Philadelphia’s season has concluded in rather dramatic fashion. In Game 7, the Sixers lost to the Toronto Raptors 92-90 after Kawhi Leonard hit a miraculous buzzer-beater over Joel Embiid. In the biggest game, and in the most dramatic fashion, Philadelphia’s season ended.
This was a team that had Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid average 17+ points per game. Many people touted the Sixers as the most talented team in the Eastern Conference. Nevertheless, Philadelphia’s season is over.
2019 76ers Offseason
As the 2019 76ers offseason begins, they’ll have a lot to address. Among these things, the free agency of Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and JJ Redick. Beyond that, they may also have to be on the search for a new head coach after Brett Brown didn’t lead them to the success that was expected throughout the entire organization. But, most of all, the Sixers may have to look into some massive roster changes.
First things first, though. There are many different routs Philadelphia can make to prioritize which moves come first. Beyond all, the first actions their front office should look to make are to trade Ben Simmons AND re-sign Jimmy Butler. Both would benefit the team dramatically for seasons to come.
Re-signing A Star Player
Earlier this season, Jimmy Butler was traded to the Philadelphia after he caused a whirlwind of problems in Minnesota. He came with the same attitude, same mindset, and with the sole goal to win. He’s a player that focuses on the now and not the future. On the season, he averaged 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. Considering he was on a team with four star players, those stats are better than you think.
But, come this postseason, Jimmy Butler was a different animal. In fact, Jimmy Butler was the Sixers’ second-best player in this year’s postseason. The numbers favor Joel Embiid in that regard, but we all know that Jimmy Buckets brought the Sixers to another level. Averaging 19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, it’s clear that Butler did more than what we see on the stat-sheet.
Outside of what he did in the playoffs, Jimmy Butler has proven to be a great player. He certainly deserves the max contract if we’re looking at his whole body of work. Prior to coming to Philadelphia, Butler averaged 22 points with the Timberwolves. When you really consider his issues in Minnesota, all he really wanted was to win.
Butler is the player to depend on if you need tenacity. He’s a pure competitor who gives his all on the court. It wouldn’t hurt in the slightest to have a player like Butler on your team. And, if the Sixers also take the route of trading Ben Simmons, Butler would be able to give you even more with Embiid and a potential first-round pick by his side.
Trading a Young Star
As we know already, Ben Simmons is arguably the best young player in today’s game. However, the 2019 76ers offseason could include his trade. When both fans and media are looking at his game, the biggest weakness is shooting. I understand that trading away Simmons may be a mistake, but when you look at it, Philadelphia will have everything to gain.
Simmons simply didn’t do enough in this year’s playoffs. In the regular season, he averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. Simmons even snagged himself his first All-Star appearance. The playoffs, however, were a totally different story. Compared to the regular season, he averaged 13.9 points (-2), 7.1 rebounds (-1.7), and 6.0 assists (-1.7).
It’s worth noting that Ben Simmons was supposed to be an integral part of the Sixers’ postseason. On a team with three (and one borderline) All-Stars, those numbers are disappointing. We can only imagine what would happen if Simmons actually developed a jump-shot. Beyond just a jump-shot, Simmons can’t be on the Sixers team if they hope to succeed.
As I alluded to before, Simmons is a fantastic player. However, he did not and will not give the Sixers what they need if they truly want to be NBA Championship contenders. Even with three other great players, Philadelphia couldn’t get the job done. This means a roster blowup must take place, right?
A Ben Simmons Trade Makes Sense
And, when you look at this roster, you have Joel Embiid who’s your franchise player – untouchable. Then you have Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler who are both due to be free agents. This leaves Ben Simmons as the player who must be traded if the Sixers want both a roster blowup AND a chance to still win the East.
The reason the Sixers should trade Simmons isn’t that he’s a bad player, but for the fact that they can fill massive holes. Along with that, building around Butler and Embiid would give Philadelphia a lethal duo to potentially take over the conference.
If the Sixers were to trade Simmons, it would have to be to a lottery team. Trading Simmons means that not only would the Sixers be gaining a young piece, but they’d also be getting a player who may give them more than Simmons ever did. And, as we know in this league, if you can shoot, you’ll make a team. On top of that, Philadelphia could gain an established player as well.
What the Sixers Are Left With
If the 2019 76ers offseason plan includes trading Ben Simmons and re-signing Jimmy Butler, you’re left with a lot to work with. There will still be the free agency of JJ Redick and Tobias Harris to consider, but with Embiid, Butler, and a 2019 first-round pick, Philadelphia would be in good shape already.
Other pending free agents for the Sixers include Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott, Furkan Korkmaz, James Ennis, and T.J McConnell.
The bottom line is that, due to the Sixers’ failure, they need a roster revamp. That revamp should come nowhere other than from trading Ben Simmons and re-signing their best pending free agent. Any other measure to achieve a deeper playoff run may be riskier and less effective than the methods stated above. The 2019 76ers offseason could be a big one.