Sixers Formulating Plan for Life After the NBA Lockout

Everything is different now.

Much to no one’s surprise, at 12:01 a.m. last Friday, the NBA began its first work stoppage since the 1998-99 season.

The basketball world has undergone quite a change since that fateful morning. Since the lockout began, NBA TV has only broadcast WNBA games and highlights, classic games from the 1970s, and pre-1995 dunk contests. You won’t hear a single mention of an active NBA player, nor see them in any advertising campaigns.

Even Sixers.com has a different look these days. Other than the roster, you won’t find a trace of a current player anywhere on the site.

By most accounts, this labor stoppage will last for months. The major sticking point between the players and the owners is the split of the basketball-related income, or BRI. In short, the owners want the players’ share of BRI drastically reduced from the current level of 57 percent. And much like anyone else in a similar situation, the players aren’t too keen on giving up their share of the revenue pie.

And so we wait.

In advance of the lockout, Sixers’ coach Doug Collins racked up more than a few frequent miles last week. After meeting with several players in Philadelphia last week (including Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner), Collins flew to Atlanta to meet with Lou Williams and Jodie Meeks before heading to Los Angeles to talk to Elton Brand and Jrue Holiday.

The goal was for Collins (and/or his assistants) to touch base with every player on the roster before the lockout began on July 1. Contact with players during the labor stoppage will result in a $1 million fine, plus the possible loss of draft picks.

In theory, the Sixers’ coaching staff told each player what they’d like him to work on during the summer. Internally, the team also has a blueprint of what they plan on doing once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.

The first order of business is for the Sixers to re-sign their two restricted free agents: Young and Spencer Hawes. Both have been tendered qualifying offers, a move which will allow the Sixers to match any contract offered by another team.

The pending CBA will restrict the market for both players, but expect Young to receive a deal in the $6-7 million per year range, while Hawes should command a contract around $5 million/season.

Despite the return of Hawes and the selection of USC center Nikola Vucevic in the June 23 draft, the Sixers still need to find at least one power forward in free agency. That number might increase if they decide to deal Marreese Speights, the current backup post player who doesn’t appear to be an ideal fit in Collins’ system.

The collective bargaining agreement won’t (or, at least, shouldn’t) have any effect on the future status of Iguodala, who remains in Philadelphia much to the surprise of most of the team’s fan base.

Following the draft, Collins was adamant that the Sixers were not actively shopping Iguodala. And while that may be true (despite the rumors to the contrary), that statement still doesn’t prevent the Sixers from dealing their mercurial swingman, provided that someone presents them with a good offer.

Iguodala’s name was mentioned in trade rumors so frequently this offseason that it’ll be hard for him (and the team) to act like everything is peaches-and-cream when training camp begins (whenever that may be). So the smart money still says that the Sixers’ small forward will have a new address come next season.

Of course, the elephant in the room is the impending sale of the franchise. A group of investors, led by billionaire Joshua Harris (co-founder of Apollo Global Management) has agreed to buy a 90 percent stake in the team for approximately $280 million.

There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not the sale will affect the team’s plans this summer, but it seems likely that the front office won’t look to add payroll once they’re allowed to resume normal business operations.

All things considering, the Sixers are in pretty decent shape. They have a young nucleus, a great coach, and a valuable trade commodity (Iguodala) that they can use to either obtain a scorer (such as Golden State’s Monta Ellis) or to reduce salary (by swapping him for a draft pick).

But until a new CBA is finalized, they’re in a holding pattern, awaiting the chance to improve on last year’s promising 41-41 season.