Around the league 2017-2018

[Simmons25]

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Don't know how this makes sense for Bron, he already hates the Ball family.

I would see zero chance of him wanting to be teamates with Lonzo, if anything he wants to just dunk on him instead of play with him.

After the way Lonzo played today the only player wanting to join the Lakers will be Jimmer Fredette.

[Sasashi]

even if lebron fits in philly and it resulted in a championship ....it would not feel special to me earning a ring like that.

I wanna see a sixers championship like the 2008 phillies with their own homegrown players leading the way howard, utley, rollins hamels. It makes the achievement much more special instead of hiring a mercenary that is the best player in the league. Sure, go sign free agents to complement the core and push it over the top, but a championship should be earned not bought. As far as I'm concerned the Heat bought their championships and so did GSW last year. As a fan you will root for it, but it takes so much joy out of the whole experience. We want the experience, not only the ring.

Embiid is philly
Simmons is philly
Fultz is philly

Lebron is not....let him stay in cleveland or go to LA and form another super team. I like my sixers the way they are.

I don't care what anyone says, but ask warrior fans which championship they preferred the one with or without KD....in their heart of hearts the answer is clear. Ask them if they preferred their revenge using last year's roster without KD in a bloodbath series and a win in game 7 for the championship. Last year's Finals was so weak and absolutely no luster...

This sixers team has a chance to be special...let it happen naturally if it 's gonna happen.

[Sixerscan]

So if Bron actually wanted to come to Philly you would say no?

I'm not saying he would want to come to Philly, but thats one guy you don't say no to.....but I would love to hear you explain to Lebron his usage rate is too high so we don't want you. The one year contracts are a clue that we are trying to be flexible in the future. The Lakers would be interesting for him, I just don't see why he would do that when they probably won't even make the playoffs.

I wouldn't say "no" outright, but if for some reason LeBron really wanted to come here, then I would let him know our offense is running through our big 3. Our FO would have to make it clear that if he comes, it won't be his team, which LeBron is unlikely to accept. I'm not shoving aside 3 potential franchise players and stunting their development so LeBron can try and win another ring or two before he retires.

Edit: On another note, the perfect place for LeBron to end his career (besides Cleveland) is San Antonio. LeBron + Kawhi + Pop might be the antidote to beating the current GS dynasty.

Well we can't say whose team it is, at this point we have no idea whose team it is. We can say Embiid, but we haven't even seen Simmons or Fultz on an NBA court. Just saying, I figure if it actually happened, they would make it work. No GM in his right mind would say no, we sold alot of tickets this year but you bring in Bron it would be a packed house with more expensive tickets every night.....plus you would be on national TV......alot.

His usage rate is high cause it has to be on that team, but here he wouldn't have to play as many mins and his game would change some here. Bron has never been a selfish player, other than wanting to win. Adding him doesn't stunt their development, it would make them all better. I just see that as a negative outlook, it would be different if we were talking about some black hole player.

Your strategy just wouldn't work with Bron. Now if you just don't want him, thats your thing, cool. But any GM that said that to Bron would probably get fired if it got out. I don't see how it couldn't work, Embiid and Fultz would easily fit in with it. Simmons, well they are friends so that would just depend on who wants it in a particular possession and who else is on the court.

Bottom line is if you think there is excitement in Philly now, you bring in Bron and see what happens. We would be selling out every arena in the country that we visited.

It's Embiid's team. He's the longest tenured, the best player, the biggest personality, literally the physical manifestation of the Process ect.

[freshie2]

Boston may have really over played their hand. Last years success is similar to the Sixers run in 2001 with a big focus on defense and a real chemistry that developed around an undersized scorer. They've lost Amir and KO up front and now Bradley in the back court. Even if the talent is better, the fit may not work as well. It may take some time, and you may never get that chemistry to return to where they were last year. It will be interesting to see how this works out for them.

[76ciology]

The competition is too evolved right now that you'll have to be EXTREMELY LUCKY to be a champion organically.

And I don't want to worry about this because im.pretty sure ownership will go after LeBron if they have the chance

[sixers hoops]

Boston may have really over played their hand. Last years success is similar to the Sixers run in 2001 with a big focus on defense and a real chemistry that developed around an undersized scorer. They've lost Amir and KO up front and now Bradley in the back court. Even if the talent is better, the fit may not work as well. It may take some time, and you may never get that chemistry to return to where they were last year. It will be interesting to see how this works out for them.

It's really tough to predict Boston's finish in two years. I could easily see them in the finals or trying to blow things up.

If they re-sign IT, the next three years will be around a core of Horford, Heyward, and IT. Not really a contending core.

However, Tatum, Brown, the Nets pick, Lakers/Sac pick, Crowder, Smart, bottom end first rounders, etc are all huge unknown variables. Do one of them become a true difference maker? Does a combination of them get you a difference maker?

[freshie2]

Would laugh if next year's Nets pick is 10 or higher and the Kings pick in 2019 is what they get and it's 15 or higher...it probably is a bit tricky to leverage all those 'assets'

[ivysixer2000]

Boston may have really over played their hand. Last years success is similar to the Sixers run in 2001 with a big focus on defense and a real chemistry that developed around an undersized scorer. They've lost Amir and KO up front and now Bradley in the back court. Even if the talent is better, the fit may not work as well. It may take some time, and you may never get that chemistry to return to where they were last year. It will be interesting to see how this works out for them.

It's really tough to predict Boston's finish in two years. I could easily see them in the finals or trying to blow things up.

If they re-sign IT, the next three years will be around a core of Horford, Heyward, and IT. Not really a contending core.

However, Tatum, Brown, the Nets pick, Lakers/Sac pick, Crowder, Smart, bottom end first rounders, etc are all huge unknown variables. Do one of them become a true difference maker? Does a combination of them get you a difference maker?

I would guess their hope is one of them turns into a superstar, cause I see IT's game going down really quick when it does. The hope would be one of those kids will be ready by that time to take over gradually.

I really don't understand why they tied up their cap in Gordon for that long, but I guess they think they will be better with him and he does give them another scorer.

[76ciology]

Well I think Lakers has legit chance to be no.1 pick but I really dont care because 2018 draft sucks.

Kings I think will be much better by 2019. I love the DMC deal since day 1. Its like being free from financial debt.

[shawn_hemp]

It makes the achievement much more special instead of hiring a mercenary that is the best player in the league. Sure, go sign free agents to complement the core and push it over the top, but a championship should be earned not bought. As far as I'm concerned the Heat bought their championships and so did GSW last year. As a fan you will root for it, but it takes so much joy out of the whole experience. We want the experience, not only the ring.

you mean like when we acquired Moses Malone after losing to the Lakers in the Finals in 1982?

I dont think anyone was too upset the following year

[freshie2]

It makes the achievement much more special instead of hiring a mercenary that is the best player in the league. Sure, go sign free agents to complement the core and push it over the top, but a championship should be earned not bought. As far as I'm concerned the Heat bought their championships and so did GSW last year. As a fan you will root for it, but it takes so much joy out of the whole experience. We want the experience, not only the ring.

you mean like when we acquired Moses Malone after losing to the Lakers in the Finals in 1982?

I dont think anyone was too upset the following year

Slightly different as Moses was probably the best center/ player in the league at that point. Huge difference in the type of addition.

[Sasashi]

It makes the achievement much more special instead of hiring a mercenary that is the best player in the league. Sure, go sign free agents to complement the core and push it over the top, but a championship should be earned not bought. As far as I'm concerned the Heat bought their championships and so did GSW last year. As a fan you will root for it, but it takes so much joy out of the whole experience. We want the experience, not only the ring.

you mean like when we acquired Moses Malone after losing to the Lakers in the Finals in 1982?

I dont think anyone was too upset the following year

I wasn't around back then ....was just a year old, but I wanna see the sixers win the bulls way, where they had to overcome the detroit obstacle to finally win it all and with their homegrown players. Maybe it's an unrealistic utopia, but looking at the sixers roster

if embiid stays healthy
if fultz and simmons become who we think they are

that's enough of a core to win MULTIPLE championships.

I'm not saying I'll be upset if lebron comes and wins the sixers a championship but as a PHILLY fan, it's just anticlimactic and hollow. Especially as starved of a championship city this is....I don't wanna see my teams win one cheaply ....I want philly players to lead and to deliver philladelphia a parade.

[ivysixer2000]

It makes the achievement much more special instead of hiring a mercenary that is the best player in the league. Sure, go sign free agents to complement the core and push it over the top, but a championship should be earned not bought. As far as I'm concerned the Heat bought their championships and so did GSW last year. As a fan you will root for it, but it takes so much joy out of the whole experience. We want the experience, not only the ring.

you mean like when we acquired Moses Malone after losing to the Lakers in the Finals in 1982?

I dont think anyone was too upset the following year

I wasn't around back then ....was just a year old, but I wanna see the sixers win the bulls way, where they had to overcome the detroit obstacle to finally win it all and with their homegrown players. Maybe it's an unrealistic utopia, but looking at the sixers roster

if embiid stays healthy
if fultz and simmons become who we think they are

that's enough of a core to win MULTIPLE championships.

I'm not saying I'll be upset if lebron comes and wins the sixers a championship but as a PHILLY fan, it's just anticlimactic and hollow. Especially as starved of a championship city this is....I don't wanna see my teams win one cheaply ....I want philly players to lead and to deliver philladelphia a parade.

We could try that....and be like the Reggie Miller Pacers and never win one. Sure they grew together, but at the end of the day they didn't get a ring. Course we tried to win one by trading for Deke when he was 59, he was just a hired gun that we shouldn't have traded for.

At the end of the day, we wouldn't be getting anything cheaply......we have lost for years and gained assets to be in a good position to sign a guy like Bron as a FA. Thats good front office work, nothing is cheap about that.

[shawn_hemp]

It makes the achievement much more special instead of hiring a mercenary that is the best player in the league. Sure, go sign free agents to complement the core and push it over the top, but a championship should be earned not bought. As far as I'm concerned the Heat bought their championships and so did GSW last year. As a fan you will root for it, but it takes so much joy out of the whole experience. We want the experience, not only the ring.

you mean like when we acquired Moses Malone after losing to the Lakers in the Finals in 1982?

I dont think anyone was too upset the following year

I wasn't around back then ....was just a year old, but I wanna see the sixers win the bulls way, where they had to overcome the detroit obstacle to finally win it all and with their homegrown players. Maybe it's an unrealistic utopia, but looking at the sixers roster

if embiid stays healthy
if fultz and simmons become who we think they are

that's enough of a core to win MULTIPLE championships.

I'm not saying I'll be upset if lebron comes and wins the sixers a championship but as a PHILLY fan, it's just anticlimactic and hollow. Especially as starved of a championship city this is....I don't wanna see my teams win one cheaply ....I want philly players to lead and to deliver philladelphia a parade.

I wasn't alive either but it seemed worth noting that our most recent championship was obtained by going out and trading for the reigning MVP.

Not a top 10 player or an all star, literally, the best player in the league.

[snoopdogg88]

Lol at anyone who wouldn't take LeBron here

plz stop.

[Sixerscan]

you mean like when we acquired Moses Malone after losing to the Lakers in the Finals in 1982?

I dont think anyone was too upset the following year

I wasn't around back then ....was just a year old, but I wanna see the sixers win the bulls way, where they had to overcome the detroit obstacle to finally win it all and with their homegrown players. Maybe it's an unrealistic utopia, but looking at the sixers roster

if embiid stays healthy
if fultz and simmons become who we think they are

that's enough of a core to win MULTIPLE championships.

I'm not saying I'll be upset if lebron comes and wins the sixers a championship but as a PHILLY fan, it's just anticlimactic and hollow. Especially as starved of a championship city this is....I don't wanna see my teams win one cheaply ....I want philly players to lead and to deliver philladelphia a parade.

I wasn't alive either but it seemed worth noting that our most recent championship was obtained by going out and trading for the reigning MVP.

Not a top 10 player or an all star, literally, the best player in the league.

Also earlier acquired Erving in his prime for cash (Nets needed money to pay this huge franchise fee that the Knicks demanded they pay when they joined the league). Traded for Bobby Jones in his prime etc etc etc.

Heck the '67 team traded for Wilt.

[Winejk]

I think Boston is kind of screwed. A core of IT, Hayward and Horford doesn't win a championship with CLE and GSW ahead of you. At the same time those three players will count for close to $85 million of cap space if IT is resigned at max deal next season. IT is great on offense, but you still can't hide him on defense. Still no rebounding or rim protection. Granted there are some young pieces, Brown and Tatum, and some upcoming draft picks, but Brown doesn't project to be an all star and Hayward, Crowder, Brown and Tatum creates a log jam.

Boston's best chance is Tatum working out and rebuilding with all the high draft picks they have stashed, but that window is at least 4-5 years from now if everything works out. It is possible that the pick swap from Philly ends up being a mid 1rst rounder in 2019. So really Boston only has one premium pick pretty much guaranteed with the Brooklyn 2018 pick.

Boston is better than a treadmill team, but they are true contenders either.

[GabeCerebro]

No way is he top 15, their are easily, easily 15 better players in the league then him. Not saying he isn't a good player because I quite like him but he's definitely not top 15 and there is argument for him not to be top 25.

lol. Still waiting for a list of some sort... So I can see your reaches.

Isiah Thomas
Kemba Walker
Kyrie Irving
Lebron James
Nikola Jokic
Andre Drummond
Steph Curry
Klay Thompson
Kevin Durant
Draymond Green
Chris Paul
James Harden
Blake Griffin
Deandre Jordan
Mike Conley
Jimmy Butler
Karl Towns
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Anthony Davis
Demarcus Cousins
Russell Westbrook
Paul George
Joel Embiid
Damian Lillard
C.J McCollum
Kawhi Leonard
John Wall

There's 27 players who I consider will be better than him this season. Not trying to say he isn't a good player because I like him, but if you're asking for lists their's one.

CJ, Conley, Deandre, Lillard, and Drummond are all reaches. And I'd argue Blake as well. Embiid and Jokic are reaches as well until further notice.

[tsmith]

lol. Still waiting for a list of some sort... So I can see your reaches.

Isiah Thomas
Kemba Walker
Kyrie Irving
Lebron James
Nikola Jokic
Andre Drummond
Steph Curry
Klay Thompson
Kevin Durant
Draymond Green
Chris Paul
James Harden
Blake Griffin
Deandre Jordan
Mike Conley
Jimmy Butler
Karl Towns
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Anthony Davis
Demarcus Cousins
Russell Westbrook
Paul George
Joel Embiid
Damian Lillard
C.J McCollum
Kawhi Leonard
John Wall

There's 27 players who I consider will be better than him this season. Not trying to say he isn't a good player because I like him, but if you're asking for lists their's one.

CJ, Conley, Deandre, Lillard, and Drummond are all reaches. And I'd argue Blake as well. Embiid and Jokic are reaches as well until further notice.

Well even if you really want to take out those players and he still isn't top 15.

[TeamHigh]

Could he have traded Noel, without ever having seen Embiid play a single game? I think the focus was trying to trade Okafor, but not finding a market for him. So, eventually once Embiid showed what he's capable of, Noel became expendable.

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Embiid being on the roster should have had zero impact on Noel's trade, because of the simple fact that you're never going to trade Embiid.

The only way Embiid would be on the trading block is if he's broken down. But other teams know this, so they're going to assume that if Embiid is available, then he must be broken down, and thus wouldn't offer anything close to his value for him. There's arguably never been a player as binary as Embiid. If he's healthy, he's a hall of famer. If he's not, he's Greg Oden 2.0. You're never going to be able to move a player like that, and you're never going to get fair value if you try.

So you have to operate under the assumption that, regardless of Embiid's health, he's probably going to be on the roster for the foreseeable future.

Then the formula becomes "is Noel a player you believe in enough to match an offer." If yes, you keep him and match the offer. If no, you trade him for the best value you feel you can get. And if you did it over the last offseason, you might have gotten an actual pick.

This "insurance" talk is bogus. There is no insurance for Embiid. Noel is not going to give you half of what a healthy Embiid gives you. That's is like saying Marcus Camby is insurance for Hakeem Olajuwon. Put Marcus Camby on those Rockets teams in Hakeem's place and how many championships do you think they win?

If you swapped Noel in for Embiid, they probably don't make the move up to grab Fultz. They probably aren't thinking playoffs, but rather more asset accumulation.

The worst thing you could have done in this scenario is to let Noel's value continue to depreciate while having no desire to match his deal. BC essentially played himself with that deal.

Now thankfully, BC has made good deals since, and Hinkie stocked the cupboard so that one bad deal is not going to sink the team. But it was unmistakably a bad deal, and cannot be hand waved aside by claiming "it was the best available deal, we weren't going to re-sign him." If you weren't going to re-sign him, then you should have pitched deals earlier.