For Philadelphia 76ers fans hoping for notable roster changes this summer, a new report from ESPN is mostly bad news for you.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a lot of hope in Philadelphia about the Sixers’ postseason chances. They had just eliminated the Boston Celtics after shockingly coming back from a 3-1 deficit in their opening round series. Many analysts around the game even suggested they were the favorites in the East to reach the NBA Finals. Then they ran into a New York Knicks buzzsaw and were swept out of the playoffs.
Change was obviously coming, and it arrived on Tuesday when they officially ousted president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey. Head coach Nick Nurse will stay on for at least one more season, but what about their roster? It clearly wasn’t anywhere close to enough to beat New York. Plus, broken-down stars Joel Embiid and Paul George are expensive blockades to roster improvements.
Yet, many have suggested in recent days that the 76ers won’t be able to do much this summer. And it seems executives around the game believe they shouldn’t. “Run it back, load manage Joel as much as they can, be a playoff team, and try to stay healthy. I think there’s stuff you can do on the margins,” a Western exec told ESPN.
Moreover, ESPN NBA insider Tim Bontemps noted, “It doesn’t make a lot of sense for Philadelphia to pay a heavy cost in assets to dump either veteran star now.”
Team President opening ‘enticing’ because of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe
Yet making moves around the margins, as that West exec suggested, may be difficult, because as fellow NBA insider Brian Windhorst pointed out in the same report, the 76ers have clearly been avoiding getting closer to the second NBA tax apron. It is allegedly why they moved Jared McCain before this year’s trade deadline, and have done similar moves in recent years.
However, the ESPN report did offer some hope. Although the Sixers are stuck with George and Embiid, teams around the game are very high on the backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. One East executive told the outlet they are “arguably the most exciting backcourt in the entire league.”
Furthermore, several executives who spoke with the NBA insiders claimed the young and talented duo is a major reason why the opening to be the next team president is “enticing” to potential candidates.
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