Approaching Rookie Contract Decisions

By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)

The Sixers are beginning to reach the point in their rebuild’s life cycle where they have to start deciding which of their young guys are going to be around for the long haul. They already made a very cut-and-dry decision with Michael Carter-Williams by trading him away, but before you know it, other decisions will have to be made regarding picking up options and extending contracts on some of the other young assets Sam Hinkie has acquired.

Here are some of the key dates on rookie deals which will have to be made in the next couple months:

Key Rookie Dates pic.twitter.com/kEXRlTNPyP

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 13, 2015

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The Sixers will not have a K.J. McDaniels situation on their hands this year, as they have already signed Richaun Holmes to a 4-year deal and J.P. Tokoto looks poised to either play overseas or in the D-league during the upcoming season.

Currently, 4 players under contract with the team have options for 2016-17 which will have to be decided on by the end of October.

• Nerlens Noel – An automatic re-up candidate, already blossoming into one of the most impactful defensive players in the league. Bringing him back at $4.38M is a steal in today’s NBA contract environment.
• Joel Embiid – Set to undergo a second major surgery on his foot tomorrow, Embiid has still yet to suit up in a game for the Sixers. Still, the team has too much invested in Embiid hopefully making his way back to at the very least be a contributor, if not the star they first envisioned. They’ll be giving him every opportunity to succeed, which includes picking up next year’s $4.8M option.
• Nik Stauskas – It’s well-documented the Sixers had interest in Stauskas even before the Kings drafted him two picks ahead of Philly in the 2014 draft. Potentially filling a huge outside shooting need for the team if he can rebound from a tough rookie year in Sacramento, he’s a shoe-in to return on the team-friendly $2.99M option.
• Hollis Thompson – He wasn’t a lottery pick like the other three guys in this group (or a draft pick at all), but Thompson also has a club option for next season. While lacking the pedigree of the others, Thompson has certainly showed he belongs in his first two NBA seasons, shooting better than 40% from three each year. At the bargain-basement price of $1.0M, I’d be very surprised if the Sixers didn’t retain a place in Holliswood for 2016-17.

As for that third group, the Sixers do have one player from the 2012 to make a decision on regarding an extension: Tony Wroten. Coming off ACL surgery, it would seem to be in the team’s best interest to see if Wroten can bounce back to his former level of explosiveness before making long-term decisions about his future with the club. Given that he may still not be back to full strength by the start of the season, it’s unlikely he’ll be extended before the deadline.