The Philadelphia 76ers had a busy summer. Here’s a look at what they did in the 2017 NBA Draft and free agency with complete offseason grades.
The 2017 offseason was a busy one for the Philadelphia 76ers as they begin to work themselves through “The Process.” It looks as though the team is ready to take the next step toward the playoffs.
The expectations for the Sixers certainly will rise in the 2017-18 season after the summer moves they’ve made. Point forward Ben Simmons was cleared for basketball contact at the beginning of the offseason. He should be ready to go for the upcoming campaign.
The pieces around Simmons have also gotten phenomenally better in a matter of months. The cupboard isn’t bare of talent for Simmons to rely on, especially after some key free agent signings.
Joel Embiid won the NBAPA Comeback Player of the Year Award, despite playing in only 31 games last season. Embiid was also a first team All-Rookie selection after averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.1 assists per game.
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Embiid has yet to be cleared for 5-on-5 play, however. The front office risked it all when they swapped picks with the Boston Celtics in order to acquire the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
It was only the beginning for the Philadelphia 76ers as they continue to develop their roster around a core of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
The front office made some big moves in free agency signing two quality veterans. Next to those signings, they’ve also added some more overseas talent.
The Sixers have the potential to be very good, but they’re still a very young team. A championship may not be in their sights, but after the offseason they’ve had, the playoffs may be up for discussion. Here’s a look at Philly’s busy summer with complete offseason grades.
Trading up to draft Markelle Fultz
The Philadelphia 76ers made a big move when they drafted shooting guard Markelle Fultz. They traded their third overall pick, along with a future first round pick either in 2018 or 2019, to the Celtics for the first overall pick.
Since being taken as the first overall pick by the Sixers, Fultz has agreed to his rookie contract.
Fultz showed flashes of his superstar potential in NBA Summer League before he went out with an ankle sprain. He was sat down for precautionary reasons, however, and should still be ready for training camp.
Fultz answers a ton of needs for the Sixers. He’s a sure-fire shooter and a ball-handler who also distributes the ball quite well. In his lone season at the University of Washington, he averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He’s a born leader who leads by example.
Fultz scored 17 points in his Summer League debut. In his second game, he put up 23 points, six rebounds and five assists on 56 percent shooting from the floor. He’s the pick-and-roll point guard the Philadelphia 76ers have always wanted.
He shot 47.6 percent from the floor and 41.3 percent from 3-point range as a freshman last season. With more development along with Simmons and Embiid, the hope is for Fultz is to grow into the next big thing.
So far, without them, Fultz has shown what he can do this summer. The regular season will tell the real story, though. Simmons is expected to handle the ball some as well so we’ll see how the chemistry works there.
Grade: A
Anzejs Pasecniks‘ draft rights acquired from Orlando Magic
As a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers, understand that the front office will never have enough big men. That’s why on the night of the 2017 NBA Draft, the team traded the Orlando Magic their 2020 first round draft pick for the rights to Anzejs Pasecniks. The pick is protected in slots 1-20.
Pasecniks isn’t a bad specimen at 7’2″, but he weighs just 220 pounds. He is a native of Latvia, much like New York Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis. He played last season for Gran Cranaria, a team in Spain, where he averaged 7.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game on 65.8 percent shooting from the floor.
Pasecniks isn’t that polished of a shooter from 3-point range, but the idea for the Sixers is to draft-and-stash this pick. Pasecniks is only 22 years old and needs to put on some reasonable muscle. Outside of that, there’s not much room for another big man in Philadelphia currently.
With Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, Ben Simmons, Amir Johnson, Richaun Holmes and Dario Saric all on the roster, Pasecniks would not find much playing time. Besides, Pasecniks is still under contract with Gran Canaria in ACB League.
Grade: B-
Drafting and stashing Jonah Bolden
Former UCLA Bruin 6’10” forward Jonah Bolden wasn’t a bad pickup in the 2017 NBA Draft. Many outlets considered him the steal of the second round, if he fell that far. He did fall to the second round, as the Philadelphia 76ers scooped him up with the 36th overall pick.
Bolden fared well this summer on the Sixers’ Summer League squad in Utah and Las Vegas. In Utah, he averaged 10.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.0 steals per game. In Vegas, he averaged 8.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Bolden showed a strong skill-set as a defensive-minded player who also stretches the floor on offense. He turned some heads in the front office, but he’s another draft-and-stash prospect the Sixers will have to monitor.
He’s headed overseas to play with Maccabi Tel-Aviv on a three-year deal. The contract comes with an opt-out clause for the NBA as well.
Another year to develop overseas should be good for Bolden. He’s a budding wing player Philadelphia could use in the future. He’s also only 21 years old.
Bolden averaged 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 blocks per game for FMP Beograd last season. They had a Serbian team who had a 10-16 record in 2016-17. He hopes to fare better this season in Israel.
He looks like the most ready of all the draft-and-stash prospects, but a roster spot is hard to find. He’s better off overseas for now.
Grade: B
Mathias Lessort, another draft-and-stash player
In terms of need, Mathias Lessort is probably the lowest on the list of priorities for the Philadelphia 76ers. Lessort was taken 50th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Sixers.
The 6’9″ power forward is best known for his rebounding prowess and ability to run the floor. Considering the team signed Amir Johnson during free agency, Lessort has become the odd man out.
The Sixers were in need of rebounding depth, but Johnson just so happened to fall in their lap. Signing Johnson has given Philadelphia a surprise in the frontcourt depth department, something it lacked in 2016-17.
Still, Lessort made quite the impression in the little Summer League action he did see. He had four points, four rebounds, a steal, an assist and a block in just about 13 minutes of action on July 11 in Las Vegas.
Lessort is the final player of the draft-and-stash variety that the Sixers have sent the overseas route this season. He signed with Zvezda, a Serbian club that went 30-2 in Liga ABA during the 2016-17 season.
The Sixers could revisit where he fits later on down the road, but right now, he still has time to develop.
Grade: B-
J.J. Redick signs a one-year, $23 million deal
As if drafting shooting guard Markelle Fultz wasn’t enough, the Philadelphia 76ers went out and got sharpshooter J.J. Redick for a nice sum.
Redick’s one-year, $23 million deal looks like a short-term option right now, but he hopes to finish his career as a Sixer. Redick brings his veteran abilities to a young locker room in need of a few things.
At the age of 33, he certainly isn’t a player looking to break out and score 30 points every night (although, he did score 31 points against the Washington Wizards on March 29 last season, making seven 3-pointers in that game).
Redick still has plenty of juice left in the tank. He started in 78 games last season while averaging 15.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 28.2 minutes per game. He’ll probably enter training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers as a starter, but for how long?
Markelle Fultz is lucky to have a guy like Redick ahead of him, for now anyways. However, the dollar amount certainly is a head-scratcher. Redick previously made roughly $7.4 million last season, his highest amount until the 2017-18 season.
If Redick wants to stay for the long haul and reap the rewards of a potentially bright future, he’ll have to take a hefty pay cut to make room for other guys.
Grade: B+
Amir Johnson signs a one-year, $11 million deal
The Philadelphia 76ers made an interesting move when they acquired former Boston Celtics center Amir Johnson. The center signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Sixers at the beginning of free agency.
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Johnson is a serviceable big man entering his 13th year in the NBA. He averaged 6.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game as Boston’s starting center in 2016-17.
Now, Johnson’s stats aren’t bad but he didn’t quite fit the offensive flow in Boston. With Philadelphia, Johnson can serve as the clean-up man on the glass while also manning the paint on defense.
Joel Embiid is a good defender, so much so he can guard some of the quicker forwards on the floor. With him at the 4-spot and Johnson at the 5, it gives some of the paint responsibility to Johnson when Embiid defends on the perimeter.
Let’s say Dario Saric gets in foul trouble or even Embiid. Johnson serves as a solid backup at the power forward and center spot for Philadelphia for now. He certainly gives them depth in their frontcourt should anybody get hurt or in foul trouble.
Grade: A
Overall
The Philadelphia 76ers had an action-packed offseason to say the least. Markelle Fultz serves as a perfect complement to what potential point forward Ben Simmons will bring to the table in 2017-18.
The team took a gamble giving up a future first round pick in either 2018 or 2019 to move up to the No. 1 pick, but the Sixers are expected to be much improved next season.
The signings of Amir Johnson and J.J. Redick give them veterans who have both been members of playoff teams in the past. Johnson brings a gritty defender to the frontcourt, while Redick brings a player who shouldn’t be left open behind the arc.
They’ve got the talent to be more than competitive in 2017-18, now they’ll just need to produce and stay healthy. The team is sure to be cautious with Simmons going into the season considering there’s an 82-game schedule.
Next: Toronto Raptors - Complete 2017 offseason grades
Preseason action is right around the corner, so fans will get a glimpse of the new-look Philadelphia 76ers soon enough. Right now though, the offseason can be considered a success for them.
Final Grade: A