Are the Sixers finally bringing back the black Allen Iverson-era jerseys? are,the,sixers,finally,bringing,back,the,black,allen,iverson,era,jerseys,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-news


The Sixers have been giving fans everything they want so far this offseason — why not keep the hits coming?

The team on Sunday released a video capturing a tribute to Tyrese Maxey, whose five-year max extension became official earlier in the day.

The video itself is quite cool, as everyone from Joel Embiid to Dawn Staley to Dr. J heap praise on the first-time All-Star and the NBA’s Most Improved Player during a whole Maxey-centric event.

What will excite Sixers fans more though is a glimpse of a possible new (old) jersey for the 2024-25 season.

Could it be? Will the Sixers finally bring back the black jerseys from the Allen Iverson era?

As we’re all painfully aware, the Sixers took a big swing and a miss on the last black jerseys they produced in 2020-21, which featured Boathouse Row. To make matters worse, they teased the jerseys and used Iverson in the campaign, only to reveal … those. It would’ve been a great year to bring the original black uniforms back too. It was the 20th anniversary of the 2000-01 team Iverson dragged to the NBA Finals.

While there is nothing official here, teasing the fans by flashing these pictures around and not coming through would be crazy. It appears there’s a good chance we get to see Maxey, Embiid and Paul George rocking the jerseys that A.I. once made look so cool.

2024 NBA free agency: Sixers to reportedly sign veteran wing Caleb Martin away from Heat; waive Paul Reed nba,free,agency,sixers,to,reportedly,sign,veteran,wing,caleb,martin,away,from,heat,waive,paul,reed,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news


The Sixers aren’t done yet.

The team will reportedly sign veteran wing Caleb Martin to a four-year, $32 million deal. To gain the necessary cap space, the Sixers will waive Paul Reed. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the signing and Reed being waived. The final year of Martin’s deal is a player option, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

In Martin, the Sixers get a battle-tested and versatile wing. He averaged a career-best 10.0 point per game last season, though the volatility with Miami’s roster likely contributed to a drop in efficiency. He shot just 43.1% from the field and 34.9% from deep, his lowest marks since 2020-21.

Though Martin has consistently raised his level of play in the postseason. His best stretch might’ve occurred during the Heat’s surprising run to the Finals in 2023. He averaged 12.7 points per game that postseason on 65.7% true shooting. He saved his best performances for the Eastern Conference Finals, where he averaged 19.3 points in seven games against the Boston Celtics. Across 28 playoff games the past two seasons, Martin has averaged 12.5 points per game on 51.8/42.6/85.0 shooting splits.

Aside from the offense, Martin is a super versatile defender. At 6-foot-5 and with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he’s capable of guarding one through four. That could be key for the Sixers as the roster currently lacks any real players that fit the four position. Martin is plenty capable of scaling up. With Martin, Paul George and Kelly Oubre, Jr., the Sixers’ potential starting group features a switchable and talented defensive trio of wings.

As simplistic as it sounds, Martin is able to dribble, pass, shoot and defend. Oftentimes it’s felt like the Sixers had so many players who were specialists of some kind. Martin offers plenty of versatility in a sport that’s becoming increasingly positionless.

Martin, who went to NC State before transferring to Nevada, is now 28 years old. He spent his first two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets before spending the last three in Miami. His twin brother, Cody, is currently with the Hornets.

For the Sixers and Reed, it’s surely a little bittersweet. The big man from DePaul was a draft success story for the team. Reed was the third-to-last pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, signed a two-way deal with the Sixers and went on to win the G League Rookie of the Year and MVP. After a successful postseason run in 2023, Reed signed an offer sheet with the Utah Jazz that the Sixers matched. After a difficult season in 2023-24, a clause in the contract that was meant to hurt the Sixers actually helped them. With the team failing to make the second round, Reed’s $7.7 million cap hit became non-guaranteed.

All the Sixers’ reported moves, including their agreement with Paul George, can become official starting at 12:01 p.m. Saturday. With Martin, the team will have nine players either officially under contract or agreed to terms. Second-round pick Adem Bona would make 10. Expect a bunch of minimum deals to come shortly.

2024 NBA free agency: How the Sixers should exploit KJ Martin’s cheap cap hold after landing Paul George nba,free,agency,how,the,sixers,should,exploit,kj,martin,s,cheap,cap,hold,after,landing,paul,george,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-analysis,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news


The Sixers made their big free-agent splash overnight Monday, agreeing with Paul George on a four-year, $211.6 million maximum contract. They’ve also agreed to re-sign Kelly Oubre Jr. (two years, $16.3 million), Andre Drummond (two years, “$10-plus million”) and Eric Gordon (one year, $3.3 million veteran minimum), which means they’ve already burned through most of their spending power this offseason.

From here, the Sixers must get creative to round out their roster. KJ Martin might be their best lottery ticket in that regard.

Martin is an unrestricted free agent, but he has a tiny $2.1 million cap hold, and the Sixers have his full Bird rights. They’d slightly cut into their cap space if they kept him on their books instead of an incomplete roster charge ($1.15 million), but having Bird rights on him allows them to re-sign him to anything up to his max salary.

The Sixers could take advantage of that cheap cap hold to both their own benefit and Martin’s. They could keep it on their books, spend the rest of their cap space and then overpay him on a two-year contract with a non-guaranteed second season. They could later look to flip him as salary filler in a midseason trade.

The Indiana Pacers gave Bruce Brown a two-year, $45 million contract last offseason, only to ship him to the Toronto Raptors six months later in the package for Pascal Siakam. The Sixers were reportedly open to emulating that strategy with Klay Thompson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this offseason if they struck out on George, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Martin could enable them to do a miniature version of it.

If the Sixers had a specific midseason target in mind, they could do an exact dollar-for-dollar match on Martin’s new contract. That would enable both the Sixers and the other team to trade those contracts in a straight one-for-one deal and not trigger a hard cap. If they were instead just looking to add a tradable contract to their books, they could use the dollar amount of the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.168 million), room MLE ($7.983 million) or non-taxpayer MLE ($12.822 million) as options.

The Sixers could try to sign-and-trade Martin if they’re looking to fill that void more quickly, although as cap specialist Yossi Gozlan noted, Base Year Compensation rules would complicate that. Only 50 percent of Martin’s new contract would count as outgoing salary, which would make it more difficult for the Sixers or whichever team trades for him to avoid triggering a hard cap at the first apron. They’d be better off signing Martin to a balloon deal and preserving his contract for a midseason trade.

The only downside to this strategy is if the Sixers plan to hard-cap themselves at either apron with another move. They won’t be adding unnecessary salary to their books in that case. Otherwise, there’s no reason not to do this. They’re going to be over the luxury-tax threshold when they fill out their roster either way, so they might as well go deeper into it to increase their midseason flexibility.

Without Martin factored in, the Sixers can still create roughly $9.2 million in remaining cap space even if they keep Ricky Council IV ($1.9 million) but waive Paul Reed’s $7.7 million non-guaranteed contract. If they keep Martin’s cap hold as well, they could still have around $8.3 million in cap space. Based on the prices for Derrick Jones Jr. (three years, $30 million), Naji Marshall (three years, $27 million) Goga Bitadze (three years, $25 million) and Gary Harris (two years, $14 million), that should be able to net them at least one more solid player.

Once the Sixers used the rest of their cap space, they’d use a minimum exception to sign Gordon, officially sign Tyrese Maxey to his five-year, $203.9 million extension (without a player option!) and presumably use the $8.0 million room mid-level exception to sign Oubre. That means George and Drummond are the only two who are going into the Sixers’ cap space.

The Sixers could also take advantage of expanded salary-matching rules and look to flip Reed’s contract for a more expensive salary—they can take back up to $7.5 million more than they send out as long as they stay below the first apron. Staying below the first apron might be a challenge once they finalize Maxey’s new max deal, though. (Keep that in mind regarding any Dorian Finney-Smith trades you cook up over the coming days.)

They’d be better off spending the remainder of their cap space and then signing Martin to a 1+1 balloon deal with the intention of potentially moving him at the trade deadline. Signing him to such a deal would give the Sixers a way to upgrade midseason that they otherwise wouldn’t have. Again, the only risk here is if they hard-cap themselves some other way.

If not, the Sixers owners should be willing to foot a larger tax bill to improve their new Big Three’s chances of winning a championship. There are no more half-measures after signing George. The Sixers are all-in on winning now.

With some creativity, Martin—and his next contract—could help them do just that.

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 free agency: After landing Paul George, Sixers’ surge to second overall in 2025 title odds nba,free,agency,after,landing,paul,george,sixers,surge,to,second,overall,in,title,odds,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,draftkings,76ers-analysis,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news


In the wee hours of the night here on the East Coast, the Philadelphia 76ers were making it rain. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped the bombshell scoop that Paul George is signing a four-year $212M deal, with a player option for the 2027-2028 season, with the Philadelphia 76ers. Not long after that we learned that All-Star Tyrese Maxey was receiving a max extension and the team was also retaining last season’s stellar minimum level acquisition wing Kelly Oubre, Jr. on a new team-friendly deal. Big Penguin Andre Drummond is back on board, and Morey lands another one of his favorite former Rockets in Eric Gordon too.

Having utilized cap space for the nine-time All-Star George, Philadelphia still has the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, sniper Jared McCain, the No. 41 overall pick, Adem Bona, an absolute freak athlete which he proved at the NBA pre-draft combine, plus the 76ers still possess four more future first-round picks to work with, and swaps.

We owe so much of it to our beloved Tyrese:

Tobias Harris is finally gone, landing big money to play for the Detroit Pistons (addition by subtraction?)

And they’ll look to round out the rest of the roster with a bit of remaining cap space before exceeding the cap by fleshing out the rest of the roster with veteran’s minimum deals for ring-chasing stars who can expect a fair amount of playing time — on such a now top-heavy roster.

Per Woj:

“George and his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met in Los Angeles with a 76ers contingent that included owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand and Sixers legend Julius Erving, sources said. The Sixers even brought a front office executive, Peter Dinwiddie, who is a familiar face and friend of George’s from their years together with the Indiana Pacers, sources said.

The meeting came on the heels of months of unsuccessful negotiations between George and the LA Clippers on a deal to stay in his Southern California home.”

Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and the gangs’ odds on Draft Kings were around +1000 back when we thought there was a chance they might sign George.

Then their odds dropped precipitously to +1400 when Shams Charania reported the Sixers’ interest in the six-time All-NBA teamer had “significantly waned.”

It also didn’t help the Sixers’ cause when the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges, and were soon able to retain OG Anunoby.

But by the time many of us woke up Monday morning, odds makers’ opinions of the current NBA hierarchy had shifted dramatically. Daryl Morey’s group has now peaked at +800, pushing the Knicks’ down from +800 to +950, following their loss of Isaiah Hartenstein.

The Boston Celtics have re-signed Derrick White, and even though Kristaps Porzingis is set to miss significant time as he rehabs from surgery, the reigning champs are still given a massive edge, +295.

The Celtics’ implied odds to win the 2024-2025 title are now around 25 percent. Philadelphia’s are near 11 percent. As many of you might remember, Morey said that if you have about a five percent chance it makes sense to cash in your future picks to go for it. Well, if that’s still the case, possessing an implied 11 percent should certainly entice him to keep looking to add firepower.

We’ll see how this plays out because it’s gotta be relatively unprecedented for a team that basically only has a handful of players (e.g. Embiid, Maxey, George, Drummond, Gordon, Oubre, Jr. McCain, Bona) in tow to be favored so heavily. So we’ll pay close attention to what happens with the final few roster spots. One name to watch could be veteran guard Reggie Bullock (pronounced Bull-LOCK which likely helps him lock up opposing guards).

The former Knick and Maverick is meeting with the Sixers and head coach Nick Nurse should be able to sell some helpful connective vets by offering a key role on a now true title contender.

2024 NBA free agency: Report: Sixers’ De’Anthony Melton to sign one-year deal with Warriors nba,free,agency,report,sixers,de,anthony,melton,to,sign,one,year,deal,with,warriors,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-news,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news


So that’s another member of last year’s squad that Philadelphia will be moving on from. The Athletic’s Shams Charania has reported that De’Anthony Melton is signing a one-year, $12 million deal with the Golden State Warriors.

This news came minutes after it was reported that Nico Batum will be heading back to the Clippers on a two-year deal.

Going into last season, it looked like Melton’s next contract would be too pricey for the Sixers to keep around. While that still ended up being the case, a lingering back issue did make it seem like a door might have been open for a return to Philly.

Looking at that $12.8 million, it appears the Warriors will use the full non-tax payer mid-level exception to sign Melton.

That’s something that wasn’t an option for the Sixers, given that it looks like they’ve used the room mid-level exception to bring back Kelly Oubre Jr.

So while it’s a bummer that Melton’s back issues caused his Sixers’ tenure to fizzle out, Philadelphia will have to look elsewhere to fill out their backcourt.

2024 NBA free agency: Veteran wing Reggie Bullock has reportedly met with the Sixers, other teams nba,free,agency,veteran,wing,reggie,bullock,has,reportedly,met,with,the,sixers,other,teams,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-news,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news


Reggie Bullock is entering his 12th season in the NBA, and he’s looking for a new home.

The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the league veteran was unlikely to be re-signed to the Houston Rockets after being brought there in October of 2023.

Bullock has been fielding his options, apparently, with Iko further reporting that Bullock has begun meeting with teams — including the Philadelphia 76ers.

With such a splashy start to the Sixers’ offseason, this obviously wouldn’t be the biggest headline by any measure. A signing for Bullock would almost definitely be on a veteran minimum just to add depth for Philadelphia at the forward position.

Bullock is still regarded as a decent defender. Iko’s characterization of the once 2013 first-round draft pick as a “sharpshooter”, however, may be a bit of an exaggeration at this point in his career. Bullock is coming off a tough season in Houston, posting a career-low 2.2 points per game in just 44 appearances averaging under 10 minutes per outing. He averaged 40.3% from beyond the arc, but on just 1.5 attempts per game. That being said, it is of course a small sample size due to his lack of playing time this past campaign.

Whether he still has the potential to be a sharpshooter is a bit of an unknown at this point.

This would very much be a low-risk signing just to see what’s left in the tank for Bullock if the Sixers decide to take a chance on the veteran.

2024 NBA free agency: Report: Tyrese Maxey agrees to 5-year, $203.9 million extension with Sixers nba,free,agency,report,tyrese,maxey,agrees,to,year,million,extension,with,sixers,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-news


At 3:30 a.m. ET on Monday, the Sixers agreed to a four-year, $211.6 million max contract with Paul George. Five hours later, they took care of their other biggest piece of offseason business.

With the 2024-25 salary cap officially landing at $140.6 million, Maxey’s starting salary will be $35.1 million. He’ll earn $203.6 million in total over the life of the deal, which notably does not contain a player option, according to Wojnarowski.

Order of operations will be the key here. The Sixers and Maxey have agreed to a deal, but nothing can become binding until July 6. At that point, the Sixers will keep Maxey’s $13.0 million cap hold on their books until they spend the rest of their cap space. They’ll officially have Maxey sign his extension after that.

If Maxey signed his extension right when the July Moratorium expires on July 6, his $13.0 million cap hold would jump up to $35.1 million. That would close off the Sixers’ path to full max cap space, which means they wouldn’t be a realistic landing spot for George anymore. By timing their moves this way, they can now create more than $60 million in cap space, which would leave them with nearly $13 million to spend even after landing George. (That isn’t taking Andre Drummond into account.)

To some extent, it was surprising that the Sixers could get Maxey and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, to buy into waiting on an extension in the first place. However, Maxey had an all-time bet-on-yourself season, finishing with a career-high 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 made three-pointers en route to his first All-Star nod and the league’s Most Improved Player award.

Maxey gave himself even more leverage in contract negotiations with his performance against the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. He averaged 29.8 points on 47.8 percent shooting, 6.8 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 made threes and only 2.2 turnovers in 44.5 minutes (!) per game. His 46-point, nine-assist masterclass in Game 5 both temporarily helped the Sixers stave off their imminent demise and conclusively proved that Maxey isn’t only an 82-game player.

Considering the stratospheric leaps that he’s made since entering the league, it’s easy to forget that Maxey is only 23. The Sixers are locking him up through at least the beginning of his prime, and if he continues upon his current trajectory, his contract will wind up being an outright steal. The NBA’s new national TV contracts should send the salary cap soaring in the coming years, so Maxey will take up a slightly smaller percentage of the cap with each passing season.

To wit: Maxey is set to earn $46.4 million in the final year of his new extension in 2028-29. Beginning in 2025-26, if the cap continues to jump the maximum 10 percent that it can annually, it will break the $200 million barrier in 2028-29. Maxey’s salary would take up only 22.5 percent of the projected cap that season, whereas other stars of his caliber will be earning well north of $60 million annually.

In Maxey, the Sixers now have their present and their future locked up. It’s now on team president Daryl Morey and the rest of the front office to surround Maxey, George and Joel Embiid with a championship-caliber supporting cast.

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.

Six under-the-radar free-agent targets for the Sixers in 2024 six,under,the,radar,free,agent,targets,for,the,sixers,in,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-analysis,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news


Now that the 2024 NBA draft is over, the Sixers have to quickly turn their attention to free agency. Teams have been free to negotiate with their own free agents for more than a week, but they (legally) can begin to reach out to free agents from other teams at 6 p.m. ET on June 30.

The Sixers’ top options are already flying off the board, though. On Wednesday, OG Anunoby agreed to a five-year, $212.5 million contract to stay with the New York Knicks. Malik Monk and Pascal Siakam have likewise agreed to re-sign with the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers, respectively. And LeBron James is presumably staying with the Los Angeles Lakers after they spent the No. 55 pick on his eldest son, Bronny.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George was reportedly the Sixers’ Plan A this offseason, but even that might be on life support. Earlier this week on the Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shared that George doesn’t seem keen on leaving the West Coast.

The Sixers reportedly plan to pursue Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency, and they could always use their cap space to absorb contracts via trade, too.

Regardless of which big fish (if any) they land, they might need to round out their roster with a few value signings, too. Here, we’ve assembled six potential candidates to consider.

Naji Marshall, SF

Naji Marshall might not be a starting-caliber wing, but he’d be a valuable addition to the Sixers’ rotation nonetheless.

Marshall has spent his entire four-year NBA career with the New Orleans Pelicans, over which time he’s averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in only 19.5 minutes per game. He also knocked down a career-high 38.7 percent of his three-point attempts this past season (albeit on low volume) and ranked in the 91st percentile leaguewide in Dunks and Threes’ defensive estimated plus/minus.

Standing 6’7” with a nearly 7’1” wingspan, Marshall has the frame to soak up minutes on the wing. He might not be much more than a three-and-D option, but that’s the exact archetype that team president Daryl Morey is aiming to add alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

In April, Will Guillory of The Athletic told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto that the Pelicans were “pretty much sold” that Marshall would leave in free agency “because they’ve got all these other financial situations going on.” It’s unclear whether the $8.0 million room mid-level exception would be enough to snag him or if the Sixers would need to offer him a double-digit annual salary to pry him away from other suitors, though.

Caleb Martin, SF

If (when) Caleb Martin declines his $7.1 million player option, he’ll be one of the better wings on the free-agent market. He averaged a career-high 10.0 points per game to go with 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 three-pointers, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks in only 27.4 minutes per game this past season despite starting in only 23 of his 64 regular-season appearances with the Miami Heat.

Martin has also been a plus defender in recent years, which adds to his three-and-D appeal. He’s been a relatively low-volume shooter throughout his five-year NBA career, but he’s shot 35.7 percent from long range.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald that he projected Martin to receive the full $12.9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception this summer. The Sixers won’t have access to the NTMLE if they dip below the cap—they’ll only have the $8.0 million room mid-level exception instead—so they’d likely have to sign Martin with a portion of their cap space.

There’s always a concern about Heat players falling apart once they leave Miami, but Max Strus hopefully dispelled that notion after joining the Cleveland Cavaliers last offseason. Besides, that’s what the Sixers have Nick Nurse for.

Mario Hezonja, SF

In mid-June, longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Mario Hezonja was “increasingly coming up as a free agent to watch this offseason when it comes to an NBA return.” Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Hezonja has an NBA out clause in his contract until July 19 and “is receiving interest from multiple teams to return to the NBA.”

The Orlando Magic originally selected Hezonja with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 draft, but he never lived up to his draft stock. Shooting was supposed to be a strength of his, but he shot only 31.9 percent on 2.5 three-point attempts per game across his five-year NBA career.

Hezonja hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2019-20 season, but he might have earned himself another look after his past two seasons with Real Madrid. This past season, he averaged 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 threes in only 22.3 minutes per game across 81 appearances. He also shot 39.0 percent from deep overall and 43.1 percent on 5.1 attempts three-point attempts per game in 38 Euroleague games.

The 29-year-old Hezonja might be mostly a shooting specialist in the NBA—he doesn’t offer much as a playmaker or on defense—but he could be a slightly younger alternative to someone such as Doug McDermott. Given Morey’s fixation on adding shooting, Hezonja should at least merit consideration as the Sixers probe the fringes of the free-agent market.

Gary Trent Jr., SG

If the Sixers land Caldwell-Pope or Klay Thompson in free agency, they presumably won’t splurge on another shooting guard as well. But if they strike out on both, Gary Trent Jr. will be among the better remaining options. (Granted, the Sixers might have two even better alternatives on their own roster in De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield.)

Trent had the best years of his career in his two full seasons with Nurse on the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 17.9 points, 2.8 three-pointers and 1.7 steals per game across those two years, although he went from starting all but one game in 2021-22 to coming off the bench 22 times in 2022-23.

However, it’s unclear whether Trent would want to reunite with Nurse. According to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, Trent said after last season “that he got used to the coach’s criticism coming out in the media before Nurse told him in person,” which hardly sounds like an enjoyable workplace experience.

After picking up Bruce Brown’s $23 million team option on Friday, the Raptors may have bigger changes afoot. That could make Trent expendable, which should at least put him on the Sixers’ radar as a backup option if their top shooting guard targets fall through.

Patrick Williams, PF

Full disclosure: There’s a chance that Patrick Williams is just Tobias Harris 2.0. On the bright side, he shouldn’t cost anywhere close to a max contract.

Like Harris, Williams is a frustratingly low-volume three-point shooter despite being an above-average marksman. He has drilled 40.9 percent of his 3.4 long-range attempts per game over the past two seasons, which begs the question of why he isn’t firing away far more often.

The good news is that Williams has been a plus defender in each of the past two seasons. At 6’7” and 215 pounds with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, he has the exact type of physical toolkit that Nurse has maximized on both ends of the floor in the past.

According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls offered Williams an extension in the neighborhood of four years for $64 million with a team option,” while he reportedly wanted “in the vicinity of De’Andre Hunter’s four-year, $90 million deal with Atlanta.” However, Johnson added that Williams “might’ve come down to $20 million annually.”

If the Sixers strike out on their top wing options (Paul George, Brandon Ingram, etc.), it might not hurt to throw an offer sheet at Williams and dare the Bulls to match.

Jonas Valanciunas, C

The Sixers’ never-ending search for a reliable backup to Joel Embiid might continue anew this offseason if they waive Paul Reed before his $7.7 million salary becomes guaranteed in January. Andre Drummond will be a popular free-agent target—and we’ll address him quickly later—but Jonas Valanciunas should be on the Sixers’ radar as well.

Multiple reporters have suggested that Valanciunas is unlikely to re-sign with the New Orleans Pelicans, particularly after they began trimming his role this past season. He averaged only 23.5 minutes per game—his fewest since the 2018-19 campaign—as head coach Willie Green would often downsize with Larry Nance Jr. in his place.

Valanciunas is more of an old-school big man than a modern-day, switchable center, although he can knock down an occasional three-pointer. Still, his value to the Sixers would be primarily as a backup, although he could be a viable starting fill-in whenever Embiid missed time.

Valanciunas might not be ready to be demoted to a full-time backup yet, although it’s hard to see a starting opportunity available to him this summer. Given the likelihood of Embiid missing time next season, the Sixers might be his best option to both fill a consistent role off the bench and still prove himself as a starter at times.

Minimum-contract targets

Andre Drummond, C: Drummond was a fan favorite two years ago, and he remains one of the most prolific rebounders in the NBA. He might not be a heavy-minute player in the playoffs, but the Sixers wouldn’t need him to be as long as Embiid stays healthy.

Dennis Smith Jr., PG: After the Dallas Mavericks took him with the No. 9 pick in the 2017 draft, Smith has reinvented himself as defensive specialist. However, he’s a career 29.8 percent shooter from deep, which could make him a liability in the playoffs.

Kris Dunn, PG: Like Smith, Dunn is a former lottery pick—No. 5 in 2016—who found his niche as a defensive stopper. He’s also a mediocre, low-volume three-point shooter, but he could be someone to pair with rookie guard Jared McCain in the reserve unit.

Lonnie Walker IV, SG: Finally, a shooter! Walker signed a minimum contract with the Brooklyn Nets last offseason and drilled 38.4 percent of his 4.7 three-point attempts per game. Walker won’t provide much defensively, but he could be a far cheaper alternative to Hield.

Malik Beasley, SG: Beasley would fill the same niche as Walker as a one-dimensional shooter off the bench. He signed a one-year, minimum deal with the Milwaukee Bucks last summer and knocked down a career-high 41.3 percent of his 6.9 three-point attempts per game, although he seemed to fall out of favor with head coach Doc Rivers late in the year.

Torrey Craig, SF: A quintessential three-and-D guy. Craig has shot 39.4 percent from deep on 3.1 attempts per game over the past two seasons combined. He signed a minimum-salary deal with the Bulls last summer, so the Sixers would likely prefer to land him at somewhere in that price range.

Gary Harris, SG: Harris has played 65-plus games only once in the past eight seasons, so the Sixers might not want to pin their hopes on another oft-injured player given Embiid’s injury history. However, Harris is a career 37.0 percent three-point shooter and a plus defender, which would make him an easy fit off the bench.

Eric Gordon, SG: Gordon turned down his $3.4 million player option Thursday, per Charania, and reportedly has interest from “multiple contenders.” Given his shooting prowess and the years he spent with Morey in Houston, it’s likely safe to assume the Sixers are one of those suitors.

Gordon Hayward, SF: Maybe he isn’t as washed as he looked in OKC last year? It could at least be worth a training camp deal to find out.

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.

Don’t let the nail polish and TikTok videos fool you — Sixers’ Jared McCain is a killer on the court don,t,let,the,nail,polish,and,tiktok,videos,fool,you,sixers,jared,mccain,is,a,killer,on,the,court,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-features-profiles,76ers-draft-rumors-news


Tyrese Maxey might be the most positive person to ever put on a Sixers uniform.

His smile lights up a room. He makes his teammates — and even curmudgeonly reporters — laugh. With the Sixers selecting Duke’s Jared McCain with the 16th overall pick Wednesday night, Maxey might have a little competition in the sunshine and rainbows department.

But just like Maxey, don’t mistake the kindness for weakness. McCain is a stone-cold killer on the court who will bury a three in your face — with a smile on his.

By now you’ve likely seen that McCain paints his fingernails and has a massive TikTok following. While a bunch of old, insecure men clutch their pearls over it, it shows McCain is comfortable in his own skin — a strong statement to make about a 20-year-old.

While McCain enjoys doing things off the court, he is a fierce competitor on it. Watch just about any game he played at Duke last season and you’ll likely see some trash talk and fiery celebrations after a big shot.

“I think it’s a good balance I have,” McCain said Friday at the Sixers’ practice facility. “Being on social media and doing all this stuff outside of basketball, it comes with a lot of hate. And when you get a lot of hate, you kind of want to prove yourself that you can be one of the best players in the world in college.”

And McCain did just that, shining all season long for the Blue Devils, especially in the NCAA Tournament.

One of the elite skills that helped McCain realize his NBA dream is shooting. He knocked down 41.4% of his threes on a healthy 5.8 attempts per game in his lone season with Duke.

As we’ve seen, Daryl Morey is an executive who highly values three-point shooting, especially when building around a player like Joel Embiid.

“He’s already putting up a high volume of threes,” Morey said after the draft Wednesday. “And being able to shoot threes at a high volume and be in the high 30s, low 40s (percentage-wise) is maybe the most valuable skill in the NBA. It’s on the list of the top few, so that’s a big, big part of the calculus with Jared. One hundred percent, absolutely.”

McCain is far from a one-dimensional player though. He’s plenty crafty off the bounce, able to knock down midrange jumpers, floaters, fadeaways and finish with both hands at the rim. He’s a smart offensive player that understands spacing and is a good connective passer. What he lacks in size and athleticism on the defensive end he makes up for with his basketball IQ and desire to win.

He’s made numerous big shots, he’ll dive for loose balls, he’ll get in there and fight for rebounds. Simply put, he’s a winning basketball player.

“Frankly, he sort of checked every box,” Morey said, “that’s why we were so high on him — in that he not only is someone who has a skill and the work ethic to get out there on the floor, and also playing in high-level games … He’s been a top-10, top-15 guy in the country in his class the whole way across. So he’s a combination of a guy we think could get out there a little quicker and, at the same time, a lot of upside given he’s very young and has a great work ethic.”

Every competitive athlete feels like they have something to prove. For McCain, he said he focused on his ability on the ball during the pre-draft process. At 6-foot-2, the ability to operate as a ball handler could be critical to his development. McCain doesn’t have to go far to find an example of a player that’s had success in this area.

Maxey came to the Sixers as an explosive off-ball guard. He thrived in that role next to Ben Simmons and James Harden. After The Beard was dealt to the Clippers, the ball was in Maxey’s hands. He took some lumps along the way, but the increased role led Maxey to his first All-Star appearance and being named the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

After learning so much from guys like Harden and Kyle Lowry, Maxey will become the teacher — and he has a willing pupil in McCain.

“For me, in college I obviously played more of an off-ball role,” McCain said. “So I think being able to learn on-ball stuff from Tyrese and being able to show that I can be on the ball, make reads in pick-and-rolls. … I think the mind is something a lot of people undervalue in the draft — just being able to figure out stuff, the IQ. I think I’m good at that, so I’m going to try to show that as much as I can in my rookie season.”

The moment has never been to big for McCain. He starred at Centennial High School in Corona, California, being named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year as both a junior and senior. He was a McDonald’s All-American and a consensus five-star recruit.

He committed to Duke and had a monster one-and-done season. He was named to the ACC All-Rookie Team and was an All-ACC Honorable Mention. He set a Blue Devil freshman record by hitting eight threes in a game — and he did it twice (one of those times in the NCAA Tournament). His season-high 35 points has only been matched by Zion Williamson in school history for a freshman. He had three 30-point games — including two in the NCAA Tourney — which was most among all Division 1 freshman.

So, do you think McCain is ready for his opportunity in the NBA with the Sixers?

“Since high school, I’ve felt like I’ve always wanted to be on the biggest platforms, be on the biggest stages, and that’s why I chose Duke,” he said. “Now to be in Philly, to have those championship aspirations, I feel like I’m ready for it.

“I’ve always wanted to play in the big games and I feel like when the lights are the brightest, I want to show out and be myself out there on the court. I’m excited. It’s something I’ve looked forward to my entire life and now I’m finally here.”

He’s going to keep painting his nails. He’s going to keep making TikTok videos. He’s going to keep smiling.

But don’t let any of that fool you. Jared McCain wants to hoop.

“Obviously, now being a rookie, I’ve got a lot to prove, so I’m just willing to take on that challenge,” he said. “And once I set a goal, I’m going to put my mind to it and work as hard as I can to keep going. I think that mindset of always wanting to be the best always motivates me.”

Like Maxey before him, he has the chance to make a lot of people look silly for doubting him.

Sixers 2024 NBA Draft grades roundup: Rating the Jared McCain and Adem Bona picks sixers,nba,draft,grades,roundup,rating,the,jared,mccain,and,adem,bona,picks,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-draft-rumors-news


Well, after plenty of build-up and speculation over who the Sixers could draft or what trades they could make, the 2024 NBA Draft is in the books. The Sixers kept both their picks in the end, opting to select 6-foot-2 sharpshooting guard Jared McCain from Duke with their 16th overall pick, and the super athletic UCLA big man Adem Bona at 41 in the second round.

As the draft came to a close, the Sixers didn’t wait around on the undrafted market either. They quickly agreed to a two-way deal with Philly native Justin Edwards, a 6-foot-8 wing with a smooth shooting stroke who’s well worth taking a shot on. They’ve also agreed to sign Memphis wing David Jones on a two-way deal, and big man Max Fiedler to an Exhibit-10 deal, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.

There’s a lot to like about the skills and upside the Sixers’ two picks are bringing to the team, so let’s see what different draft experts think of McCain and Bona, and how they grade the Sixers’ draft.

(Spoiler alert: it’s very good.)

ESPN

Grade: A-

We’ll start things off on a high note, with ESPN’s Kevin Pelton’s A- for the Sixers’ draft overall. Pelton even had McCain ranked as his eighth-best prospect, making the sharpshooter a bit of a steal at 16:

The stat-minded Sixers landing McCain, my eighth-ranked prospect, at No. 16 is no surprise. McCain’s shooting (41% on nearly six 3-point attempts per game) should fit well on a team that needs to space the floor for Joel Embiid. I do wonder how much McCain (6-2 barefoot) will be able to play alongside 6-2 Philadelphia starter Tyrese Maxey. However, getting value is more important in the long term than questions of fit.

Bona wasn’t quite as strong by my projections, but there’s a lot to like about his defensive potential after he blocked 2.7 shots and came up with 1.7 steals per 40 minutes as a sophomore. Compare those with Sixers backup Paul Reed, who averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per 40 when he was a sophomore at DePaul.

SB Nation

Grade: B+ for first round, A for second round

Here at SB Nation, Ricky O’Donnell’s first round analysis made a fair comment regarding McCain’s smaller build and limited athleticism, but had high praise for the shooting skillset he brings:

McCain lacks ideal NBA size and athleticism for a guard, but he makes up for it with shooting. He has a deep range and fantastic accuracy as a three-point shooter, which should be a good fit around Tyrese Maxey’s drives to the rim and Joel Embiid’s interior creation. I worry that McCain might be a too small to be a long-term backcourt partner for Maxey, but his shooting is so good that this is a perfectly fine selection.

As for O’Donnell’s second round grades, he was even higher on Philly picking up Bona:

Bona was one of my favorite second round bets as a long, strong, and explosive center. Bona crushed the glass and hammered dunks throughout his sophomore year at UCLA, and showed off his physical gifts by jumping 40-inches at the combine. He’s short for a center and doesn’t have much perimeter skill, but Bona is a freak athlete and that’s worth betting on.

Sporting News

Grade: A

Kyle Irving at Sporting News was a big fan of both of the Sixers’ selections:

The 76ers addressed two needs with their two picks: McCain provides backcourt depth as a playmaking combo guard who can shoot the 3 and disrupt opposing ball-handlers on defense while Bona gives Philadelphia a much-needed physical interior presence behind Joel Embiid. The Sixers went 2-for-2 in this draft.

The Ringer

Grade: B for first round, B- for second round

Danny Chau, grading the Sixers’ 16th overall pick, said Jared McCain has shades of somewhere between Steph and Seth Curry, which certainly isn’t a bad spot to fall on for a scale of undersized yet highly talented shooters.

A team with the gravity that Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey command will always need release valves on the perimeter. That’s the value that McCain brings. He was one of the best 3-point marksmen in college basketball as a freshman at Duke. He is elite on catch-and-shoot attempts and has great energy transfer in his mechanics pulling up in transition. The Sixers may look to develop his ability to shoot off movement because McCain’s apparent lack of burst will put a strain on the kind of playmaking he was able to accomplish at the NCAA level…

As for picking Bona in round two, Chau was slightly cooler on the selection, giving the Sixers a B-, partly due to need concerns. But there’s still no denying how impressive Bona’s explosiveness, speed and lateral quickness are. He’s one of the very best athletes in the draft with serious defensive talent, even if Chau questions the Sixers’ need for this kind of player:

Though a bit undersized at the 5, Bona’s remarkable 7-foot-4 wingspan and seamless ability to change direction laterally make him one of the easier projections as a switch big. Outside of the occasional P.J. Brown–esque midrange jumper, Bona’s offensive game is mostly limited to explosive rim runs, but a pathway to success in the modern NBA has been paved for a player of that archetype. Bona is a real defensive talent, but it’s fair to wonder how much Philadelphia needed this type of player specifically.

However, as Daryl Morey continues to make clear, he’s going to take the best player available, regardless of fit. And if the Sixers aren’t happy with Paul Reed at backup 5 long term or if he gets moved at some point, having Bona onboard for his athleticism, versatile defense, energy and simple yet effective finishing gives them another interesting option.

Bona is still only 21 years old and started basketball late too, which bodes well for how quickly he’s developed already and could continue to do so. For instance, with skills like the face-up ability he’s flashed thanks to his speed, quick elevation, and length to rise up and finish over/past opponents.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor is even higher on not just Bona’s ability, but his potential to fit in different lineups for the Sixers.

CBS Sports

Grade: B+ for first round, A- for second round

Apart from knocking the Sixers’ first-round grade slightly as star Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht was still on the board (and ultimately went to the Lakers next at 17), Kyle Boone and Adam Finkelstein at CBS Sports were still high on the team’s picks overall:

If Dalton Knecht weren’t on the board, I’d bump this up a grade. But I love what McCain brings as a shooter and scorer and personality. Defensively, he and Tyrese Maxey may not be ideal as two smaller guards who focus on offense. But there’s a lot to like, and adding shooting around Joel Embiid makes sense. And his competitive spirit is worth betting on.

As for their thoughts on Bona, they understandably highlighted the rookie’s energy, massive wingspan, and presence he can offer as a finisher and rim protector:

Philly has been trying for years to find viable frontcourt support next to Joel Embiid, and it might have stumbled into something here. Bona’s a high-flier with relentless energy as a big who brings a 7-4 wingspan and can be impactful around the rim on both ends.

Yahoo! Sports

Grade: A

Short and sweet analysis from Yahoo! Sports’ Krysten Peek, but yet another top grade for Philadelphia’s picks:

The 3-point shooting from McCain (42% from deep at Duke) and the physical presence of Bona (6-8, 245 pounds) will pair nicely with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.


Well, B’s and A’s across the board is a rather good result!

Now, it’s a time to dig into more analysis of the Sixers’ new rookies. We’ve already got you covered here at Liberty Ballers, with articles like Sean Kennedy’s look at Jared McCain’s fit with the Sixers, with comments from McCain himself and Daryl Morey. Plus Josh Grieb’s piece on how ready McCain is for anything that comes his way in Philadelphia.