THunder/Sonics won 20 and 23 games during Durant's first two seasons. Don't underestimate the power of a team that is intentionally trying to lose games. RIght now Philly has 2 NBA players and a bunch of D-Leaguers.
1. The Sixers have won 19 and 18 games the past two seasons and are on pace to win even fewer this season.
2. By Durant's second season, they already had Westbrook. Durant/Westbrook > Noel/Okafor.
3. Durant's second season, OKC also had Collison, Jeff Green, Kristic, and Sefalosha. That means by Durant's second year, they already had 6 of the top 8 rotation players that would make the playoffs. Philly has one, since even you admit Noel and Okafor can't coexist and we don't know if Embiid is ever going to play.
4. No free agent is going to have Philly as their #1 choice. Everyone else is going to have cap space and much more attractive situations.
5. Even if Philly and LA end with the two worst records in the league, I believe they are statistically most likely to get the 4th and 5th pick in the draft.
6. What basketball acumen has been demonstrated by the Philly brain trust? Their lottery picks have been the completely obvious picks anyone would make and they've shown next to nothing when it comes to judging talent when assembling the rest of the roster. Is there a single piece of evidence they have any idea of how to assemble a winning team?
7. Now that everyone knows Noel and Okafor can't play together, it hurts Noel's trade value. No one is giving up a king's ransom for him.
Let's remember that Philly isn't doing this so they can eventually make the Eastern Conference Finals a few times. The goal is to put together a super team that will win multiple titles. They are now in the third year of that process and are nowhere near that goal. And despite your "everything's coming up roses" analysis, there are a whole series of things that have to break exactly right to get Philly anywhere close to that objective.
Mike