What The Philadelphia 76ers Do This Offseason
After their division rivals, the Brooklyn Nets lost in OT to the Milwaukee Bucks, the 76ers were also a favorite to win Game 7 at home. The Atlanta Hawks were relentless in these playoffs and proved that a young team can take a franchise with players who have playoff experience. Even with Hawks star, Trae Young, shooting terribly from the field (5-23 from the field, 2-11 from three-point range), the 76ers couldn’t take advantage of it.
Instead, the 76ers dealt with another disappointing season despite having the best record in the Eastern Conference (49-23). They will be back on the drawing board in the offseason. One can speculate what this team will do to have a chance to make it to the Finals and win a championship.
AN UNPOPULAR OPINION FOR SOME DIE-HARD FANS
Ben Simmons is currently not on the trading block, but the 76ers organization has put him in trade talks before. President Daryl Morey wanted to come East due to personal reasons and wanted to prove that he could build a championship team. Ben Simmons was involved with trade rumors with the Houston Rockets for James Harden before he landed with the Brooklyn Nets.
There is no question that Ben Simmons is a star with the ability to pass the ball and play defense at a very high level. However, in this series against the Atlanta Hawks, he is no threat when shooting the ball and was not clutch in the free-throw line throughout the whole series. Philadelphia 76ers’ 177 million dollar star was also benched late in games.
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, there is a ‘consensus’ around the NBA that Daryl Morey resisted trading for Kyle Lowry since he’s ‘angling’ for an ‘even greater star’ like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal. Lowry is from Philadelphia and is set to be a free agent this offseason.
TRADING FOR EITHER OF THE TRAIL BLAZERS DUO
The Portland Trail Blazers have built a great team, but can’t seem to go far in the tough Western Conference as they lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round who played without Jamal Murray. The Trail Blazers may look to get numerous assets to build a team for the future at the right price.
Possible trade: Portland Trail Blazers receive Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, and two first-round picks, Philadelphia 76ers receive Damian Lillard.
The 76ers could also target CJ McCollum, who is a high-volume shooter. The 76ers can certainly surround their star center, Joel Embiid with shooters who can also be a good playmaker. McCollum will cost less than his teammate Damian Lilard.
Possible trade: Portland Trail Blazers receive Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle, Philadelphia 76ers receive CJ McCollum, Nassir Little, Anfernee Simons, and two or three first-round picks (At least one pick being protected).
WIZARDS LOOKING TO TRADE STAR
After trading for Russell Westbrook and barely making the playoffs, Beal has constantly been in trade rumors. The Wizards tried to surround the NBA’s second-leading scorer and failed to do so. Both Westbrook and Beal are very ball-dominant which portrays why this team struggled for the majority of the season and a little over a 2 percent chance to make the playoffs.
Possible trade: Washington Wizards receive Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle, and a first-round pick, Philadelphia 76ers receive Bradley Beal
ONE MORE MOVE AS AN ORGANIZATION
Doc Rivers joined the 76ers this season after being let go by the Los Angeles Clippers. Rivers is best known for being the coach who led the Big 3 Boston Celtics to a championship in 2008. He was also in the conversation for Coach of the Year this season; however, is it time for the organization to move on after one season?
Just last season in the NBA Bubble, the Los Angeles Clippers blew a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets in the Conference SemiFinals. Now, the Philadelphia 76ers lost some very winnable games going into the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks. According to ESPN, Rivers has 29 losses with a chance to clinch a playoff series, which is the most losses by a head coach in NBA history (.341 winning percentage).
What do you think the Philadelphia 76ers should do this offseason to improve their chances of bringing a title back to Philly?
