2025 Offseason Free Agency Thread

[Black Mage]

Hear me out and I'm not even joking: Ben Simmons

He'd be a fantastic fit as our starting 4, surrounded by four shooters. Defensively, he'd be a great fit, being able to guard 4s from both small ball and traditional lineups. And offensively, he could play that point forward role with everyone else playing off-ball, even Embiid.

You cannot play 4 on 5 basketball on offense. Period. End of Line.

[76ciology]

Hear me out and I'm not even joking: Ben Simmons

He'd be a fantastic fit as our starting 4, surrounded by four shooters. Defensively, he'd be a great fit, being able to guard 4s from both small ball and traditional lineups. And offensively, he could play that point forward role with everyone else playing off-ball, even Embiid.

Trendon Watford?

[phifans]

You can't even find a team who shows any interests in Grimes. So weird ...

[phifans]

Hear me out and I'm not even joking: Ben Simmons

He'd be a fantastic fit as our starting 4, surrounded by four shooters. Defensively, he'd be a great fit, being able to guard 4s from both small ball and traditional lineups. And offensively, he could play that point forward role with everyone else playing off-ball, even Embiid.

Trendon Watford?

Trendon is the combination of Simmons and Boris Diaw.

[76ciology]

What worries me about Grimes is that he might turn into Shake Milton 2.0. A player whose brief hot streak fuels unrealistic expectations about being more than he actually is. That kind of belief could keep him from buying into the team concept and ultimately hurt his play.

[76ciology]

S&T option

Grizzlies
Quentin Grimes

Sixers
Santi Aldama ($16M contract)

Tyrese Maxey/Jared McCain
VJ Edgecombe/Eric Gordon
Paul George/Justin Edwards
Santi Aldama/Kelly Oubre
Joel Embiid/Johni Boome

[eyeatoma]

What worries me about Grimes is that he might turn into Shake Milton 2.0. A player whose brief hot streak fuels unrealistic expectations about being more than he actually is. That kind of belief could keep him from buying into the team concept and ultimately hurt his play.

Eh, I think you brought this up before, or someone else did, but Grimes is nothing like Milton. Shake never had a hot streak like Grimes did either. YEah he had that 40 point game against the Clippers, but he just wasn't nearly as good a player in so many different ways. For a player who was supposed to be a shooter, he was actually pretty bad from 3.

[PhillyNj]

Hear me out and I'm not even joking: Ben Simmons

He'd be a fantastic fit as our starting 4, surrounded by four shooters. Defensively, he'd be a great fit, being able to guard 4s from both small ball and traditional lineups. And offensively, he could play that point forward role with everyone else playing off-ball, even Embiid.

No!

[Doramas]

Hear me out and I'm not even joking: Ben Simmons

He'd be a fantastic fit as our starting 4, surrounded by four shooters. Defensively, he'd be a great fit, being able to guard 4s from both small ball and traditional lineups. And offensively, he could play that point forward role with everyone else playing off-ball, even Embiid.

I just have one question, are you Celtics or Knicks?

[Arsenal]

S&T option

Grizzlies
Quentin Grimes

Sixers
Santi Aldama ($16M contract)

Tyrese Maxey/Jared McCain
VJ Edgecombe/Eric Gordon
Paul George/Justin Edwards
Santi Aldama/Kelly Oubre
Joel Embiid/Johni Boome

There's no way we receive a player in a S&T because it hardcaps us at the 1st Apron. Not happening.

[Arsenal]

I still want one more piece with our tMLE, ideally a playable stretch big like Boucher or Lyles, after we resign Grimes.

If nothing else that could be a useful salary ballast for an in-season trade. E.g. sign Boucher and cut Council:

PG Maxey | McCain | OPEN
SG Grimes | Edge | Gordon
SF Oubre | Edwards | OPEN
PF George | Watford | Boucher | Broome
CE Embiid | Bona | Drummond

PG and Watford can slide down to SF at times. It's a big-heavy lineup but Drummond is totally washed and who knows if Jo will even play, so better to have more depth there.

Then if things go well, by the trade deadline we can package some combo of Oubre ($8m), Boucher ($6m), Drummond ($5m), Gordon ($3m), etc. to get the big PF upgrade we need.

[Phillybul]

Hear me out and I'm not even joking: Ben Simmons

He'd be a fantastic fit as our starting 4, surrounded by four shooters. Defensively, he'd be a great fit, being able to guard 4s from both small ball and traditional lineups. And offensively, he could play that point forward role with everyone else playing off-ball, even Embiid.

That’s the equivalent of someone leaving a toxic relationship and then going back for rd 2.

[Iverson Armband]

What worries me about Grimes is that he might turn into Shake Milton 2.0. A player whose brief hot streak fuels unrealistic expectations about being more than he actually is. That kind of belief could keep him from buying into the team concept and ultimately hurt his play.

Not even remotely the same. People also forget Grimes was good before he even got here.

[stormi]

I understand that to a degree, but he’s still the best they have on the roster to somewhat fill that role. I thought he moved pretty well defensively last year.

For sure there are going total Morey ball lineups with shooting en masse & George at the 4, but there are things that Joel Embiid just can't provide mobility-wise and he's going to need assistance from his frontcourt mate.

(warning, spam) Looking through previous champions--

2014 Spurs started Leonard alongside Duncan & Diaw.
2015 Warriors "" Barnes alongside Green & Bogut.
2016 Cavaliers "" Lebron alongside Love & Thompson. Lebron is the most similar profile to George (George is smaller).
17/18 Warriors "" Durant alongside Draymond & Javale/Zaza (George is smaller).
2019 Raptors "" Leonard alongside Siakam & Gasol.
2020 Lakers "" Lebron alongside Davis & Dwight/Javale.
2021 Bucks "" Middleton alongside Tucker & Giannis & Brolo (George is bigger).
2022 Warriors "" Wiggins alongside Draymond & Looney.
2023 Nuggets "" MPJ alongside Gordon & Jokic (George is smaller).

2024 Celtics started Tatum alongside KP. This is the only debatable one, although Tatum is allegedly 6'10, younger, thicker (pawse) and far more athletic. They also had unmatchable size 1-3 and could also 'play small' with Tatum at the 3 beside Horford/KP/Kornet when they needed.

2025 Thunder started Jalen Williams alongside Chet & iHart.

I'm not sure why there's even a desire to want to see George at the four full time, it's completely abstract from the formula that's won time & time again.

Because the team isn't winning anything and the goal is just to tread water. This idea that Jo is back and healthy and MVP level is just fantasy.

Yes we've heard your rhetoric.

Still no correlation with the strange desire of wanting a skinny 6'8 vegan to play PF full time.

[Iverson Armband]

Being “skinny” in the NBA is overrated. Half the players in the league are toothpicks. Chet Holmgren is doing just fine.

[stormi]

Being “skinny” in the NBA is overrated. Half the players in the league are toothpicks. Chet Holmgren is doing just fine.

Let's not compound arguments in bad faith.

If, to you, Paul George at the 4 is equivalent to Siakam at the 4 or Chet at the 4 or skinny Evan Mobley at the 4, then we've got nothing left to discuss.

[Iverson Armband]

Being “skinny” in the NBA is overrated. Half the players in the league are toothpicks. Chet Holmgren is doing just fine.

Let's not compound arguments in bad faith.

If in your mind, Paul George at the 4 is equivalent to Siakam at the 4 or Chet at the 4 or skinny Evan Mobley at the 4, then we've got nothing left to discuss.

Of course it’s not the same, they’re different people. But you acting like it’s such a weird stance and completely out of the realm of fathomable possibility that PG start and play 15 minutes a night at the 4 on a team that should be willing to try anything at this point, is odd. It’s not that deep.

[the_process]

The NBA guys always talk about positionless basketball anyway. Why get hung up on where PG is playing? Just play ball.

[stormi]

But you acting like it’s such a weird stance and completely out of the realm of fathomable possibility that PG start and play 15 minutes a night at the 4 is odd. It’s not that deep.

A bit dramatic considering I said this, no?

For sure there are going total Morey ball lineups with shooting en masse & George at the 4, but there are things that Joel Embiid just can't provide mobility-wise and he's going to need assistance from his frontcourt mate.

Either you're arguing in bad faith, or are just unfamiliar with the athleticism / size / length advantage that someone like Pascal Siakam (or Chet Holmgren) possesses if you genuinely believe that George can replicate that impact defensively (walling up Cs, helping at the rim etc, rebounding).

I even went out of my way to show how George wouldn't have be considered a "4" on any successful team of the 21st century, not even in the modern 5-out game.

He's a traditional wing, he's not a PF.

[Arsenal]

Agree PG is best at SF, although he can play PF in small lineups at times. That's why we need a legit PF, because Oubre ain't it. Embiid needs help rebounding and shotblocking at this stage of his career.

Which is why we better use the tMLE to give us additional salary to get that needed PF in trade later this season.