FanPost

Sixers Off-Season Plan with draft focus

Free agency is very important to making decisions on the draft, but the draft happens first, so I'm just going to cover free agency really quickly.

Guaranteed returns (aka under contract):

Embiid, Simmons, Zhaire, Bolden

That's it only 4 players.

Non-guaranteed, but likely Returns/Additions:

1. Butler and Harris on max, or near max deals.

2. Resigning the rotation players with bird rights: Redick, Scott.

3. The MLE on a 3&D guard. (I am going to fill in George Hill here due to his likelihood of getting cut by MIL to save them on tax money)

4. Shake Milton getting a major league deal.

5. A veteran minimum PG and a veteran minimum Center. I'll fill these in as Jeremy Lin, and Nerlens Noel.

Likely departures:

1. James Ennis. He outplayed his contract in these playoffs, maybe he could come back, but it seems unlikely he will accept only the minimum.

2. J Simmons might be traded / kept for a trade at a later date, but we also just might want the roster spot.

3. Boban. He was awful in the 2nd round.

4. TJ McConnell. He simply isn't a great fit, and another team can lure him with money + the potential to start.

5. Korkmaz, Amir, Monroe (formerly Patton). These are expiring players that are not in the regular rotation.

This leaves the roster/rotation as follows:

PG: Jimmy Butler (36 minutes) / Jeremy Lin (12 minutes)

Wings (aka non-PG, non-C): Ben Simmons (36 minutes) / Tobias Harris (36 minutes) / George Hill (24 minutes)/ JJ Redick (24 minutes) / Zhaire Smith (12 minutes) / Mike Scott (12 minutes) / Shake Milton

Centers: Joel Embiid (36 minutes) / Nerlens Noel (12 minutes) / Jonah Bolden

That leaves 3 more for our first rounder and our two early 2nds. We also have two late 2nds to fill our 2-way contract spots with. Perfectly lined up. There is not clear line for rotation minutes, but theoretically someone could battle Lin for the backup PG spot, and for the playoffs we could use some more depth at wing (best targets for real contracts). For the regular season, we need extra Centers to mop up Embiid rest days (best targets for 2-way deals). So that lays it out as something like:

24: 3&D Guard

33/34: PG and 3&D Forward

42: Center

54: Center

At 24, 2 names seem to come up to me Talen Horton-Tucker and Matisse Thybulle. Both are great defenders at the guard position with the ability to develop a jumper. I think we should be able to get one of them and have them spend the early part of the season working on their jumper in the Gleague. They can then be called up in Jonah Bolden fashion for the 2nd half of the season and maybe play their way into the playoff rotation. Lets say Thybulle for illustration since Horton-Tucker is likely to be gone.

Other options: Camerson Johnson, Keldon Johnson, PJ Washington
I like some of these players, but they are more 3&D forwards than 3&D guards and I think its more important to sure up the guard spot behind the aging Redick, whoever we land on the MLE, and Zhaire Smith.

At 33, Shamorie Ponds just makes sense. He's a great all around offensive player with great point of attack+off ball defense. I'm actually surprised he hasn't started moving up draft boards, but would be a steal in the 2nd.

Other options: Ty Jerome, Markus Howard, Carson Edwards
These are all solid upperclassmen shooters. I'd have some questions as to whether they can actually run the point for stretches, but with our roster construction being a part time PG is probably good enough.

At 34, Miye Oni. He's a solid 3&D prospect and went to Yale so you know he has to have some brains on him. He should be able to develop very nicely and also be used immediately off the bench. I think this is another steal here.

Other options: Whoever falls from the 1st round. Most mocks have 1 or 2 of the 1st round guys falling to this slot.

42: Jontay Porter. This might be ambitious that he will fall, but I'm going to throw it out there. He's a lottery prospect with injury concerns. Throw him on a 2-way and let him get healthy.

Other options: Killian Tillie. He's also suffered from some injury problems, and also has 3&D potential at the 4/5 positions. More of a 3 point shooter than a defender though.

54: Ethan Happ. I think he's one of the best passing big men that I've ever seen. Some Jokic-esque potential if he can figure out his jumper, which quite frankly might be completely broken. This is a draft slot to take a huge gamble though. Throw him on a 2-way and let him work on his jumper in the gleague.

Other options: Whoever falls. This is a really late draft slot.

This leaves our final roster as:

PG: Ben Simmons / Shamorie Ponds / Jeremy Lin
Wing: Jimmy Butler / Tobias Harris / George Hill / JJ Redick / Mike Scott / Zhaire Smith / Shake Milton / Matisse Thybulle / Miye Oni
Center: Joel Embiid / Nerlens Noel / Jonah Bolden (on 2-ways: Jontay Porter / Ethan Happ)

I think that is a very deep roster on the wing with enough depth at the Center to survive regular season benchings of Jojo. What are other people's thoughts on a draft plan? Who are the targets?


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