The Philadelphia 76ers will need to reevaluate their free agent targets following their blockbuster acquisition of the No. 1 overall pick.
You only need to sneak a peak at Joel Embiid‘s Instagram account to get an idea of the excitement surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers.
Embiid’s latest post entails what is now a reality – the Sixers have agreed to a trade with the Boston Celtics to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The deal involves the Sixers sending the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, along with another future first round selection, in exchange for this year’s coveted No. 1 pick.
The target for such a blockbuster move is University of Washington guard, Markelle Fultz.
A combo guard with flawless reviews, Fultz is viewed as a “can’t miss” prospect. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, the general consensus is that the Celtics’ already deep backcourt has played a significant part in convincing their general manager, Danny Ainge, that this is the correct step forward for their franchise.
But when viewing Embiid’s latest post, the Sixers players themselves clearly couldn’t be happier with the move.
This picture says a thousand words. Pictured from left to right are Robert Covington, Ben Simmons, Fultz and Embiid.
Such a momentous move, however, is going to have a natural flow-on effect with the subsequent moves made this summer by the Sixers’ front office, and their GM, Bryan Colangelo.
With Fultz and Simmons set to share the playmaking duties, targeting a highly-priced free agent guard now makes little sense. Embiid’s presence in the middle is a given, with Covington at this stage set in stone at the 3-spot. Dario Saric at the 4?
That’s not a given, especially considering Colangelo’s comments shortly after the Sixers’ season ended:
"“I think the stretch-four position is something, backing up Dario or starting in front of Dario, whichever it is if we can find someone that’s better. We’ve got to probably address that four position.”"
This, therefore, leaves a couple of areas to target. The 4-spot, as mentioned. Plus, overall veteran depth is another crucial area. Aside from Jerryd Bayless, who played just three games last year, and Gerald Henderson, there is virtually no other veteran experience on their current roster.
Just last summer, Colangelo made a two-year, $30 million offer to then-38-year-old Manu Ginobili, as much for his presence in the locker room as on the court. With a mountain of salary cap space available, a similar offer to another veteran is likely to be in the cards.
With this in mind, here’s a look at some of the more likely targets for the Sixers this offseason.