Trust the process, they said, and this Offseason, it appears the process took another major leap forward. The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t make many moves, but they made a few wise maneuvers to improve the roster. To begin the summer, they waived Gerald Henderson to create a roster spot and clear some cap space.
Moving up in the draft and making a great selection
The most important part of Philadelphia’s offseason was the 2017 NBA draft. Before the draft, the Sixers traded their 2017 third overall pick and next year’s first-round pick via the Lakers to the Boston Celtics for their 2017 first overall pick.
Moving up in the draft, the 76ers selected freshman standout Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick to make him the new starting point guard of the team. Fultz is a big point guard, standing at 6-foot, 4-inches with a seven-foot wingspan. He was named first-team All-Pac-12 and averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks in college.
The 19-year-old is another major cog to Philadelphia’s rebuilding process and should be able to sufficiently fit in alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
The new faces
Since the Sixers waived Henderson, they needed a replacement at the shooting guard position. They elected to sign J.J. Redick to a one-year, $23 million deal. While the Sixers may have overpaid him for the year, Redick is a lethal three-point shooter, who will provide veteran leadership and experience to the young group.
To add to the blend, the Sixers also signed free-agent big man Amir Johnson, who is essentially known for his interior defense, rebounding, and hustle. Offensively, Johnson has the ability to space the floor and knock down outside shots but is highly inconsistent. Nonetheless, he is another solid addition to the team.
The 76ers now have a nice blend of young players and veterans who are still capable of producing.
The rest is up to player development and injuries. The Sixers have suffered many injuries to key youngsters over the last couple of seasons, including Simmons, Embiid, and Jahlil Okafor. However, if they remain healthy, the new-look roster should be able to compete at a high level in the inferior Eastern Conference, maybe, just maybe making the post-season.
Roster outlook
PG: Markelle Fultz/T.J. McConnell/Jerryd Bayless
SG: J.J. Redick/Nik Stauskas/Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot/Furkan Korkmaz
SF: Ben Simmons/Robert Covington/Justin Anderson
PF: Dario Saric/Richaun Holmes/Amir Johnson
C: Joel Embiid/Jahlil Okafor
Coach: Brett Brown
Offseason Grade: B
