2023 76ers Offseason Preview

After another season has once again ended in devastation in Philadelphia, Daryl Morey and Co. have a lot to do in the offseason to please the Sixers faithful. Morey has already brought the team a step in the right direction by firing Doc Rivers and replacing him with former Raptors coach Nick Nurse. If the 76ers’ front office wants to bring Philly back to stardom and in the championship race, they will have multiple big decisions to make in the offseason.

Listed below are a few transactions and ideas that the Sixers might need to fulfill in order to stay competitive:

Resign Main Roleplayers

Jalen McDaniels was quietly a major part of the Philadelphia bench this past season and could be a priority for Daryl Morey to try and bring back. When the Sixers picked up McDaniels in February, not many fans had much faith in him. However, he has surprised many as he put up very decent numbers in his short time with Philly. He had averaged about 7 points with 3 rebounds and a steal with the Sixers with only about 17 minutes a game. If Philadelphia were to decide to replace P.J. Tucker in the starting lineup, McDaniels could be a main candidate to take over.

Georges Niang on the other hand played his role perfectly with the Sixers in this past season. Whenever he was on the court, the defense knew what he was going to do, but they couldn’t stop it. Niang was an absolute unit from downtown and showcased his shooting abilities in key moments in big games. He averaged an impressive 44% from the field and 40% from three as a 6’7 forward. He is also could be upgraded to the starting power forward if P.J. Tucker were to be demoted.

Although many Sixers fans don’t want to admit it, James Harden is a crucial piece to the puzzle in Philly. Just after a couple of bad games in the Eastern Semi, fans and reporters alike have made it very clear that Harden should not be a Sixer. But many people seem to forget what Harden has done to this franchise. James Harden hit multiple game-winning shots in the same series that people believe he should be exiled out of Philly for. He put up 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists this past year, which are very serviceable statistics. However, he does not seem to be deserving of the max contract that he so desires. Recently, Harden has supposedly had an interest in returning to Houston in the offseason, but he very well could be using the Rockets as contract leverage. Daryl Morey likely is going to try and convince Harden to stay in Philly long-term in a deal that’s worth less than the max.

If Philadelphia were to lose key bench roleplayers such as Jalen McDaniels or Georges Niang, the 76ers depth would not be as deep as it is and the SF and PF positions would be weak. If they were also to lose James Harden, all the pressure would be on Embiid to perform, and since the Sixers haven’t done much with both Harden and Embiid, it would be difficult for Embiid to win without his partner in crime. Other players such as Paul Reed would also be important to resign for Philadelphia.

Target Roster Weaknesses

Although the 76ers’ roster has many talented players, there are some weaknesses and holes that need to be filled.

One of these weaknesses is the backup center. While Paul Reed did not disappoint this past season, he is set to become a Restricted Free Agent and is on the smaller end for his position. Although Reed is listed as a center, he plays the game like a forward. Some free agent centers that the Sixers could target may include players such as Mason Plumlee, Christian Wood, or Thomas Bryant. If Daryl Morey were to fill this whole backup center, a lot of weight would be taken off of Joel Embiid’s shoulders, helping other players carry the load.

Another part of the roster that the Sixers might want to try and fix is to trade Tobias Harris for 2 or more roleplayers. Tobias Harris has played decently with the 76ers, but the $39 million that he will be making this upcoming season is outrageous. Harris hasn’t lived up to the hype he has when he came to Philly from Los Angeles. He was expected to be an automatic shooter and a sniper from deep and clearly, he is nowhere close to that. So what better idea than to trade away the big contract for a few players that can do what Harris couldn’t? A team that Philadelphia might want to target could be the Indiana Pacers because of Buddy Hield, who could immediately replace Harris’s position as the starting Small Forward, and T.J. McConnell who could be a very good backup with De’Anthony Melton to Tyrese Maxey and James Harden (if he returns).

Although this isn’t necessarily currently a weakness, if the Sixers want to prevent it from becoming one in the near future, they need to extend Tyrese Maxey. Maxey is eligible for a 5-year, $213 million extension this offseason and this should be the main thing that Philadelphia should try to complete. Other than Maxey, Harden, and Melton, there are not many strong guards on the Philly offense and if they were to lose Maxey after this year, it could be detrimental to future success. With Harden’s future in Philadelphia uncertain, the Sixers could prioritize keeping Maxey for the long run and to make sure they are successful in the future.

Stay Away From Big Names

Although the names Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, and Damian Lillard would look great in red, white, and blue jerseys, the 76ers should try to stay away from them. If they were to trade for even just one of these players, the transaction would likely include Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, along with draft picks. This is a steep asking price for any of these aging players that wouldn’t even guarantee success. Trading for any of them would completely throw away the future and would only give the Sixers about a 2-4 year championship window. For Chris Paul specifically, it may only be a 1-2 year window as he already is thinking about his 401k and beach houses as he is at the elderly age of 38.

A big name that the 76ers might actually want to go after isn’t a player. It’s Pelicans’ coaching advisor Mike D’Antoni. The former Knicks, Lakers, and Rockets Head Coach would be a great addition to be an assistant to Nick Nurse. D’Antoni already has experience with current Sixers players like James Harden, Danuel House Jr., and De’Anthony Melton, who he coached in his time with Houston. He has the resume to have a bigger role than just an advisor at this point in his career, as he won a Coach of the Year award not too long ago. Not only would his coaching schemes be helpful, but he would also be good for team morale. His relationships with his players are known to be a strong suit of his and would be very valuable to a team with ups and downs like the Philadelphia 76ers.