Sixers Offseason Thread Part 5

[ProcessDoctor]

Kris Dunn ended up getting almost $6 mil/year after his signing converted to being part of a S&T. I'm really curious what his career will look like in the next few years. He has legit late bloomer/key role player potential.

[zaz102]

So which remaining free agents might be able to contribute in the playoffs and be attainable?

Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard, Precious Achiuwa, Lonnie Walker, Davis Bertans, etc.

Not sure who I would want. Maybe Tyus Jones and Precious. Not sure if either will take the minimum though.

[Ben]

Watching 1 fairly meaningless FIBA game in July and pretending there’s cause for concern

Okay, just checking. That's not what reactionary means, by the way.

I mean, I've seen some threads on the GB that are definitely reactionary.

I think he means that you really mean "reactive." Not a big deal.

[elchengue20]

So which remaining free agents might be able to contribute in the playoffs and be attainable?

Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard, Precious Achiuwa, Lonnie Walker, Davis Bertans, etc.

Not sure who I would want. Maybe Tyus Jones and Precious. Not sure if either will take the minimum though.

That's a solid list for the minimum or something close to it, they are not bad players at all to have on your bench as an insurance in case of injuries/foul trouble/suspensions. Hope we can get one of them.

I think Precious it's the one who brings the more needed skillset with his lenght, defense and rebounding. Tyus is also probably better than Lowry at this point.

[76ciology]

Spoiler:

I can’t imagine he has any chance at being a starter. You mention his salary almost as a supporting point that he is earning a similar salary to Oubre and Martin, and is thus valued as such. KJ Martin received that salary as it benefits the Sixers procedurally. His dad even acknowledged this recently. It’s not a secret to anybody why he received this contract and it’s certainly not indicative of any on-court value the Sixers see in him. You’re making a case that even his own father didn’t try to make.

Ultimately, people are worried that none of our best players have the size to guard power forwards, but somehow KJ completes the puzzle because he is 6’6, 215? He is barely bigger than Caleb Martin, who is actually good and you don’t need any mental gymnastics to make a case for him as a starter. He shot 30% from three last year, so those threes you saw him hit in practice prob aren’t the best indicator of his ability. I don’t know what evidence we have to call him a reliable three point shooter. I watched Ben hit several threes in pregame warmups. And Oubre isn’t a very good outside shooter, so if KJ needs improvement to get to Oubre level, that is very telling.

And if we want to use his minutes last year to determine that he is more than a throw-in in a trade, let’s examine how Nurse used him in the playoffs to determine how much the Sixers value him on the court. He didn’t play in the playoffs. He seems like a nice kid and I hope he plays well for us, but everything you said was mostly a figment of your imagination. He didn’t get paid the contract on merit. He has never shown to be a reliable three point shooter. The Sixers didn’t use him like a player they really liked. He mostly got minutes when we were desperate. If we start a 6’6, 215 power forward, who has VERY LIMITED offensive skill and isn’t special on the defensive end, then Morey miscalculated the versatility of his guys who are actually good at basketball. I think he could earn some minutes off the bench, but him as a starter makes no sense to me.

Thanks for your response. I appreciate the opportunity to double-check these hot takes.

First off, I understand the size issue with KJ Martin. He is undersized for the PF position, but considering Tobias Harris was effective at PF alongside Embiid, Martin could potentially be a better fit in due to his elite athleticism and higher motor. Martin also has experience playing PF for the Clippers and Rockets, so it's not a completely new role for him. After doing some research, I also found that he was acquired by Clips for him to play PF and to minimize Kawhi’s minutes at PF.

While I would prefer someone bigger and support a double-big lineup, given our current team options, free agents, and trade market availability, having KJ Martin at PF to start games or in certain spurts could be a viable option.

I also need to correct myself regarding his shooting. While he may not be a reliable three-point shooter. His gap regarding 3pt shooting isn’t that big compared to Kelly Oubre’s 3pt shooting, specially with a good offseason development.

Overall, I'm open to exploring better options if they're available. However, the idea of starting KJ Martin is a way to maximize our current roster rotation. He can start games without necessarily logging the most minutes at his position or finishing games. If it works, great. If not, it could boost his trade value, allowing us to acquire a proven player like Dorian Finney-Smith while another team takes a chance on him.

Tyrese Maxey/Kyle Lowry
Kelly Oubre/Eric Gordon/Caleb Martin
Paul George/Caleb Martin/Ricky Council
KJ Martin/Paul George/Kelly Oubre
Joel Embiid/Drummond

All your posts are always very well thought out, but this point has me baffled. Putting someone who isn’t good in the starting lineup makes no sense to me. It’s not that he’s undersized. It’s that he is undersized and not very good. Again, if he needs development to shoot like Oubre, who isn’t a very good shooter, then he isn’t even close. Putting a bad player in the rotation isn’t a way to maximize your rotation.

I don’t think anybody is going to trade for KJ Martin as much as they want picks and have to take his expiring contract to make the trade work. I don’t think boosting his trade value is a priority for us. He is pretty much like a human trade exception.

Even though undersized, I think KJ’s minutes will be at PF, but he only has one good trait… high motor. His shooting, size, defense, rebounding are all below average. Nevertheless, he is a hustle defender for his size and might be able to matchup as a backup power forward. And he isn’t a great rebounder, but he didn’t get over 5 rebounds a few times last year and got double digit rebounds once. I’m not sure how his overall rebound percentage looked.

I think the conversation should be could KJ earn backup power forward minutes, but definitely not starter. I’m wrong a lot so who knows.

Yeah, he could be gradually work his way into being a starter. He also might be better off as a backup, proving his worth before eventually becoming a starter.

If he does start, I envision him more as a placeholder, similar to how Tiago Splitter was for the Spurs or Joel Anthony for the Heat. This way, we can maintain a strong starting lineup and allow Caleb Martin to play a Manu Ginobili-type role off the bench, which would strengthen our second unit and help in closing games.

Regarding his abilities, his playing time and role have been inconsistent for the last 3 seasons where the teams have been trying to figure him out if he’s a SF or a PF. And this kind of lead to a lot of inconsistency with his numbers for example, in the 2022-2023 season, his three-point shooting percentage alternated monthly between 34-37% and 24-25%. Similarly, in the 2021-2022 season, he shot 42-46% from three for two entire months but hovered around 30% for most of the year.

In terms of rebounding, I think he's just as effective as Caleb Martin, Paul George, or Kelly Oubre, if given the same opportunity. Teams value him more for his ability to defend multiple positions, similar to P.J. Tucker or Grant Williams, but with elite athleticism.

I also believe $8M per year salary with a player option, as opposed to a single-year $16M contract, likely gives us more flexibility to re-sign him.

In conclusion, I also have his inconsistencies and without CLEAR numbers that make me second-guess his capabilities for a larger role. If he starts, i’d still project him to play minimal minutes.

Therefore, it seems also very reasonable to let him play as a backup, where he’d still be supported by at least one or two of our big three and one of our major wing acquisitions this offseason.

[76ciology]

I'm predicting that Embiid will shine in these friendly matches, rising from the ashes just like Bronny James did in the summer league.

[TYO]

Kennard and one of JCrowder or Roco would be fine with me.

[LeonJordanJr24]

Caleb Martin is starting wtf... I'm not opposed to KJ starting PF with Oubre off bench tho.

[LloydFree]

Kennard and one of JCrowder or Roco would be fine with me.

With Utah still having so much Cap Space, I could see good, almost Starting level players (Luke Kennard, Gordon Hayward, Lonnie Walker) holding out to see if they can get some of their money, before settling for the minimum to come off the bench for the 76ers.

[blargh]

Kennard and one of JCrowder or Roco would be fine with me.

With Utah still having so much Cap Space, I could see good, almost Starting level players (Luke Kennard, Gordon Hayward, Lonnie Walker) holding out to see if they can get some of their money, before settling for the minimum to come off the bench for the 76ers.

Kennard might prefer to go some place where he feels he has a chance for more playing time. I could see Hayward coming here to chase a ring, but I’m not sure how healthy he is.

[Sixerscan]

Definitely at the point of the offseason where teams are waiting guys out to see who takes what minimum deal.

[the_process]

What about Precious and McDermott? Those two seem like they fit nicely on this roster.

[Sixerscan]

What about Precious and McDermott? Those two seem like they fit nicely on this roster.

I’d like Precious, thing is if the Knicks aren’t dumb or cheap they will sign him to an above minimum deal for salary matching purposes like with KJ.

McDermott would be fine, Ed Rendell will finally be happy after we passed over him to take Embiid.

[Arsenal]

Considering how little Nurse played Buddy, McDermott would be chained the the bench. No thanks.

[sixers hoops]

Spoiler:

Thanks for your response. I appreciate the opportunity to double-check these hot takes.

First off, I understand the size issue with KJ Martin. He is undersized for the PF position, but considering Tobias Harris was effective at PF alongside Embiid, Martin could potentially be a better fit in due to his elite athleticism and higher motor. Martin also has experience playing PF for the Clippers and Rockets, so it's not a completely new role for him. After doing some research, I also found that he was acquired by Clips for him to play PF and to minimize Kawhi’s minutes at PF.

While I would prefer someone bigger and support a double-big lineup, given our current team options, free agents, and trade market availability, having KJ Martin at PF to start games or in certain spurts could be a viable option.

I also need to correct myself regarding his shooting. While he may not be a reliable three-point shooter. His gap regarding 3pt shooting isn’t that big compared to Kelly Oubre’s 3pt shooting, specially with a good offseason development.

Overall, I'm open to exploring better options if they're available. However, the idea of starting KJ Martin is a way to maximize our current roster rotation. He can start games without necessarily logging the most minutes at his position or finishing games. If it works, great. If not, it could boost his trade value, allowing us to acquire a proven player like Dorian Finney-Smith while another team takes a chance on him.

Tyrese Maxey/Kyle Lowry
Kelly Oubre/Eric Gordon/Caleb Martin
Paul George/Caleb Martin/Ricky Council
KJ Martin/Paul George/Kelly Oubre
Joel Embiid/Drummond

All your posts are always very well thought out, but this point has me baffled. Putting someone who isn’t good in the starting lineup makes no sense to me. It’s not that he’s undersized. It’s that he is undersized and not very good. Again, if he needs development to shoot like Oubre, who isn’t a very good shooter, then he isn’t even close. Putting a bad player in the rotation isn’t a way to maximize your rotation.

I don’t think anybody is going to trade for KJ Martin as much as they want picks and have to take his expiring contract to make the trade work. I don’t think boosting his trade value is a priority for us. He is pretty much like a human trade exception.

Even though undersized, I think KJ’s minutes will be at PF, but he only has one good trait… high motor. His shooting, size, defense, rebounding are all below average. Nevertheless, he is a hustle defender for his size and might be able to matchup as a backup power forward. And he isn’t a great rebounder, but he didn’t get over 5 rebounds a few times last year and got double digit rebounds once. I’m not sure how his overall rebound percentage looked.

I think the conversation should be could KJ earn backup power forward minutes, but definitely not starter. I’m wrong a lot so who knows.

Yeah, he could be gradually work his way into being a starter. He also might be better off as a backup, proving his worth before eventually becoming a starter.

If he does start, I envision him more as a placeholder, similar to how Tiago Splitter was for the Spurs or Joel Anthony for the Heat. This way, we can maintain a strong starting lineup and allow Caleb Martin to play a Manu Ginobili-type role off the bench, which would strengthen our second unit and help in closing games.

Regarding his abilities, his playing time and role have been inconsistent for the last 3 seasons where the teams have been trying to figure him out if he’s a SF or a PF. And this kind of lead to a lot of inconsistency with his numbers for example, in the 2022-2023 season, his three-point shooting percentage alternated monthly between 34-37% and 24-25%. Similarly, in the 2021-2022 season, he shot 42-46% from three for two entire months but hovered around 30% for most of the year.


In terms of rebounding, I think he's just as effective as Caleb Martin, Paul George, or Kelly Oubre, if given the same opportunity. Teams value him more for his ability to defend multiple positions, similar to P.J. Tucker or Grant Williams, but with elite athleticism.

I also believe $8M per year salary with a player option, as opposed to a single-year $16M contract, likely gives us more flexibility to re-sign him.

In conclusion, I also have his inconsistencies and without CLEAR numbers that make me second-guess his capabilities for a larger role. If he starts, i’d still project him to play minimal minutes.

Therefore, it seems also very reasonable to let him play as a backup, where he’d still be supported by at least one or two of our big three and one of our major wing acquisitions this offseason.

A player option? Lol… the second year was reported as not guaranteed, as expected. The Sixers aren’t going to give a guy that likely won’t play serious minutes for us a player option for $8 million. It’s non guaranteed so when they trade him, the other team doesn’t get stuck with him. You are just gliding along in a KJ Martin fantasy and ignoring reports to the contrary. The player option comment leads me to believe you’re not following the situation closely. They only signed him to provide flexibility to match salary in a trade. In that scenario, they would never guarantee a second year to him. That kills his value. No team in the league is going to want him at $8 million per season. Teams will pay the prorated portion for the last few months after any trade if the Sixers offer worthwhile assets, but not a full season.

If they really liked him as you suggest, they certainly would have attempted to sign him to a longer deal at a low value. However, to overpay him for one guaranteed season matches perfectly with the reports that they are utilizing a salary cap option that is advantages to them, which is to essentially use him as a trade exception,

I don’t think KJ Martin is very good, but I hope he plays well for us. However, you are primarily making a case using points that are not true.
-they didn’t give him a player option. He is not guaranteed.
-all reports are that they gave him this contract to create tradable salary, which even his father acknowledged. There is no argument that the Sixers really liked him so much they gave him a one year, $8 million salary. They could’ve signed him to a multi-year deal for about the minimum. A guy who can’t sniff the floor in the first round of the playoffs isn’t commanding $8 million on merit.
-Searching split logs for good months isn’t how to determine if a guy is a good three point shooter. Overall, he is a 34% three point shooter who has gotten worse each season. That’s not indicative of somebody who is about to breakout as a good three point shooter. It’s indicative of someone scouring stat sheets to try to find something to hang onto a point.

All of this is moot since they are trading him midseason anyway. I planned to stop responding, but you are really misleading people regarding the well reported circumstances of the KJ Martin signing. Hoping that KJ is good is one thing, but to create narratives about the signing of his contract is extremely misleading. This clearly isn’t a contract structured to keep KJ on the Sixers beyond this season, and most likely beyond the trade deadline. And we don’t need to speculate. Everybody knows why.

[Covi_Marsh]

[x]

Read on Twitter

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Unlikely we could even match salary without moving Martin or Oubre but interesting he would put this out there since he’s not tied in with the Sixers. I like outside media showing us attention lol.

[Covi_Marsh]

When does this TV contradt expire? After this season? The cap leap is going to be crazy. Prolly something like when Warriors ended up with a max slot to sign KD.

[zaz102]

[x]

Read on Twitter

?s=46[/x]

Unlikely we could even match salary without moving Martin or Oubre but interesting he would put this out there since he’s not tied in with the Sixers. I like outside media showing us attention lol.

Here's a good thread by Bodner explaining why it's implausible.

Read on Twitter

?t=mGSTttKvntzddhtYNNpzSw&s=19

My hope is that they get a decent role player on a good contract for at least a couple years like Tari Eason.

[NearingZero]

[x]

Read on Twitter

?s=46[/x]

Unlikely we could even match salary without moving Martin or Oubre but interesting he would put this out there since he’s not tied in with the Sixers. I like outside media showing us attention lol.

The problem is that if Markkanen is on the Jazz on Aug 6, they'll likely renegotiate his current salary to get him to sign an extension. And we can't make the trade until much, much later.

[NearingZero]

When does this TV contradt expire? After this season? The cap leap is going to be crazy. Prolly something like when Warriors ended up with a max slot to sign KD.

The new CBA has cap-smoothing built in to avoid that. Increases are limited to 10% per year. So yeah, you can basically plan on 10% increases each year through the end of the decade, from what I've seen.