Grading the Sixers’ Moves in Free Agency
Brand has made a series of moves that emphasize his desire to compete for an NBA championship in this current window that the Sixers have in front of them.
Here are grades for how the Sixers’ moves have faired thus far:
Tobias Harris
A little over an hour after the free agency period officially began, Tobias Harris agreed to a five-year, $180 million dollar contract to return to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers paid a large price to acquire Harris at last year’s trade deadline, including immediate fan favorite, Landry Shamet. The fact that the Sixers were able to retain Harris in free agency does help to lessen the sting of last years daunting trade package. In 27 games last season with the Sixers, Harris averaged 18.2 points per game, shooting 46.0% from the field. Tobias is 26 years old and has signed a deal with no player options, making him a Philadelphia 76er for a majority of his prime years. While a five-year, $180 million dollar contract is a clear overpay for Tobias Harris, this is the price that the team was going to be forced to pay for a player of his caliber in free agency. The fact that Elton was able to get a deal done with zero player options included is just icing on the cake.
Grade: A-
Mike Scott
Shortly after Tobias Harris agreed to resign with the Sixers, another name that many will recognize agreed to return as well. Philadelphia signed Mike Scott to a two-year deal worth a very reasonable $9.8 million dollars, bringing back an important piece of last years bench. Mike Scott was a part of the same trade at last year’s deadline, which saw Tobias Harris make his way to the east coast and join the Sixers. Scott was a fantastic addition to last years bench, shooting 41.2% from three as a Sixer, before cooling off in the playoffs. Mike Scott should once again play a meaningful role as one of the first players off of the bench in 2019-20.
The Mike Scott Hive lives on!!
Grade: A
Josh Richardson
Just as Sixers’ fans may have thought things were dying down for the first night of free agency, Elton Brand dropped his ultimate bombshell on the NBA. Philadelphia agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat in return for Josh Richardson. While Richardson is not considered to be in the same tier of player as Jimmy Butler, he will be a great fit in the Sixers’ organization. Richardson is only 25 years old, adding another young talent to the Sixers core of youth. He also enjoyed a career year last year, scoring 16.6 points per game and clearly establishing himself as the Heat’s top scoring threat. With Jimmy Butler seemingly not interested in returning to the 76ers, Elton Brand had very little leverage and was still able to acquire the Miami Heat’s most valuable player from last season. Richardson will be able to provide the Sixers’ with another scoring threat and should help to space the floor for Simmons and Embiid to thrive on the offensive end of the court.
Grade: A+
Al Horford
With the salary cap shed from parting ways with Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia was able to acquire Joel Embiid’s biggest kryptonite in Al Horford. Horford agreed to a four-year, $109 million dollar deal to round out the Sixers’ presumed opening night starting five. Horford will provide a huge upgrade to a Philadelphia front-court that lacked any depth at all in last year’s playoffs. The signing of Horford is crucial in the load management and preservation of Joel Embiid throughout the regular season and gives the 76ers a huge starting lineup when both big-men are in the front-court together. (Smallest player in the Sixers’ starting 5 will be Josh Richardson, at 6’6″) The last year or two of this contract could pose an issue for the Sixers, as Horford is 33 years old and his production is bound to decrease as father time catches up to him, however, Elton Brand is clearly placing an emphasis on winning in the immediate future.
Grade: B
Kyle O’Quinn
On Tuesday, the Sixers signed Kyle O’Quinn to a one-year, league minimum deal. Signing O’Quinn does not come as a surprise, as it seems like the Sixers have been interested in bringing him in for years now. O’Quinn played in 45 games last year for the Pacers, averaging just 8.2 minutes per game. While O’Quinn will not provide a great deal on the offensive end of the court, he will be an adequate backup center who has the ability to protect the paint. A defensively capable center off the bench was one of the Sixers largest needs throughout the playoffs, and O’Quinn will help to fill this role.
Grade: B
James Ennis
James Ennis agreed to a two-year, $4.1 million dollar deal to return to the 76ers. According to Shams Charania, Ennis turned down multiple offers of a higher salary in order to return and compete for a championship. This is a big win for the Sixers organization. Ennis joined the team at last year’s trade deadline after being acquired from the Houston Rockets in exchange for the rights to 2021 swap of second round picks. Ennis showed to be a capable 3-and-D rotation player off the bench last season and provided a spark in the playoffs (despite lackluster shooting numbers). In his half of season spent with the organization, Ennis has also formed a tight bond with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Bringing Ennis back at a reasonable cap hit is a smart decision by Elton Brand and helps to grow the bench depth that was lacking last season.
Grade: A-
Raul Neto
Late Wednesday night, while Sixers fans were making final preparations for their 4th of July festivities the following day, Elton Brand was still making moves. The Sixers signed their first guard of the off-season by signing Raul Neto to a one-year, veteran minimum contract. Just three seasons ago, Neto was starting 81 games for the Utah Jazz, while shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc. The speedy guard will likely compete with Shake Milton for the backup point guard minutes behind Ben Simmons. The team’s current financial standing made signing a guard a difficult task for Elton Brand and the front office. Neto will certainly not set the court on fire with his game. However, the point guard should be able to effectively fill in minutes when Simmons is on the bench.
Grade: B-
Furkan Korkmaz
On July 25th, the Sixers resigned Furkan Korkmaz. After requesting a trade midway through the 2018-19 season, Korkmaz has surprisingly decided to return to Philadelphia. Korkmaz was a Sixers’ late first round pick in the 2016 draft, however has not produced at the NBA level. Throughout his two seasons in the NBA, Korkmaz has played in 62 games, averaging 4.9 points per game. Korkmaz did shoot 32.6% from beyond the arc, on one three point attempt per game. He has the ability to shoot, however he has struggled to display this ability when given an increase in playing time. Barring any major improvements this offseason, Furkan will likely compete for limited minutes toward the back end of the bench rotation next season. The Sixers’ most likely figure play in a number of games this year that will end in lopsided scores, this will be a majority of the playing time that Korkmaz will see. This signing feels like a move of desperation after losing out on acquiring Kyle Korver in their search for additional long range shooters.
Grade: D+
Trey Burke
The 76ers signed former Knick/Maverick Trey Burke to help fill backup point guard minutes behind Ben Simmons. The former 9th overall pick averaged 9.7 points per game in his 25 games with the Mavericks last season. Burke will help to provide some scoring on the Sixers revamped bench, as he is certainly not afraid to shoot. Burke is not the greatest fit in a Brett Brown offense due to past success of isolation scoring, rather than moving in the half court. However, Burke does provide a touch of play-making ability that will help to increase his effectiveness. While I do not necessarily find the signing of Burke inspiring, he was one of the few free agents left on the board that made sense for Philadelphia. The back court depth that he provides will be very useful for the Sixers however there will certainly be times that his inconsistent shooting will wear thin on the fans.
Grade: C
Elton Brand and the Sixers’ front office have had an incredibly successful offseason thus far. With Kawhi Leonard now officially signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia has put themselves in a position to compete for the top of the Eastern Conference.
Featured Image: Celebrity Net Worth / Joey Held
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
