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Philadelphia 76ers Free Agents: Who To Keep, Who To Let Walk

By Cody Daniel

Apr 4, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ish Smith (5) talks with head coach Brett Brown during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets defeated the 76ers 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ish Smith (5) talks with head coach Brett Brown during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets defeated the 76ers 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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From the moment Sam Hinkie took the reins as the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013, the roster in Philly has become a revolving door of marginal talent as a complete rebuild was put into place.

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Two seasons and two offseasons have come and gone under Hinkie’s watchful and unpredictable eye and as we’ve recently entered the third offseason of the rebuild, the focus has shifted towards the 2015 NBA Draft and who may join Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid as the cornerstones of the franchise, as well as who may be able to come in and help fill out what the Philly faithful would hope becomes a competitive roster in the next year or two.

Of course, the draft is the most important component is the Sixers rebuild at this point, but the 2015 free agency frenzy will also play a significant role in determining a considerable amount of the Sixers’ potential roster next season.

It’s far too early to even begin to guess who the Sixers could draw outside interest from in free agency, but with the possibility of losing up to six guys from their current roster, there is a case to be made for who Hinkie and his Sixers would be wise to bring back once the free agency negotiations can begin July 1.

As I mentioned, six current Sixers could possibly find themselves elsewhere to begin next season, depending on how free agency plays out. The restricted free agents include rookie Glenn Robinson III and center Henry Sims, while Luc Mbah a Moute, Jason Richardson, Thomas Robinson and Ish Smith are all unrestricted free agents.

Of course, what happens with what will be at least six draft picks for the Sixers June 25 could completely shake up how the free agency decisions play out for Philly, but here’s an early look at how I believe things should play out for each of these free agents based on their efforts with the Sixers.

Glenn Robinson III

Mar 30, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Glenn Robinson III (1) in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Wells Fargo Center. The Lakers won 113-111 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Glenn Robinson III (1) in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Wells Fargo Center. The Lakers won 113-111 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Robinson played only 10 games for the Sixers, scoring 4.4 points on average in each of his outings, but he also sat on the pine for the entire length of the game in 10 of the 20 games he was on the Sixers roster.

This shows he wasn’t much of a necessity, even with a depleted roster last season, so once combo-guard Tony Wroten returns, along with whichever guards the Sixers may take in the draft, it’s unlikely even what limited minutes he saw last season will be available in 2015-16.

For that reason, I don’t believe there’s much reason for Philly to try and match any offers Robinson may get, regardless of how minimal.

Henry Sims 

There was a point in the season when Sims was a necessary piece to a staggeringly thin Sixers interior lineup, but as the season began winding down, that began to change. You can credit this to the arrivals of Furkan Aldemir and Thomas Robinson, as well as the rise of Noel during his rookie campaign.

You could argue that some smaller lineups at times led to Sims spending more time on the bench, but one way or another, Sims’ court value decreased as the season went on. In the Sixers’ final 26 games, Sims played no more than a full quarter (12 minutes) in 16 outings, which included nine games where he didn’t play at all.

With the anticipated debut of Joel Embiid looming, along with the possibility of Philly taking a big man with one of their numerous draft picks this year, Sims looks to be another player Philly may not have room for in 2015-16.

Luc Mbah a Moute

Mbah a Moute isn’t the most entertaining guy to watch and he certainly doesn’t seem to fit the fast-paced direction the Sixers seem to be going, but I do believe if the circumstances are right, there could be a place for him in Philly again.

Mbah a Moute averaged nearly double digits last season at 9.9, but his biggest role is unquestionably his mentorship of the Sixers’ prized possession and fellow Cameroon native, Embiid. If Mbah a Moute did want to re-sign with the Sixers, I would say it would be worth it, even if it’s just for one season.

It’s always nice to have a veteran presence around and especially one that can continue in making the future of the franchise’s transition into the NBA a bit smoother.

 

Apr 8, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason Richardson (23) in a game against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. The Wizards won 119-90. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason Richardson (23) in a game against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. The Wizards won 119-90. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Jason Richardson

What happens with Richardson all likely depends on the draft. Philly owns the rights to Jordan McRae, an explosive scoring wing that played overseas last season, and depending on which guards they can get their hands on in the draft, there may not be room for the 34-year-old.

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    • But as I noted in a previous column, Richardson, along with Smith and Robinson, have all expressed their desire to return to Philly and play under Brett Brown again after this season.

    Of course, Richardson’s health will play a huge factor in the decision that any team may make, but if he still wants to return once July rolls around and finding a spot for him wouldn’t take away from someone who can be a piece for the future, bringing back yet another vet would be a wise option to consider.

    Ish Smith

    Noel stated during the season that Smith was his favorite point guard that he’s ever been able to play with and for understandable reasons, as Smith did an impressive job at consistently finding the big men in the right places.

    After averaging 12 points and 6.1 assists for Philly last season, Smith became Philly’s more reliable floor general and luckily for the Sixers, Smith wants to return, per Sixers.com:

    "“I hope so,” Smith said. “I really like it here. I knew I had to play and work hard and not worry about all the other things. I figure that will all take care of itself. It was important to me to come in and do my work and take in everything the coaching staff was teaching me. I still have so much to learn.”"

    If the Sixers and Smith were to agree to bring the crafty point guard back next season, it would likely have to be in a backup role with Emmanuel Mudiay and D’Angelo Russell being reported as the two guys Philly has their eyes on. But as long as Smith would be willing to come back and provide that spark off the bench, I think he deserves to be given an offer to stay in Philly.

     

    Thomas Robinson

    Of all the Sixers upcoming free agents, Robinson is likely the most important one to try and retain.

    Not only is he a remarkable talent that finally displayed what he can do with some consistent minutes, putting up career highs of 8.8 points and 7.7 boards in Philly, but Aldemir is far from a quality relief solution for Noel and with the possibility of Sims heading to free agency unsigned, there would be almost no reason for the Sixers to delay in extending Robinson an offer he couldn’t refuse to return to The City of Brotherly Love.

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