Philadelphia 76ers: 5 predictions for the 2018-19 NBA season

2. The 76ers once again become big players on the buyout market

Last season, this was certainly one of the turning points of the Sixers’ season. With a 25-25 record  and hanging onto the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, something had to give as it pertained to the Sixers’ push toward their first postseason appearance since 2012.

In the space of a fortnight, veterans Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova were claimed off waivers after each of their contracts were bought out by the Atlanta Hawks. Both experienced veterans, and in the case of Belinelli, an NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, their presence off the bench, both in the regular season and the postseason, made an enormous difference.

The end result was the Sixers compiling a 16-game winning streak to conclude the regular season, and as a result, they earned home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Sixers lost this veteran duo over the summer in free agency, with the impact they made during their brief stint with the team certainly not going unnoticed.

While the Sixers have bought in veteran forward Wilson Chandler and stretch-big Mike Muscala to round out the rotation, there’s still a void to be filled as it relates to the spark Belinelli and Ilyasova provided.

Therefore, it’s extremely likely that the Sixers, barring any major trades being made in the meantime, will explore the buyout market as the team approaches the All-Star break. With their choice of players zeroing in on teams out of the playoff race, here are three names the Sixers could keep an eye on, presuming their teams meet their preseason expectations:

• Jeremy Lin
• Trevor Ariza
• Terrence Ross

Ariza is the unlikeliest of this trio, having just signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Phoenix Suns. However, with the Suns not expected to challenge for a postseason run, and with the glut of wing players on the roster, an early buyout cannot be totally ruled out, especially considering the winning environment Ariza has enjoyed in recent seasons.

After playing just one game last season, and only 36 the season prior, Lin is naturally not a name that immediately springs to mind. However, following an offseason trade to the lowly Atlanta Hawks, Lin is a prime candidate to utilize his time with the Hawks to rebuild his reputation and potentially attract suitors as the buyout period approaches. When healthy, Lin has shown he can make a significant impact both as a starter and reserve, and would represent a terrific complement to the existing backcourt rotation.