Jul 23, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie introduces first round draft pick center Nerlens Noel during a press conference at PCOM. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The Philadelphia 76ers are roughly at $41.6 million in terms of salary for the 2013-14 season. The NBA says teams must spend at least 90 percent of the salary cap. The cap is at $58.5 million for the upcoming season, meaning the magical number for Philly to hit is $52.65 million to avoid missing the salary floor.
This would suggest the Sixers need to add more than $10 million in the coming weeks to avoid any punishment they would incur by not reaching the salary floor.
Except, there aren’t really any punishments.
The only punishment of any sort is that the Sixers would have to spread the amount they are under the floor to the players already on the roster. This provision ensures every franchise spend at least $52.65 million either way.
Is there really any need to add $10 million worth of production, in a season in which Philly want to be bad and try to stack up ping-pong balls in an attempt to land one of the prized assets from the 2014 NBA Draft? Sure, a shrewd man like general manager Sam Hinkie may want to get more bang for his buck by adding a talented asset as opposed to paying their current players more, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that the Sixers will not add any free agents.
However, there are a few ways in which they might choose to reach the floor — even though there are no real penalties. They are in a position in which they can take on teams’ bad, expiring deals, so long as they get draft picks, especially in next year’s supposedly loaded draft class. So, for example, if the Dallas Mavericks decide they want to dump Shawn Marion’s $9.32 million contract, the 76ers would be willing to take that on for a year while giving up a player like Evan Turner or Spencer Hawes on the premise that they can receive a draft pick.
Don’t be surprised if Sam Hinkie decides to add one or two free agents. At the end of the day, they have to find a way to sell tickets somehow. An exciting player could provide that. But in the grand scheme of things, the positives for not reaching the floor (a worse team and a better chance of landing Andrew Wiggins) outweigh the negatives (they split up $10 million between their current players). One thing is for sure: anything is possible under Sam Hinkie. One thing should be noted though, the salary floor that many are saying the Sixers need to meet is really a non-story. They might or they might not meet it.