Sixers Pick Up Hollis Thompson’s Option
The Sixers picked up the team option on Hollis Thompson for 1 million dollars. The move keeps Thompson in Philadelphia for one more year. It’s not surprising that the team would exercise the option. Thompson, a 39% career shooter from distance, is a great value on that deal. His combination of really good shooting and average defense would command much more than 1 million dollars on the open market in free agency. Even if the Sixers decide to cut Thompson this offseason, it will only count for 1 million dollars against their cap. That’s nothing for a team with over 50 million dollars in cap space this summer. I am somewhat skeptical of Thompson’s ability to be a good role player in this league but picking up his open was a no-brainer.
Sixers Interested in Harrison Barnes and Allen Crabbe
Free Agency hasn’t even started yet but the Sixers have already been linked with two young free agents. First, Marc Stein of ESPN reported that the Sixers have interest in Golden State’s Harrison Barnes. Then Ian Begley of ESPN reported that the team (along with a slew of others) were interested in Portland’s Allen Crabbe. Both guys are restricted free agents this offseason but there is a possibility that both guys could be pried from their original teams. Let’s start with Barnes. He’s an incredibly flawed player. He can’t really create his own shot. He’s a good but not great defender. He’s not a great passer and can’t really run a pick and role. Still, the things that Barnes can do are incredibly valuable. He’s a really good outside shooter and brings a lot of defensive versatility. That combination is what allowed Golden State to play those small ball lineups. Obviously Draymond is the key to that lineup but you need combo wings that can guard 3s and 4s if you wanna play small. It only helps when those guys can space the floor and not be an offensive liability. In this capacity, Barnes would be a good fit with Simmons. He could take the tougher defensive assignment on most nights while spacing the floor for the Aussie on offense. I would prefer a better defender in this scenario but Barnes is still pretty damn good. Still, how much are those few important skills worth? I wouldn’t pay Barnes the max in some situations but I would consider it in others. I think this probably wouldn’t be the best contract but there are certainly worse ways that the team can spend that money. Essentially, I don’t want the Sixers to sign Barnes but I also wouldn’t be upset by it. Lastly, I think it’s important to note that I don’t expect Golden State to let Barnes go unless they are able to get a commitment from a big name free agent.
Allen Crabbe is another interesting case. He wouldn’t cost quite as much as Barnes but it will still be a hefty contract. Crabbe is similar to Barnes in terms of his skillset. He’s mostly just a shooter with some defensive versatility. Crabbe is particularly interesting in his ability to guard both point guard and shooting guards. If the Sixers wanted to play Simmons at point guard on offense, Crabbe could be the nominal point guards who defends opposing lead guards with spacing the floor. I would want someone with a little bit more ball skills in that role but it’s still interesting. My problem with Crabbe is that he has really bad advanced numbers. Those aren’t everything but they show that the Trailblazers have been better with Crabbe off the floor and that he has performed below replacement level. That’s not ideal for a player who will most likely command a yearly salary of million dollars or more. You don’t have to trust the stats but you at least have to recognize that they signal some risk in a potential deal.
Saric Again Reaffirms His Commitment to Play for Sixers in 2016
We have heard this a bunch of times but there have been some doubts in past week about Dario’s commitment. Saric has said on numerous occasions since he was drafted that he will come over for the 2016-17 season but the picture is a little murkier when considering the financial ramifications and the possibility that the team may not have as many minutes available as Saric wants. Still, Saric continues to reaffirm that he is coming over. Today, he told reporters that will definitely be coming to the NBA after the Olympic qualifying tournament (which runs from July 4th to the 9th). He said Efes wants him back but that he is a man of his word so he will come over. This is encouraging for Sixers fans who most definitely want to see Saric play for the team next year. It’s hard to believe Saric 100% until he actually signs a contract because of the incentives for him to wait, but all signs point towards the Croatian playing in Philadelphia this coming season.
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