No NBA team has had a more spectacular offseason than the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philly, a team the Indiana Pacers struggled to beat before last season, has managed its resources incredibly well. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey entered the summer in a unique situation, with two All-Stars on his roster and a ton of cap space, and he left the summer with a vastly improved roster.
From last year’s team, the Sixers have only six players remaining: Joel Embiid, KJ Martin, Kyle Lowry, Jeff Dowtin, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre. The rest of the roster ended up elsewhere because their contracts expired, they were traded or they were released in the name of creating more cap space.
It’s rare for a good team to have the wiggle room to sign a major talent, but that’s what Philadelphia did: They were able to sign star forward Paul George to a four-year, max-value deal this offseason. George, a former Pacer, was by far the best player to trade this summer, and it instantly propelled the 76ers up a tier or two in the East.
Then, through a combination of salary cap exceptions and smart moves, Morey added Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Caleb Martin and Guerschon Yabusele. The franchise also selected Jared McCain and Adem Bona. They have a whole new feel, but all of their additions have a chance to make an impact.
Many have ranked Philly as a big winner of the summer because of all their trades. They lost several good players to make all this happen – Nic Batum, Robert Covington, Mo Bamba, Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, Cam Payne and Paul Reed all have new homes. That list of players alone is a decent roster. But having George and other talent around him is a masterstroke, even with those departures in mind.
The 76ers now have perhaps the best big three in the current NBA. George, Maxey, and Embiid are all incredibly talented and should mesh well together. Embiid and Maxey were already a good duo – now George’s defense, shooting, and overall skills will be added to the mix.
A combination of Oubre, Martin, Gordon and Lowry should complete a rock-solid starting five. This group will be tough to topple. The Sixers’ kryptonite in past seasons was the time spent without Embiid on the court, but being able to shut down Jackson, Yabusele, Drummond, McCain and others in those moments will make them a dangerous team.
Indiana went 2-1 against Philadelphia last season. Each game was incredibly high-scoring, and that will likely be the case again next season. Both teams have a ton of firepower.
Philadelphia added more points. They should be a top team in the Eastern Conference, and the Pacers will have to be at their best to beat the 76ers. Last year, both franchises won the same number of games. The gaps between them were slim. Indiana will have to grow internally to follow a breakout summer in the City of Brotherly Love.