The dust is still settling following the news of Joel Embiid’s foot not being as far along in its recovery as expected. Its seems as though the next 10 years or so of the Sixers franchise hinges on the navicular bone inside the 21 year olds foot. One would assume that Embiid will probably be pulled from participating from the Summer League for further rest and evaluation. It seemed as though this upcoming year was going to be one to get excited about as we would be trotting out Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and whoever is taken at No. 3 in the draft. The young core would get their first year under their belt with hopes of becoming something special in the years to follow. Remember the whole “This Starts Now” promotion? It seems as though we may be adjusting that to “This Starts Later” for the 2015-2016 season.
If Embiid does end up sitting out another year Hinkie is left with two options: either spend cap space and bring in a couple free agents or tank another year and aim for another top 5 pick.
Here's my take on the two possible options Hinkie could implement for this summer and throughout the upcoming season.
Option 1: This Starts Now
I could see Hinkie doing this for a couple reasons. One is that if you take a look at the Sixers roster they really aren’t that bad. Nerlens Noel, Tony Wroten, Jerami Grant, and Robert Covington have all shown that they can contribute. If Hinkie were to bring in a top tier free agent or two to make a legitimate starting 5, it would turn this team into a decent competitor in a conference that is a bit weaker than the west. The other reason I would consider being competitive this year is because even if we end up not getting a top 5 pick, we still have a great shot at a high pick depending upon where the Lakers’ pick ends up. If it ends up outside the top 3, well then hand it over LA. We also have a great chance at two other first round picks from the Thunder and Heat. If the Heat pick is outside the top 10 next year we get that as well as the Thunder pick if it’s outside the top 15.
The city of Philadelphia from a fan standpoint would love to see the Sixers be somewhat competitive this year. Hinkie gives the people what they want and decides to open the bank that is the Sixers cap space. There are a couple big names this year that could fill needs for the Sixers going forward. Tobias Harris is a restricted free agent forward who has already turned down an early offer from the Magic back in October. One would think he's going to want max money and the Sixers could give him that. The Magic have said they'll match any offer sheet, but it's worth a shot. He would be a reliable scorer for a team that lacks one in the Sixers. Harris averaged 17.1 points per game according to HoopsHype.com. He's also only 23 and would fit right into the young core. Every team needs that solid wing scorer and Harris fits the bill.
Also available this summer are Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, and DeAndre Jordan. All players have experience in the PF/C department and are premier big men in the league. Adding one of these guys would prove costly but with the latest Embiid news may be worth it if Hinkie wants to kick this thing into high gear. All three would most likely require max money and Kevin Love sounds like he's standing pat in Cleveland with his player option, but money talks. This would also allow us to draft Russell/Mudiay keeping us from using the pick on yet another big man such as one of the top 2 in the draft or maybe even Porzingis if neither are available at 3.
One name I would also keep an eye out for is Wesley Matthews. The 28 year old unrestricted free agent shooting guard was a lock for a big contract until an achilles injury derailed those hopes. It may be tough to tell when he'll be available to play this season, but depending upon the lowered cost it may not matter. Many teams will for sure shy away from him due to the injury and rightfully so. This could be low risk-high reward chance that Hinkie may not want to pass up when it's all said and done.
We have yet to see Hinkie really utilize the cap space he's created and making a push for a vet or an up and coming young guy could help him take who he really covets in the draft. Who that may be no one really knows, but I would guess D'Angelo Russell out of Ohio State. The kid can shoot and some say he'll be the best player out of this draft down the road. If that's the case a run for a big name PF/C could very well be in play. Hinkie could also probably buy out Dario Saric's contract if he really wanted to and bring him over a year early which there has been talk of.
Option 2: This Starts Later
I would have no problem if Hinkie were to take this route. His conservative nature has paid off first with Noel when he sat out a season, and hopefully it will pay off down the road with Embiid. It’s simply silly to rush back from an injury, especially one like this. Another year in tank mode would put us back in the lottery along with our other valued picks in the first round next year. The only concern about this option is the negative impact on the fanbase of another year in tank mode. As an avid fan I would for sure stick around for another year, but I think some may start to jump ship.
We've seen Hinkie's patience over these past two seasons and I'm sure he has no problem waiting a third year to be competitive. It would be tough for the fans but we've come this far right? The main thing that would worry me if I were Hinkie is obviously Embiid's foot. Maybe it really just needs a little more time to fully heal and this is just a big overreaction, but nothing is ever for sure and Hinkie knows that so he does whatever he can to secure one of the top big men in the draft. This would most likely be either Towns or Okafor. Hinkie knows that if he wants one he can get one. A trade including our 3rd pick and possibly some of next year's picks could probably do the trick. Hinkie knows how much a franchise center does for a team, especially one that is rebuilding. This move would mean that we'd have Noel, Towns/Okafor, and Embiid when finally healthy, and like I said who knows when that is.
The most likely scenario from my point of view is the one where Hinkie goes tank mode 3.0. He waits for Embiid to become fully healthy and if that means sitting another year so be it. He drafts D'Angelo Russell out of Ohio State to be our guard of the future and surrounds him and Noel with more D-Leaguers than one could imagine. Brett Brown prepares himself for another 20 win season and hopes to end up in the top 5 again which is a place we've become quite familiar with. If by then Embiid hasn't put on the Sixers uniform once and is still not healthy enough to play, Hinkie uses the pick on a big man and fills out the rest of the roster with wherever the coveted Lakers pick and our many others end up. Oh and I almost forgot that Dario Saric who is known to be the best player not in America by many will be on his way over by then.
Conclusion:
I'm very curious as to see what will happen with Embiid and I'm intrigued to see how Hinkie will be able to adapt if all fails with Embiid. Like I said before Embiid could be declared healthy come fall and we can look back on this and laugh. I'm sure we'll here more as the draft approaches or even before then at the uniform unveil this week. Until then, it looks like truly only time will tell.
