Sixers plan to go after Harrison Barnes

[hpantazo]

Also being linked to waiters. Okafor/Noel/Embiid, Simmons, Barnes, waiters, and a competent PG will at least be on pare with what the Nets put together in free agency

They are going to be way ahead of Nets this season. Easily.

[PhoSita]

Fournier, Covington and Barnes should be there guys 1-3 since Simmons will be the point foward. Just load up on shooters and space the floor for Simmons.

Did you forget that they still have three blue chip prospect centers in Embiid, Noel, and Okafor? And Saric is supposed to come over as well.

I'm very interested to see what they end up doing with Okafor / Noel / Embiid.

I just don't see how they can head into next year with all three of those guys still on the roster, unless Embiid has another setback.  The longer you have all three of those guys vying for minutes, the more it depresses the trade value of any one of them.

Why not?  If Embiid can play, which is a huge if, why can't they go with a rotation of Embiid and Okafor as the starters with Noel being the sub for both spots?

Embiid, Okafor, and Noel are all centers.

Okafor cannot defend on the perimeter.  The Sixers DEFINITELY don't want Embiid chasing smaller guys in space.

Plus, Simmons is a PF.  Saric is a combo forward, as well. Then there's Holmes, Grant, and Covington vying for time as well.


There just isn't time to play all three of their centers.  If they keep them, they'll be playing something like 15-20 minutes per game each and taking turns sitting out games. 

Even if they play them together at times, that will only serve to make them look bad, as it did last year when Noel and Okafor shared the floor.

[Rondo9]

I think the Sixers will trade Noel or Oakafor over the summer.

[greece66]

Speaking of their need for guards, Sixers are interested in Waiters

http://www.libertyballers.com/2016/6/28/12054702/sixers-showing-interest-in-fa-guard-dion-waiters

[LarBrd33]

I can't imagine going from playing for a team that won 73 games a year and living in the Bay Area to playing with a bunch of 20 year old project big mans that projects to win 25 games in Philadelphia. I'm not trying to bag on Philadelphia, but being an athlete with a million dollar salary the Bay Area is an incredible place to live.

eh...

They have like 70 million in cap space.  Why not offer a max deal to Harrison Barnes?  There's really no drawback to it.  He's a decent player and will fit in with the rest of their talent.  There has to be some appeal to joining a team that was horrible last year and help take some of the credit for turning them around.

Then, what will they do with their other 50 million?  Perhaps target some vets like Brandon Bass types.  Maybe grab a decent point guard. 

Super interested to see what they do with the rest of that roster.   

[LarBrd33]

Speaking of their need for guards, Sixers are interested in Waiters

http://www.libertyballers.com/2016/6/28/12054702/sixers-showing-interest-in-fa-guard-dion-waiters

So a lineup of:

PG - Ben Simmons
SG - Waiters
SF - Barnes
PF - Okafor
C - Embiid
With Noel backing up both bigs and the rest of Philly's bums (Covington, Stauskas, etc) coming off the bench with whatever vets they sign with their other 40 million+...

Not saying that team contends immediately, but it will be more interesting than the group of ringers that won 10 games last year.

And if they find a taker for whichever of the 3 bigs they decide to move, they could improve their balance significantly.  Is Saric definitely staying overseas?

[MBunge]

Reality check - Somebody will wind up taking Philly's money but not until they've been turned down by 28 other teams (the Sixers will probably be ahead of the Nets).  They're not gonna get a first tier free agent or a second or even a third.  We're talking about the Deron Williams, Mirza Teletovics and E'Twaun Moores of the NBA as Philly's most likely additions.

Mike

[Csfan1984]

Fournier, Covington and Barnes should be there guys 1-3 since Simmons will be the point foward. Just load up on shooters and space the floor for Simmons.

Fournier is under contract in Orlando and it is very unlikely they trade him now that they traded Oladipo.

Maybe you had another player in mind?

Fournier is a RFA.

He'd be a little bit redundant with Korkmaz and Luwawu though.  Very similar player.

Thanks for the correction.

Still iirc Orlando traded Oladipo because they saw Fournier as the best of the two.

Yet that doesn't mean 76ers should not go after him and make Magic max him if they want to keep him. 76ers focus is add shooters around Simmons.

[slightly biased bias fan]

Speaking of their need for guards, Sixers are interested in Waiters

http://www.libertyballers.com/2016/6/28/12054702/sixers-showing-interest-in-fa-guard-dion-waiters

So a lineup of:

PG - Ben Simmons
SG - Waiters
SF - Barnes
PF - Okafor
C - Embiid
With Noel backing up both bigs and the rest of Philly's bums (Covington, Stauskas, etc) coming off the bench with whatever vets they sign with their other 40 million+...

Not saying that team contends immediately, but it will be more interesting than the group of ringers that won 10 games last year.

And if they find a taker for whichever of the 3 bigs they decide to move, they could improve their balance significantly.  Is Saric definitely staying overseas?

Philly coach has already come out and stated that Simmons won't be their starting point guard, I'd say they will trade Okafor for a starting caliber point guard but in the mean time it'd be

Smith
Waiters
Barnes
Simmons
Noel

Embiid and Okafor off the bench

If I was them I would take a punt on Jennings or Lawson on short term deal.

[Beat LA]

Speaking of their need for guards, Sixers are interested in Waiters

http://www.libertyballers.com/2016/6/28/12054702/sixers-showing-interest-in-fa-guard-dion-waiters

So a lineup of:

PG - Ben Simmons
SG - Waiters
SF - Barnes
PF - Okafor
C - Embiid
With Noel backing up both bigs and the rest of Philly's bums (Covington, Stauskas, etc) coming off the bench with whatever vets they sign with their other 40 million+...

Not saying that team contends immediately, but it will be more interesting than the group of ringers that won 10 games last year.

And if they find a taker for whichever of the 3 bigs they decide to move, they could improve their balance significantly.  Is Saric definitely staying overseas?

Waiters and Simmons both need the ball all the time and can't shoot worth a lick, lol, so I don't think that that pairing would work.  At least Barnes can shoot, but your shooting guard has to be able to do so, as well, if he's going to play with Simmons, imo.

[Beat LA]

Fournier, Covington and Barnes should be there guys 1-3 since Simmons will be the point foward. Just load up on shooters and space the floor for Simmons.

Did you forget that they still have three blue chip prospect centers in Embiid, Noel, and Okafor? And Saric is supposed to come over as well.

I'm very interested to see what they end up doing with Okafor / Noel / Embiid.

I just don't see how they can head into next year with all three of those guys still on the roster, unless Embiid has another setback.  The longer you have all three of those guys vying for minutes, the more it depresses the trade value of any one of them.

Why not?  If Embiid can play, which is a huge if, why can't they go with a rotation of Embiid and Okafor as the starters with Noel being the sub for both spots?

Okay, I am clearly out of my depth here, but that never stopped me from talking before. 

Don't okafur and embiid both have to play close to the basket? And Simmons is a poor outside shooter isn't he?  That would seem to really clog up the middle and allow teams to sag off the guards.

And the guards are not that great are they?

Yes, but my rationale is that Embiid can erase a lot of Okafor's defensive miscues, and Easter Island can do the same at either spot, albeit without Embiid's offensive ability, which is why he'd be the perfect sub for both spots, and everyone would receive plenty of minutes. 

As far as not having anyone else who can shoot, well, teams used to help off of those guys, but no one does that, anymore.  Defenses today don't know what to do when a guy actually *gasp* feeds the post successfully, as this is now so much from a guarantee that it is now considered a skill *facepalm*, and cut to basket for a layup.  It's like they've never seen it before, lol, and in Embiid and Okafor, the 76ers would play offensively unlike any other team in the league, which would mean for a lot of confusion, and if for no other reason than guys just aren't used to dealing with it.  Teams will adjust, in time, yes, but playing the 76ers with that duo would probably be so foreign to everyone that it would be like throwing sand in the gas tank, so to speak.  Besides, isn't Embiid developing a midrange jumper, anyway?  That would certainly help their spacing, imo.

[action781]

Would New Orleans take Noel in exchange for Buddy Hield?  To me, that would make a lot of sense to both teams. 

Noel/Davis becomes a super athletic rim-protecting force for New Orleans that could be the foundation for the best defense in the NBA for years to come if they can pick up some perimeter defenders though free agency (Conley? Batum? Marvin Williams?) and the next couple drafts.  Davis is also the perfect small-ball center when Noel sits.

Philly very much needs to bring in some floor spacing around Simmons and Okafor.

[LarBrd33]

Reality check - Somebody will wind up taking Philly's money but not until they've been turned down by 28 other teams (the Sixers will probably be ahead of the Nets).  They're not gonna get a first tier free agent or a second or even a third.  We're talking about the Deron Williams, Mirza Teletovics and E'Twaun Moores of the NBA as Philly's most likely additions.

Mike

Or Barnes, apparently.

[greece66]

Fresh tweet