76ERS 101

Since falling to the Boston Celtics in the 2nd round of the playoffs, much has been discussed about what the Sixers roster would look like next season. Going into their first offseason as the Sixers' ownership group, Joshua Harris, Adam Aaron, and Co. needed to make a splash in an effort to make their mark on the team and keep the fans interested. They attempted to do all of this without "officially" having a real General Manager. Rod Thorn, last year's GM, has mulled over retirement as the Sixers looked for his replacement, but as of now there hasn't been any definitive progress. With that said lets take a look at how Doug Collins, Josh Harris, Adam Aaron, and kind of Rod Thorn fared at reshaping the roster.

- DRAFT: Sixers draft Moe Harkless (6'9 207lbs. 19 yrs. – St. John's) 15th overall; trade Justin Hamilton (45th overall) and future first-round pick to Miami Heat for Arnett Moultrie (6'10 230lbs 21 yrs. – Miss. St.) 27th overall. ** I liked Moultrie, didn't know a ton about Harkless who seems to have a few years until he's NBA ready. 

- Resign Spencer Hawes to 2 year $13 million deal. ** I criticized Hawes all last season and was really excited to see him go. But the deal is pretty harmless and they really had no other big men.

- Amnesty Clause used on Elton Brand, paying him the $18.2 million he was due next season. ** Gotta give it up to the 'Old School Chevy', he played his heart out and provided valuable veteran leadership. But it was time.

- Lou Williams walks as a free agent after the Sixers don't pick up his player option. He signed a 4 yr. 21.13 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks. ** I liked Lou but he's really nothing more than a 'gun' off the bench. He lacks a true position, size, and the willingness to play defense. But thanks for the late game heroics Lou.

- Sign Free Agent SG/SF Nick Young (6'7 210lbs 27 yrs). He's an established 3 point shooter, finally giving the Sixers some legitimate range. ** He'll likely be the new 6th man with Lou Will gone.

- Trade with Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Hornets for SF/PF Dorrell Wright (6'9 205lbs 26 yrs) in exchange for some random 28 year old European player who's been stashed overseas since 2006. Nice. ** Wright gives the Sixers more 3 point shooting, versatility, and we gave up practically nothing for him. 

- Resign PF Lavoy Allen to 2 yr $6 million deal. Last season's 2nd round pick out of Temple was considered a stretch by many, but Lavoy established his spot in the rotation by performing well in the playoffs. Well done. ** TU TUFF

- Sign Free Agent C Kwame Brown (6'11 270lbs 30 yrs) to 2 yr $6 million deal. ** Not a huge fan of the signing but the contract is harmless and again they lacked real size.

- Sign Free Agent PG/SG Royal Ivey (6'4 215lbs 30 yrs) to 1 yr deal. ** He was a Sixer like two years ago and we traded him for Jodie Meeks. Now Meeks is gone and Ivey returns. Sweet. He probably won't see any time if he even makes the squad.

- Sign Free Agent Rookie PG Maalik Wayns (6'2 195lbs 21 yrs) to 1 yr deal. Another local kid signs with the Sixers, last year was Lavoy, this year its Philly's own Wayns. ** After playing at Roman Catholic and Villanova, Wayns remains in Philly to compete for backup PG duties.

- The trade: Epic four team deal that rocked the NBA, as follows…

• Philadelphia: C Andrew Bynum (7'0 285lbs 24 yrs) from LA; SG Jason Richardson (6'6 225lbs 31 yrs) from Orlando
• Los Angeles: C Dwight Howard from ORL
• Orlando: SF/PF Al Harrington, SG Arron Afflalo, and future 1st rounder from DEN; C Nik Vucevic, rookie SF Moe Harkless, and future 1st rounder from PHI; future 1st rounder from LA
• Denver: SG/SF Andre Iguodala

** By acquiring Bynum, the Sixers have locked up the 2nd best Center in the entire NBA. He will do nothing but benefit the lineup, and gives the Sixers a bonafide player to finally build around. The South Jersey native is here on a 1 yr deal but is a player that Philly would want to lock up for years to come.

Looking back at what has transpired this offseason, the Sixers have certainly made the splash that the new ownership group wanted. They have become a completely different team, with only 5 players returning from last years roster. This is all very exciting, but most importantly the Sixers have become very flexible. The acquired an all-star caliber Center, a rare commodity in the NBA, but aren't locked into a contract if for some reason it doesn't work out. Even Young and Wright are on 1 yr deals, and could be dumped easily. The Sixers have put themselves in a great position to build and to grow into a serious contender over the next couple years. And are in a position to have a ton of money to spend in next years much anticipated offseason. Nice.

Tags: Basketball, NBA, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 76ers

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