Philadelphia 76ers
Biggest offseason moves: Signed Patrick Beverley, signed Mo Bamba, re-signed Paul Reed, likely will trade James Harden
I can make the argument that the Philadelphia 76ers had the worst offseason in the NBA. Not only did they not add to their core to improve their chances heading into next season but there’s now a good chance they’re going to lose James Harden for what will appear to be pennies on the dollar. Harden has demanded a trade to the LA Clippers and without much of a demand for him on the open market, it’s unlikely that the Sixers are going to get a good return.
What’s going to likely happen is that the Sixers are going to end up with a non-contender roster after this. Joel Embiid is great but I can’t imagine the signing of Patrick Beverley, Mo Bamba, and whatever else the team gets back in a package for Harden is going to make up for that loss.
The real danger is what the next possible domino to fall will be. If Philadelphia is serious about not trading Tyrese Maxey, it’s hard to imagine the Sixers finding a realistic path to landing another star to play next to Embiid. And that could end up being a way bigger problem than the Sixers realize at the moment.
Grade: D