Sixers receive highest offseason grade of any Eastern Conference team from ESPN

The Sixers have had themselves quite the offseason, bringing in the draft’s top prospect in Markelle Fultz and a perfect fit at shooting guard in JJ Redick. As a result, they have a lot of analysts praising them for the work they’ve done to gear up for the 2017-18 season.

Their fans include ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, who gave them a top grade in his Insider series highlighting the best work done by teams around the league. He gave the Sixers a B+ for their summer, praising them for their pursuit of a spot in the playoffs next summer.

After trading up from No. 3 to No. 1 to add Markelle Fultz to their group of potential stars, the Sixers wisely held the line on spending this summer, offering one-year deals in free agency. JJ Redick ($23 million) and Amir Johnson ($11 million) signed on at above-market rates, bolstering Philadelphia's chances at reaching the playoffs while allowing the 76ers to pursue a younger contributor next offseason.

While Pelton goes on to wonder if the Sixers might have preferred to bring in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope if they knew he’d sign for a one-year deal, I think the Sixers have plenty to be happy about this offseason. The veteran signings (Redick in particular) are nice, but the move to get Fultz is the most important part, in my eyes. They were in a tough spot with regard to getting a talented, well-fitting player at No. 3, and they took their destiny into their own hands by moving up to No. 1.

You’ll have to be an Insider subscriber to read the rest, but the only two other teams to receive a B+ in the East were the Celtics (puke) and the Hornets, the latter of which is a bit of a head-scratcher to me. But hey, at least the Sixers are starting to earn some respect.