76ers’ Team-Friendly Deals Promotes Flexibility in Trades
By Jake Hyman
The Philadelphia 76ers’ team-friendly deals give the team added flexibility for trades.
Yesterday, the Philadelphia 76ers added a familiar face in former power forward Elton Brand to provide a veteran presence for the organization. With the addition of the 16-year Duke product, general manager Sam Hinkie had to cut ties with a player on the roster. Undrafted rookie Christian Wood became the unfortunate waive candidate, playing in only 14 games.
With the hyper-aggressive tendencies of the Sixers management to shift their roster, many other talents currently fixated in head coach Brett Brown’s lineup could be cut adrift to make room for new, fresh talent.
By releasing Wood, a 20-year-old with upside, the Sixers only take a $219,304 cap hit. The remainder of his four-year deal doesn’t affect the Sixers financially. These type of deals have both aided and hindered Philadelphia in the past, as players sometimes are hesitant to play for low salaries that are more beneficial to the team that owns their rights.
K.J. McDaniels, after being drafted with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, decided to forego the staple four-year deals for second-round picks and put full stock in his abilities. Earning $507, 336 in the 2014-15 season, McDaniels made a profit by enticing the Houston Rockets to give him a two-year contract worth $6,523,126 after being traded to the team in 2015.
The uptick in salary for McDaniels was warranted, as the rookie averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game last season with the Sixers. For the players that have agreed to these multi-year partially-guaranteed deals, their careers are also in a state of flux unless they break out.
An example would be combo forward Jerami Grant, who has shown the ability to guard either forward positions and start or come off the bench. In his second season, Grant’s production has jumped considerably, as the Syracuse product is averaging career-highs in points (9.1 PPG), rebounds (4.5 RPG) and field goal percentage (42.2 percent).
Besides showing intensity and using his athleticism to grab boards and block shots, the 6’8″, 214-pound former second-round pick has the numbers to warrant staying power on the ever-changing Sixers roster.
“I think I’m an energy guy, someone that brings a spark either off the bench or starting,” said Grant, per nba.com’s Brian Seltzer.
He’s found what many second-round or undrafted players fail to acknowledge, a role. Grant, long term, projects as a second unit energizer capable of playing both the three and four and can be a two-way threat.
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The 21-year-old is making $845,059 in the 2015-16 season, but will make just over $980,000 next season and $1.05 million in the 2017-18 campaign. If Grant’s game develops, that’s a price that screams value. Similarly, the Sixers have invested in players that other teams passed on both in the 2014 and 2015 offseasons.
T.J. McConnell, who has fit comfortably in the backup point guard role after starting early in the season, is making just over $525,000 and averaging 5.0 APG. He’s played efficient basketball since being signed as an undrafted rookie and could have his qualifying offer worth $1,074,636 picked up this offseason.
Second unit revelation Richaun Holmes also looks to be outplaying his contract, as the rookie from Bowling Green State put up 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the Sixers 109-99 victory last night over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team never has to pay Holmes over $1.9 million over his three-year contract and Holmes has a club option for 2018.
On the other spectrum is talent who has struggled on the season. Kendall Marshall, thought to be an option at starting point guard due to his dept passing ability and vision, has become an afterthought in the Sixers rotation. Robert Covington, last year’s stat stuffing three-point ace also has struggled with consistency.
Despite averaging 10.7 PPG and 5.6 RPG, Covington is shooting an unsightly 36.8 percent and 30.9 percent from deep. He’s lost his starting spot to Grant, who has become the team’s primary PF option, and is becoming less of a factor as the season progresses.
With a copious amount of players competing on team-friendly contracts, it isn’t burdensome if the Sixers go after another veteran and waive a younger entity on the team. Wood’s release was contradictory to what the team was attempting to convey in recent seasons, as a franchise buying low on raw, high-upside talent.
However, the team won’t be heavily cap stricken if they add more talent via trade or free agency and gives up prematurely on a Covington or Marshall. The team has a bevy of options they can turn to heading into the thick of the trading period.
Even if teams aren’t particularly enticed with the talent level of some of the Sixers struggling players, their contracts are favorable to contenders who have salary invested in premier talents.
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Currently, the Sixers are the second-lowest team in terms of salary in the 2015-16 following the Portland Trail Blazers. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Hinkie once again use the team’s ample cap space in order to take on an egregious contract and drop a rotation player as a result. With their low-cost deals, it’s not as impactful for the Sixers, as the team is heavily invested in value.