Sixers got maximum value in their free-agency contracts

The free agency dust is finally settling around the league. Well, almost at least. We’re still waiting on the Anthony Tolliver waiving/Charles Bassey signing — but for the most part, we know what the 2021 Sixers will start with in terms of a roster.

While free agency wasn’t as eventful as some hoped, the Sixers quietly managed to put together a decent offseason in terms of signings. They didn’t have much to work with in terms of cap space or assets, but they managed to come away with some great value.

There’s no better way to showcase this than utilizing ProFitX.ai and their real-time contract tool; which determines a NBA player’s real-time contract value based on numerous factors such as team fit, production, veteran leadership, injuries, among many others. These projections have been accurate with many signings across the league.

The Sixers’ offseason showcased four full-time contract signings within free agency with Danny Green, Furkan Korkmaz, Georges Niang, and Andre Drummond. Let’s see what ProFitX’s projections show on each deal.

Danny Green

The Sixers retained Danny Green (yay!) to a two-year deal worth $20 million. It’s important to note that Green’s second year is non-guaranteed, which basically makes it a team option.

For some background, ProFitX projected Danny Green’s real-time contract (or RTC for short) value at $16.2 million last season — which is pretty on-the-money with what he was being paid at around $15 million. Green was a very solid starter, hitting the most threes for them in the regular season while being a productive starter and defender. For next season, ProFitX’s projected average for Green’s RTC at just over $16 million with a high/low of $17.5M/$14.4

These projections just show how solid of a signing this was for the Sixers. Out of everything they’ve done this summer, it’s probably their biggest home run. Danny Green making $10 million a year is very team friendly and affordable. Tacking on a non-guaranteed year to the deal just makes it a complete grand slam of a signing. Danny Green is a perfect fit in Philly (or on any roster really), regardless of if it’s Ben Simmons or someone else running the point.

Furkan Korkmaz

Most people were popping korks when they found out that Furkan Korkmaz inked a deal to stay in Philly. Apart from Simmons and Embiid, he’s the longest tenured Sixer on the roster. We’ve witnessed him go from publicly demanding a trade due to a lack of playing time to blossoming into a very capable shooter off the bench during his time here.

Korkmaz and the Sixers agreed to a $15 million contract over the span of three years; so a rough average $5 million per year. Like Green, this is another very solid signing. ProFitX had Furkan Korkmaz’s real-time contract value at $8.1 million last season. The projections show that he’s estimated to produce like a $9 million dollar player, with a high/low of $10.4M/$7.6M.

There’s been bigger demand for shooting than ever before. We’ve seen sharpshooters like Joe Harris, Davis Bertans, and Duncan Robinson cash out for deals north of $80 million. Landing a capable shooter off the bench in Korkmaz for $15 million is in absolute steal. We’ve also seen him showcase some defensive ability towards the end of the regular season last year.

Keeping a good microwave scorer and shooter on the bench for just roughly $5 million a year is really impressive — especially when you factor in that his production is estimated to be worth nearly double that.

Georges Niang

Now for the “new new” guys on the team! The Sixers inked Niang to a $6.7 million contract over the span of two years. For those unfamiliar with Niang, he’s been a capable role player off the bench for the Utah Jazz who have had much success in the past two-three years. He is labeled as one of the more underrated shooters in the entire NBA, coming off back-to-back seasons of shooting above 40 percent from three. If you want to get to know him even better our own Kevin F. Love did a very good in-depth piece behind “The Minivan” here.

The Sixers used some of their taxpayer’s mid-level exception with this signing as it’s slightly above a minimum contract. Niang had a career season last year for Utah, and ProFitX’s projections showcase that at a $7.6 million real-time contract value. His projected RTC value is $6.8M with a high/low of $8M/$5.6M

The Sixers landed Niang for a rough average of $3.3 million a year, well below his projected real-time contract value and projections. The same thing can be said for Niang as I did with Korkmaz: shooting is the most valued skill in the NBA. Landing another shooter with enough size to play either forward position for an affordable cost is commendable.

Andre Drummond

Man, it’s going to be weird seeing Andre Drummond in a Sixer uniform. The Sixers and Drummond agreed to terms of a one-year minimum contract just a few weeks ago.

While Drummond has become a bit of a NBA Twitter meme, I think it’s gotten to the point where it’s a tad extreme. I believe Drummond can be a capable and very solid NBA player in a reduced role. It seems like he’s accepted that he’ll mostly be a backup big if he wants to prolong his career, which is huge. If Drummond can buy into a role and play within it this could go down as a steal of a signing.

Drummond’s role completely changed last season, as he went from a starter in Cleveland to becoming a role player with the Lakers. ProFitX had his real-time contract value at $15.4 million last year. The projections show him to have the same production of a $22 million dollar player, with a high/low $20 million.

This chart showcases how much of a home run this signing could turn out if Andre Drummond buys in with Philly. We know from his Detroit/Cleveland days that he’s capable of getting 15/15 averages with ease. He won’t have that playing time on a regular basis, but he’ll be able to produce some impressive numbers in limited time.

While his fit with Ben Simmons is highly questionable, the verdict remains to be seen with that. Will he ever share the floor with him? It’s anyone’s guess. However, pairing Drummond with a more traditional point guard should yield some solid results.

As you can see, the Sixers managed to get positive value out of every free agency contract they’ve signed — and that’s not even mentioning their two-way contract additions of Aaron Henry and Grant Riller. While this summer wasn’t as loud or eventful as some might have hoped, it wasn’t bad by any means. All of these contracts are A/B rating in terms of a value.

For these projections and more, you can check out ProFitX.ai here. They have very useful tools, including the real-time contract values used within this piece. I strongly recommend that you go check it out.