Now that we seem to know exactly what the Sixers’ roster will look like when training camp begins on October 1, let’s answer some of your questions in a weekly mailbag.
From @Josh_Rice438: What do you think is the sneakiest, most important, or most overlooked move made this offseason?
I will give you two examples, one positive and one negative, because there is so much to say.
Losing Nic Batum could be a lot more damaging to the Sixers than many realize. Many will look at his 5.5 points per game with the Sixers last season and scoff at the idea that his departure was anything other than a minor deal, but his impact on winning was huge after arriving in Philadelphia — and he would be a perfect addition to the Sixers’ current roster that now includes his former teammate, Paul George.
Think about all the things Batum could bring to this iteration of the Sixers that they need: viable defense at power forward (as well as at least three other positions) and a great pass rusher. His masterful three-point shooting and accuracy would also improve their team significantly.
However, from a salary cap perspective, bringing back Batum — if the veteran had any interest in returning to the Sixers at a price similar to what he accepted to return to the Los Angeles Clippers — would have forced the team to either not have a viable backup center or miss the opportunity to add Caleb Martin.
Their paths to re-signing Batum while retaining Kelly Oubre Jr. made it difficult to build a complete team. They could have signed Batum instead Andre DrummondBut by then waiving Paul Reed to free up the salary cap space needed to sign Martin, the team would have had only rookie Adem Bona as a backup center and no resources to add stable options above the veteran’s minimum salary.
On a more optimistic note, perhaps the most overlooked aspect of the Sixers’ successful offseason is that they didn’t have to touch their future draft picks to assemble their roster—they didn’t just add a third All-Star caliber player when they signed George; they did it without giving up anything but future dollars.
While the Sixers owe their 2025 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder (Al Horford trade) and their 2027 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets (James Harden acquisition), they restocked their future picks by trading Harden to the Clippers. The Sixers got back two first-round picks in exchange for Harden — one of them an unprotected 2028 first-round pick from the Clippers that became the crown jewel of their asset collection — and a swap of a protected top-3 pick in 2029.
The obvious argument here is that the Sixers have retained the ammunition to improve their roster in future trades — and that’s certainly true. But beyond that, if the perfect opportunities to add via trade don’t materialize, the Sixers can simply hold onto those picks and use them to add additional doses of young talent to their roster. With George and Joel Embiid aging and a new salary cap environment encouraging finding cost-effective contributors as often as possible, the Sixers should consider keeping most of those picks a real possibility.
From @alexdickinsons: Is there a chance that Ricky Council IV or Guerschon Yabusele ends up starting and pushes Kelly Oubre Jr. into the sixth man role?
I think there is a world where Oubre is eventually moved to the bench and used in a role that involves more scoring duties, potentially allowing Martin to slide back to his natural position as a power forward. But for that to happen, I think it would be if the Sixers acquired a power forward via trade who can easily fit into the starting five.
Council IV and Yabusele both have a real chance to make an impact in 2024-25, but I don’t see either of them as a realistic option to start regularly at any point. It seems like an overestimation of their abilities to put either of them in such a position this season (which, of course, doesn’t mean they can’t contribute in smaller roles).
While we’re at it, I think Martin’s ability to defend and play the four has become underrated. While it’s not his natural position, I believe he’ll be more than capable of logging plenty of minutes at the position due to his size and physicality. Additionally, George is 6’4″ and while the team will try to preserve the nine-time All-Star’s energy by not putting him in tough matchups, he’s capable of spending stretches of games defending certain power forwards.
From @spelledwithaZ: If the Sixers were to use the 15th roster spot, who would be the ideal minimum player to sign?
To be clear, I don’t expect the Sixers to have all 15 of their standard NBA positions filled for some time — perhaps not before the trade deadline in February. But, if they were to add another piece to this group before training camp, I think adding a center who can play spot minutes would be worth considering.
Of course, the Sixers are hoping Embiid plays more than the 39 regular-season games he did last season, but it seems clear he’ll miss some time. That means the Sixers need several viable centers behind him, and right now, their true-five depth consists of Drummond and Bona.
Bona has some exciting, even tantalizing, skills and tools heading into his rookie season, but how he fits into an NBA rotation right away is questionable to say the least. Bona can set screens and drive to the basket, but he’s not a shooter with no discernible offensive skills. He’s a great weak-side blocker with an outrageous motor that never stops, but he’ll be as foul-prone as any player in the NBA next season if he gets anywhere near consistent playing time.
Free agency began more than seven weeks ago, so it’s not like the current market is flooded with quality options — a few veterans are still around, like Bismack Biyombo and Damian Jones; the lack of attractive options still on the market could reinforce the Sixers’ apparent strategy of leaving that final spot open before the season begins.
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