena….”

Another local voice, Justin Russo, via Substack, sang a similar tune as Azarly and Swanson.

Per Russo, some sourced intel, from Juneteenth:

“[Kawhi Leonard’s January extension] left George out in the cold, awaiting his own fresh deal. It has yet to come, and sources tell Russo Writes at the time of this writing that the two sides…. have grown no closer to agreeing on a new contract for the 34-year-old.”

“…as was first reported by yours truly at Russo Writes in April, George told a rival player late in the season that money is what matters the most to him during these negotiations, not playing close to home.”

George has until June 29 to decide on his player option. At the moment of this writing, George is likely to decline it, a source not authorized to speak publicly on the matter tells Russo Writes.

“..it feels like the marriage is ready to dissolve….”

Did you catch that line? PG told a rival player late in the year that money talks, not playing close to home. (Double emoji eyes).

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently speculated that the Clips think PG is “bluffing” about wanting the money and being willing to leave. Russo’s report suggests otherwise.

National voices weigh in

On a June 19 pod where Marc Stein hosted Chris Haynes, Haynes reminded us that with a new arena opening this coming season the Clippers “…. want all their horses in the fold. They want to have a championship-caliber team going into that arena for next season…” but Haynes adds that PG leaving would be a game changer. In that scenario, Haynes could even see the team pivoting to a name like DeMar DeRozan, another L.A. native.

Stein adds ice water: “I can’t see George leaving…but… they clearly want Paul George to come in under the max, …they clearly want George at their price….” and Stein reminds listeners that hasn’t happened yet.

From PG himself

And of course, amid all of this speculation, George, perhaps in negotiation mode, is doing little to make either side feel extra comfortable.

One nugget now going viral was delivered from PG two weeks ago on the “Podcast P with Paul George.”

Former Blazers’ star Zach Randolph references the Daryl Morey-James Harden divorce as an example of an organization not being straight up with a player.

Minutes after Z-Bo’s point, after discussing his own experiences with perceived front office betrayals, George adds, on the general subject of F.O. chicanery:

“Believe it or not like, players talk, you know what I mean. And then reputations go around, like, ‘hey man, I don’t know about going to this place, because they shit, watch yo’ back, you know what I mean?’ That’s the conversations you have.”

So no, he wasn’t directly responding to the Morey-Harden thing. But you don’t have to use mental telepathy to piece together what Harden has expressed to PG about his own recent divorce with the Sixers’ current President of B-Ball Ops. The question is, would PG care enough to take less? And if so, how much less?

Money talks

According to Spotrac, PG has about $305,332,086M in career earnings. Celebrity Net Worth has ventured he’s worth an estimated $90M.

So if C.N.W is even remotely on the scent here, it makes sense why an extra $30-$40M would sway PG. (If you had $90K in the bank, your last great chance to add an additional $30K, regardless of your career-to-date earnings, might be very important to you.)

If Morey dropped a $212M offer at the first second of free agency making clear PG is his top priority, while the Clippers came in with a significantly lower figure, adhering to some invisible pecking order where PG is beneath Leonard, maybe PG could find a way to trust Daryl. Too bad the Sixers couldn’t offer PG an expiring two-year no-trade-clause.

***OR*** maybe PG is already sick of Harden, lol, get this…

The Athletic’s Law Murray appeared on The Athletic NBA show. Murray thinks he loves L.A. and that his body performs better in warm weather but wants the team to get younger. “But I think Paul wants his money,” Murray concludes.

So is PG sick of Harden already?

PG on play style

PG was asked about what he’s prioritizing with FA on the horizon:

“For sure contributing to winning basketball. I mean at this point… It’s not even about… Like people are saying, ‘chasing a championship.’ Like, it’s not that. But it’s playing the right style of basketball is what I’m chasing.”

The quintessential 3-and-D wing added more context that all seems a bit “anti-Beard:”

“We started the year off rolling, we started year off hot….

“And then we traded to get James [Harden] and it’s not James’ fault of why I think we struggled, but the lost part of that was we lost [Robert Covington] we lost Nico [Batum]. Those were our glue guys….So again, it had nothing to do with grabbing James, it was more so losing those guys. KJ Martin as well…. RoCo was huge for us. Nico was huge for us. So you plug those guys around myself, Kawhi, and [Russell Westbrook] they did a lot of the dirty work. And now you grab James, who is super talented offensively, now myself, Kawhi, we become the dirty guys. Now we have to score too. I think it was just a lot that we were trying to balance and manage at that point.

“But again, it had nothing to do with James. James I thought was awesome for us.”

Lol, Not that there’s anything wrong with James! He’s a fine player!

We’ve come a long way

In early May, Shams Charania reported that “this Clippers team fully intends to keep this group together, they want to bring back Paul George as a free agent or give him an extension, but they have not been able to reach an agreement….”

A week later, Shams shared that people around the NBA “have the belief” George wants to remain a Clipper.

PG himself even noted he’d love to have his jersey retired in both Indy and L.A.

Adrian Wojnarowski also reported on May 29 that the Boats are “determined to keep” the 14-year vet.

Jake Fischer, for Yahoo, on May 24 reported:

“The Clippers, sources said, remain hopeful through continuous dialogue that George and his representatives will agree to terms with his incumbent franchise.” But Fischer added that if there is no max, PG might walk. He also reported: “Rival teams and agents are conducting business, sources said, under the impression the Clippers aren’t keen on committing to guaranteed money beyond the three-year window of Leonard’s deal that runs through 2026-27.”

Now this….

Conclusion

If the Clippers are hoping or assuming PG will give them a hometown discount, it’s one very dangerous game they’re playing.

In the three-plus weeks since top dogs Woj, Shams and Fischer made clear L.A. wants to keep this group together, it feel as if everything has shifted. Or nothing has shifted, and that’s a really big deal.

Are the Clippers reluctant but secretly willing to pay full price, in mere hopes of getting him on a lower all-in number? A “Tobias Harris special” maybe? Remember, (or better yet forget) Harris in 2019 was eligible to sign a $197M five-year deal but he ultimately signed for $180M. Is that something the Clippers might have in mind? $180M for four years? What if they offered $195? Would that get it done? In similar situations with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, the Clippers benefitted from the star player opting in then being traded — allowing L.A. to at least recoup assets and flexibility. That’s how they got Kawhi and PG in the first place. Perhaps that’s what they’d like most.

Has PG been communicating to them that there is a number below a max but he doesn’t want to play with Harden anymore? Would letting James walk and keeping PG be the cleanest way to alleviate these second-apron hell concerns?

Every day that passes (with no bomb that they’re going to make him a truly competitive offer) must ring like a silent symphony to Morey and Embiid’s star-hunting ears.

There is so much smoke to this fire that I almost feel compelled to wrap it up with a dead fish prediction: the Sixers are still highly unlikely to land PG, and if they do they’ll be highly unlikely to win a title. That’s the safest bet, sadly. If PG wants to stay, and they want him, chances are they will settle upon some large figure that satisfies all parties. And there’s always other teams lurking.

But holy shit, the Sixers might really get Paul George, and still keep some of their five draft picks. What do you think, maybe 30 percent?

Dare we ask: Should the Sixers take USC’s Bronny James? dare,we,ask,should,the,sixers,take,usc,s,bronny,james,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 USC’s Bronny James.

Most of the talk surrounding Bronny James involves his dad LeBron (who you might have heard of). But let’s address the question at hand: Should the Sixers draft Bronny James with likely no commitment from his dad to join him?

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 25 games, 19.4 minutes, 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks, 36.6% FG, 26.7% 3P, 67.6% FT

Team: USC

Year: Freshman

Position: PG/SG

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’1.5” | 210 lbs

Born: November 27, 2002 (21 years old)

Hometown: Akron, Ohio

High School: Sierra Canyon

Strengths

Bronny James checks a lot of boxes in the intangibles department: he has NBA-level athleticism, a selfless passing ability, and defensive tenacity at his size. James’ time at USC was limited due to health concerns and playing time, but he did show potential on several fronts. He made 43.8 percent of his pull-up jumpers at USC, albeit only on 32 attempts. Defensively, he has a wide, chiseled frame that he uses well. If he’s able to get playing time early, it’ll likely be for his defensive ability. He has quick hands and good reaction time that allows him to rack up deflections. Bronny’s young age and lack of experience could suggest that there’s plenty of room for him to grow.

Weaknesses

Above all basketball skills, Bronny James’ health is a serious question mark — he missed time earlier in the year, going into a sudden cardiac arrest as a result of a congenital heart defect. He’s been healthy since said incident, but heart issues are nothing to joke about. Switching back to on-court ability, and Bronny’s shooting and efficiency leave a lot to be desired. He struggled shooting the ball and shot a measly 19.6 percent on catch-and-shoot threes at USC, per Synergy. Bronny’s shooting woes date back to his high school days, where he only made 33.8 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. While he is a willing passer, he doesn’t have the skills to be a primary playmaker at the next level.

Positional Fit

Bronny’s age and genetics suggest he could grow in size, but as is he’s almost certainly locked into being a point guard at the next level. USC listed him at 6-foot-4, but his recent draft combine measurements say he’s under 6-foot-2 without basketball shoes. His defensive ability is his best shot at getting quick playing time, with guys such as Davion Mitchell or Norris Cole being the best-case scenario comparisons.

Draft Projection

Second round

Most people across the NBA would agree that Bronny James is far from being NBA ready and that spending a year or two in the G League or at USC would do him some good. He’ll likely be a project player for whichever team drafts him.

2024 NBA Draft: Jalen Bridges has the makings of a 3-and-D player with upside at the next level. nba,draft,jalen,bridges,has,the,makings,of,a,and,d,player,with,upside,at,the,next,level,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 Baylor’s Jalen Bridges.

After starting his collegiate career near home at West Virginia, Jalen Bridges transferred to Baylor for his final two seasons. As a redshirt senior in 2023-24, Bridges was a huge part of the Bears’ success, showing off the type of skillset that makes him an ideal 3-and-D wing prospect — and possibly more.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 35 games, 31.7 minutes, 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, 46.6% FG, 41.2% 3P, 82.3% FT

Team: Baylor

Year: Redshirt senior

Position: SF/PF

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’6.75” | 213.4 lbs

Born: May 14, 2001 (23 years old)

Hometown: Fairmont, West Virginia

High School: Fairmont Senior High School

Strengths

Jalen Bridges has developed into a dynamic shooter with clean mechanics, capable of shooting off of screens or off the dribble. He displayed some level of shot creation in some of his pull-up jumpers, showcasing in-out dribbles on drives and spin moves. He likely won’t ever be a full-time ball hander, but he can at least attack closeouts or take the ball up the court on fast breaks. Bridges is a smart player and moves well off the ball often relocating on the perimeter for threes or cutting at the right time for opportunities at the rim. Defensively, Bridges uses his 6-10 wingspan well and is able to switch onto a variety on positions. He slides his feet well, along with disrupting passing lanes. Baylor liked to use zone defense, with Bridges being effective within it.

Weaknesses

Bridges is one of the more refined prospects slated to go in the second round, meaning there aren’t too many holes in his game. Prior to this year, he was an inconsistent three-point shooter — shooting 34.4 percent from three throughout his first three collegiate seasons. Compared to other multi-year prospects, he was a low-usage player which suggests he’ll never be able to be a full-time creator.

Positional Fit

Bridges has the size and quickness to guard anywhere from 1-3; even capable of guarding smaller fours. On the court, he’ll be best optimized as a true wing next to a traditional point guard. He has a lot of Royce O’Neale to his game — a wing who can guard most players, hit threes at a high clip and provide secondary playmaking.

Draft Projection

Second round

The Sixers currently are slated to pick at 41st overall, which falls right into the range most expect Jalen Bridges to go. Bridges’ age makes his ceiling lower, but most label him as a surefire second-round pick that should be able to help teams fast compared to other prospects.

2024 NBA Draft: Is Virginia’s Ryan Dunn the next Herb Jones? nba,draft,is,virginia,s,ryan,dunn,the,next,herb,jones,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 Virginia’s Ryan Dunn.

Ryan Dunn was a defensive menace at Virginia, racking up steals and blocks last season on his way to being an ACC All-Defensive Team pick. Though there are offensive limitations, Dunn could very well be the most impactful defensive prospect in the draft.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 34 games, 27.5 minutes, 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.3 blocks, 54.8% FG, 20% 3P, 53.2% FT

Team: Virginia

Year: Sophomore

Position: SG/SF

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’6.25” | 213.6 lbs

Born: January 7th, 2003 (21 years old)

Hometown: Brookville, New York

High School: Perkiomen School (Pennsburg, PA)

Strengths

Ryan Dunn is considered by many analysts to be the best defender in this draft. He has speed in general; able to close out under control and rotate on defense. He’s able to switch onto a variety of positions with ease, using his 7-foot-1.5” wingspan. He’s an elite rim protector given his position, with great timing and instincts on when to help. Albeit limited, Dunn also plays within his offensive role well, limiting turnovers and other mistakes. Dunn uses his athleticism well offensively and is great at attacking closeouts in a straight line. Capable of using both hands when finishing.

Weaknesses

Dunn is a limited shooter behind the arc, shooting 23.5 percent from three over his two collegiate seasons on less than an attempt per game. Doesn’t have any midrange game, either. Has shown very little, if any, shooting improvement. Barring significant shooting improvements, Dunn will need to be used closer to the rim or as a screener in the NBA — which could potentially limit his playing time. Offensively, he hasn’t shown any ability to create his own shot outside of the transition game or straight-line drives.

Positional Fit

Due to his lack of perimeter shooting, Dunn will likely be used as a power forward at the next level. Fortunately, he does finish well at the rim and rebounds well for his size — both of which should allow him to play around the rim at the dunker spot. Think of Andre Roberson if he was a better finisher around the rim and had a bit more size.

Draft Projection

Second round

Multiple contending teams will be looking at Dunn once the second round comes, however recent reports suggest that he might be gone well before then. HoopsHype’s Mike Scotto reports that some NBA executives say Dunn could be gone by pick No. 25. Teams are always in need of wing defenders and Dunn’s defense is arguably the realest in the entire draft. His limited offensive game will likely keep him from going really high, but it sounds like he might be one of this draft’s late risers.

2024 NBA Draft: Dillon Jones might be the most unique player in the entire draft nba,draft,dillon,jones,might,be,the,most,unique,player,in,the,entire,draft,liberty,ballers,front-page,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 Weber State’s Dillon Jones.

Dillon Jones was a dominant force in the Big Sky, taking home the conference’s Player of the Year award in 2023-24. His usage rate and overall efficiency improved in all four of his collegiate seasons at Weber State. His versatility makes him one of the most unique prospects in this year’s draft.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 31 games, 37.0 minutes, 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.1 blocks, 48.9% FG, 32.4% 3P, 85.7% FT

Team: Weber State

Year: Redshirt Junior

Position: Forward

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’4.5” | 236.8 lbs

Born: October 9, 2001 (22 years old)

Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina

High School: Sunrise Christian Prep

Strengths

Jones is built like a tank and appears ready for the NBA from a physicality standpoint. What’s impressive is how smooth he is with the ball in his hands at that size. He possesses a strong handle and wide-ranging bag. He’s able to finish through and around defenders while looking mighty comfortable pulling up in the midrange. He’s a below-the-rim player, but has a quick first step which showed when he crushed the shuttle run at the combine. While he didn’t shoot it well from three, his success inside the arc and elite free throwing shooting make him a projectable threat to stretch the floor.

He will certainly be able to handle guarding bigger forwards thanks to his sturdy frame and 6-11 wingspan. He showed excellent off-ball instincts, recording two steals a game last season. He’s also an outstanding rebounder, averaging double-digit boards in two of his four seasons.

Weaknesses

As mentioned, Jones is not an elite athlete. While he might have enough craftiness and skill to overcome that on the offensive end, it might be tough for him to hang with quicker wings and guards. And while his shot from deep is projectable, it’s just that — a projection. The 32.4% from three he hit last season was easily a career high.

The bigger issue with evaluating Jones is going to be the level of competition he played against. Once upon a time, Damian Lillard starred at Weber State, became a top-10 pick and is now a future Hall of Famer. Outside of Lillard, there aren’t really any success stories out of that school.

Positional Fit

Jones will likely be a combo forward at the next level, but a very unique one. If he can improve his shot and guard smaller players, he has the makings of an extremely versatile player on both ends of the floor.

Draft Projection

Second round

Jones is fascinating player. I’d be leery of the small school factor, but he is just good at basketball. Players that can dribble, shoot and pass at that size don’t grow on trees. His long wingspan could help him overcome some of the athletic deficiencies at the next level. He feels like a player that could fit on just about any team, including the Sixers — if he can make threes consistently.

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.

Report: Paul George, Clippers ‘not on the same page’ with extension talks ahead of free agency report,paul,george,clippers,not,on,the,same,page,with,extension,talks,ahead,of,free,agency,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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As we all watch in disgust as the Celtics look set to win the NBA Finals, a sliver of offseason slop might provide a small boost to Sixers fans’ spirits.

ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst shared a nugget that could leave the door open to nine-time All-Star Paul George coming to Philly in free agency. As a guest on the Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, Windhorst said that George and the Clippers “have swapped numbers, and they’re not on the same page.”

As Windy notes in the clip above, the two sides could’ve reached an agreement at any time and failed to do so. Kawhi Leonard signed an extension with L.A. way back in January for three years and a shade below $150 million. Notably, that was not a max contract extension for Leonard. Perhaps the Clippers are hoping to get George to agree to a similar deal while the six-time All-NBA selection knows that there will be max offers waiting for him in free agency.

In any case, it does leave the door cracked open for the Sixers, the first team Windhorst mentions as a George suitor. Windy also spoke about the potential of a sign-and-trade between the Clippers and Sixers, which could lead to a few intriguing scenarios for Daryl Morey and company.

While all indications are that PG-13 is the Sixers’ Plan A, their Plan B might not involve free agents at all. If they fail to sign George, a trade is the next possible outcome, per Windhorst.

“If they don’t get [George], where’s the Sixers’ money going? What are they going to do with it? Not necessarily sign players, I think the actual big transactions this summer will be trades — teams taking on salary in trades. Philly, potentially, if they don’t get Paul George, [could] try to trade for guys into their cap space.”

The two biggest names potentially on the trade market are old friend Jimmy Butler and the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram. If you’ll recall, Windhorst linked the Sixers to all three of George, Butler and Ingram literally the day after the team was eliminated by the Knicks in Game 6.

Remember, in the new CBA, teams are allowed to speak with their free agents the day after the NBA Finals — unlike last season when the whole “Daryl Morey is a liar” James Harden fiasco went down. So, we should get a decent idea where George and the Clippers stand once Boston finishes off Dallas (maybe the only reason to look forward to that series ending).

The NBA Draft is also less than two weeks away. As Windy notes, things could get spicy when the first round starts on Wednesday, June 26.

“We might actually see the biggest action around the draft. … That’s the beginning of trade season and who knows? You might see action with Paul George — whether it’s him getting traded somewhere or him just deciding to stay with the Clippers.”

Hold on to your butts.

2024 NBA Draft: Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II could be the exact type of combo big the Sixers need nba,draft,dayton,s,daron,holmes,ii,could,be,the,exact,type,of,combo,big,the,sixers,need,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 Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II.

In his sophomore year, DaRon Holmes II built upon an excellent freshman season by becoming the focal point of Dayton’s offense. In his junior year, he dominated for the Flyers and was named the Atlantic 10’s Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and a Consensus All-American.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 33 games, 32.5 minutes, 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 2.1 blocks, 54.4% FG, 38.6% 3P, 71.3% FT

Team: Dayton

Year: Junior

Position: C/PF

Height & Weight: 6’8.75” | 236.2 lbs

Born: August 15, 2002 (21 years old)

Hometown: Goodyear, Arizona

Strengths

Standing over 6-foot-9 with shoes and boasting an impressive 7-1 wingspan, Holmes has ideal NBA size. He’s built solidly at over 236 pounds and his strength shows on the court. When you couple that with Holmes’ improving skill, you have an intriguing prospect.

The two biggest improvements in Holmes’ offensive game were his shooting and court vision. After attempting just 26 shots from deep in his first two seasons, Holmes hoisted up 83 threes in 2023-24 with impressive results (38.6%). His post-up game was once again strong, but he showed better feel as his usage rate went up and he saw constant double teams. He was outstanding in the pick-and-roll, both rolling to the rim and popping for threes.

Holmes also features a face-up game and ability as a straight line driver. He was able to line up opposing post players and either hit midrange jumpers or short fadeaways over them. He uses long strides, a nasty spin move and his strength to get downhill and finish at the rim. It’s this type of versatility that makes you see why NBA folks believe he can play the four.

Holmes was the anchor of Dayton’s defense, taking home the A-10’s Defensive Player of the year last season. He’s an outstanding rim protector, reads the pick-and-roll well and flashes a little switchability.

Weaknesses

It’s easy to see why Holmes is rising up draft boards. There really aren’t many holes in his game and there’s intriguing upside.

But his age will be a factor — he’ll turn 22 before next season begins. While there is belief he can succeed as a four at the next level, he’ll need to prove his shooting uptick wasn’t a fluke and improve his handle a bit.

Respectfully, it’s also worth noting that the A-10 isn’t exactly a powerhouse, but Holmes did play well against Nevada and Arizona in the NCAA Tournament.

Positional Fit

Holmes is definitely an NBA five. He has the size and proper skillset to succeed at that position. What’s more intriguing is envisioning him playing minutes at the four. A player like the Timberwolves’ Naz Reid is an interesting comp. Holmes is a different player from the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, but both players provide legit combo big versatility.

Draft Projection

SB Nation mock draft: No. 16, Sixers

I can hear the collective groans at the idea of the Sixers selecting a center at 16, but Holmes feels like a unique player. If you look at the way Chris Finch — a close coaching friend of Nick Nurse — utilized Reid, there could be a similar path for Holmes with a team like the Sixers. With Joel Embiid on the floor, Holmes could space the floor in the corner or hang in the dunker spot where he can catch lobs and crash the offensive glass. When Embiid is off the floor, Holmes — who excelled as both a roller and popper last season — provides an intriguing pick-and-roll partner for Tyrese Maxey while also providing strong rim protection on the other end.

How the Sixers could get creative with Paul Reed’s contract this offseason how,the,sixers,could,get,creative,with,paul,reed,s,contract,this,offseason,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-analysis

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Because the Sixers didn’t win a playoff series this year, Paul Reed’s future is now up in the air.

The offer sheet that Reed signed with the Utah Jazz last offseason stipulated that his $7.7 million salary for the 2024-25 season would only become guaranteed if his team advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Instead, the New York Knicks and Joel Embiid’s case of Bell’s palsy helped ensure Reed’s contract would remain non-guaranteed through Jan. 10.

The Sixers could waive Reed this offseason and be left without a dead cap hit, which they’d likely consider if they land a third max-contract player. Cutting him would be their path to still having meaningful cap space, along with the $8.0 million room mid-level exception once they were capped out. But they don’t have a nearby deadline by which they have to make a decision. They can see how the offseason plays out and proceed accordingly.

Since Reed’s full contract is non-guaranteed, he’d count as $0 in outgoing salary in trades unless the Sixers guaranteed some or all of his deal. But as long as they stay under the salary cap after a trade, they don’t need to worry about salary-matching rules. If anything, they could leave him non-guaranteed to sweeten a trade offer, allowing his next team to decide whether to keep him as depth, re-route him or waive him for cap relief.

The Sixers could also manipulate their offseason order of operations to take advantage of Reed’s contract in a creative way. If they keep him on their books and guarantee his full salary, they could flip him to acquire a much higher-paid player even if they’re over the cap at the time.

Under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, trades involving two teams below either apron have looser salary-matching rules than they once did. Teams that send between $7.25 million and $29 million in salary can take that amount of salary back plus $7.5 million. In other words, a team could trade a $7.5 million contract for a $15 million contract, or a $29 million contract for a $36.5 million contract.

With Reed set to earn $7.7 million next season, the Sixers could flip him for a player earning as much as $15.2 million as long as they stay below the first apron after the trade. They would then be hard-capped at the first apron for the remainder of the league year. Depending on how the rest of their offseason shakes out, that could be their best chance to round out their roster and add more depth.

For instance, let’s say they sign Paul George for his full max salary of $49.4 million. They could have as much as $16.7 million in cap space if they waive Reed and Ricky Council IV, trade the No. 16 overall pick, turn down their team option on Jeff Dowtin Jr. and renounce the rights to all of their free agents. They’ll likely wind up having less than that because they keep Reed, don’t trade the pick or re-sign some of their own players.

The Sixers could still have as much as $10.2 million in cap space along with the $8.0 million room MLE with a George max deal, Reed and Joel Embiid’s contracts and Tyrese Maxey’s cap hold on their books. Once they spent that cap space, they could flip Reed for a higher-paid player to upgrade that spot without having the cap space to fill it otherwise. They’d effectively be turning $7.7 million of cap space into $15.2 million, except they could only spend that on trades.

The Sixers would still be slightly out of range salary-wise on Lu Dort ($16.5 million), Deni Avdjia ($15.6 million) and P.J. Washington ($15.5 million) on the off-chance that any of them became available this offseason. However, they could squeeze Dorian Finney-Smith ($14.9 million), Luke Kennard ($14.8 million team option) or Naz Reid ($14.0 million) in with the salary-matching buffer on Reed’s contract. Larry Nance Jr. ($11.2 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.0 million) and Maxi Kleber ($11.0 million) could be slightly less expensive options.

In some respects, the Jazz did the Sixers a favor in the way they structured Reed’s contract. If he had a team or player option instead of a non-guaranteed salary, he’d have his contractual fate determined by late June either way. Instead, the Sixers can keep him on their books heading into July and pivot as needed from there.

If the Sixers land a third max-contract star, it wouldn’t be surprising if they just waive Reed outright. If they snag someone on a slightly smaller deal—Brandon Ingram, Donovan Mitchell or Mikal Bridges, for instance—they might have enough cap space to round out their roster even with Reed’s contract still on their books. From there, they could evaluate their options at backup center without him and explore the trade market for him as well.

There’s no guarantee that the Sixers will waive Reed right as the offseason begins, though. In fact, it would behoove them to maintain their optionality with his contract for as long as possible, unless they needed his $7.7 million of cap space to sign a free agent.

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.

2024 NBA Draft: Is Kevin McCullar Jr. the next good role player hiding in plain sight? nba,draft,is,kevin,mccullar,jr,the,next,good,role,player,hiding,in,plain,sight,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 Kansas’ Kevin McCullar.

Kansas’ Kevin McCullar played four seasons with Texas Tech, later transferring to Kansas and playing two seasons with the Jayhawks. McCullar excelled last season, putting up career highs in minutes, three-point percentage, assists and points. Now he’ll have a chance to pop at the next level.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 26 games, 34.2 minutes, 18.3 points, 6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.4 blocks, 45.4% FG, 33.3% 3P, 80.5% FT

Team: Kansas

Year: Senior

Position: SG

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’5.25” | 205.8 lbs

Born: March 15, 2001 (23 years old)

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

High School: Karen Wagner

Strengths

Kevin McCullar spent his five years in college well, dramatically improving as a perimeter scorer with a recent shooting resurgence. McCullar’s three-point percentage doesn’t jump off the page at a lackluster 33.3 percent, but he did take a career-high 4.5 attempts per game and refined his form for the better. His free throw shooting (typically a good indicator of where a prospects shooting is) also crept up into the 80s. McCullar has great offensive IQ, timing his cuts well and finding the defensive weak spots with ease. He thrived as a playmaker with Kansas, rarely turning the ball over and facilitating pick-and-rolls and dribble handoffs. He’s a capable scorer from most areas on the floor, and finished well within the three-point arc. Defensively, he brings intensity, effort and focus as a defender and rebounder. He defends well off-ball and offers some size as a helper at the rim.

Weaknesses

McCullar is one of the older prospects in this draft, which means he’ll likely have a high floor compared to most prospects in his range while also having a limited ceiling. Most causes for concern revolve around his shooting and how real his resurgence was/is. Prior to this year, McCullar failed to shoot above 30 percent in three of his four seasons, averaging a rough 29.8 percent from three in his first four collegiate seasons. Outside of shooting concerns, McCullar doesn’t project to be a dynamic ball hander who can lead an offense. Look for him to play a role similar to Joe Ingles, Nic Batum, Kyle Anderson — someone who can complement the offense and move the ball well, while not being the prime playmaker.

Positional Fit

McCullar’s defensive versatility, length and playmaking ability should allow him to play multiple positions at the next level — most notably at either forward spot. McCullar’s game has shades of Bruce Brown — a defensive-minded forward, that’s capable of slashing to the rim and getting teammates involved with his playmaking ability.

Draft Projection

Late first round, early second

McCullar is one of the more seasoned prospects in this draft, with his floor likely being drafted in the second round as contending teams look for players who can contribute fast. Although, some drafts do have him going in the late first round, where contenders will be looking for players who can provide skills day one.