4. Philadelphia 76ers
Before the Raptors won it all, it may have been tempting for the Philadelphia 76ers to consider a change of pace this summer, since Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick are all free agents. But now that the Warriors are vulnerable and the league is wide open, the Sixers should be willing to spend whatever it takes to keep this core together.
Don’t forget, it took seven games and about 14 bounces around the rim on Kawhi Leonard’s devastating game-winner for Toronto to knock Philly out of the second round. The Sixers were right there every step of the way, and that was with a new-look core that had barely had enough time to get acclimated to each other.
Putting the Philadelphia 76ers' elimination in perspective: It took the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA history by the eventual champions to defeat them.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 14, 2019
Yes, there are risks with offering max money to both Butler (injury history) and Harris (statistically underwhelming in Philadelphia), but the Warriors dynasty might be over and the Raptors may not even have Kawhi back next season. The league is wide open, so now is the time to be aggressive. If the 76ers run it back by re-signing everyone, Joel Embiid stays healthy and Ben Simmons learns how to shoot outside of eight feet, this team could emerge as a favorite to win the East next year.