Philadelphia 76ers: Practice Facility Aligns With Free Agent Approach
Philadelphia 76ers’ new practice facility should work to their advantage in free agency.
Philadelphia 76ers are building a new practice facility during a very important stage of the team’s controversial rebuild. In what will go down as one of the worst seasons in team and league history, the Philadelphia 76ers will finish at the bottom of the league and may even lose 70 games.
The team failed to show much improvement this season and could never find an identity. The Philadelphia 76ers faced cultural issues and changes as rookie Jahlil Okafor encountered early off-court issues and Jerry Colangelo was brought in for some type of “damage control”.
The rest of the NBA, even with the onboarding of Colangelo, still view the Philadelphia 76ers as detriments to the league. Many players, coaches, and executives feel the 76ers are cheating the system and their fans by intentionally losing to gain a high chance at the number one pick in the draft. This perception won’t be taken lightly by the 76ers, as the team tries to sell their program in what they claim will be an active free agency period for them this summer.
Top free agents will most likely ignore any offers from the Philadelphia 76ers as max contracts allow top free agents the luxury to choose where they sign based on the best situation for them while not losing out on money, but the angle to attract mid-level free agents have taken a structural turn for the 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers released their design for a new training complex on January 26th, 2016. Here is an excerpt from the official release:
"“The 125,000-square-foot Training Complex will be the largest in the NBA, and will include the Sixers basketball operations facility and business operations offices. Designed to foster team building and unity, communication, innovation, and the spirit of competition, the basketball operations facility includes two NBA regulation-size basketball courts, a 2,800-square-foot player locker room, and state-of-the-art performance, wellness, recovery, and hydrotherapy rooms. The basketball training facility was conceived to be a 24/7 destination for elite NBA and front office talent with amenities including a player restaurant, private balcony, film, and press room. Construction is progressing as scheduled on the basketball operations facility, estimated to open for player use in the fourth quarter of this year. The business operations offices will include a media production studio, 7,000-square-foot roof deck, 10,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial space, and more.” – NBA.com"
Not only will the facility be brand new, but it seems like the Philadelphia 76ers are dedicated to creating the top training facility in the NBA. This $44 million project will upgrade the team from practicing in the facilities of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. The Philadelphia 76ers will most likely intend to use the facility as the main selling point for curious free agents.
In the team’s current state, there’s not much reason for free agents to join the youthful rebuilding team. Stars don’t want to waste valuable years while the young core develops and older veterans want to spend their dwindling years in the chase for championships, so selling the roster will be moot for this year’s offseason.
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The facility gives the Philadelphia 76ers a different vantage point. They can sell to young and still promising free agents that they will be the face of the team, and in return, the 76ers can give them a big contract and the chance to develop in pristine facilities. They can use the new facility to bring in veteran leadership on the basis of the new hydrotherapy rooms helping these veterans extend their careers.
The $44 million Camden, New Jersey project is going to more than just a shiny new building for the Philadelphia 76ers. The investment shows the franchise’s determination to change the perception of the team from a joke to a serious free agent contender. The upgrade will mold the team’s culture moving forward.
The free agent chase is complex, with many factors going into the decisions players make, but the Philadelphia 76ers are doing their best to improve on futile performances the past two offseasons. The 76ers are looking to turn the key of the rebuild to becoming stable and competitive.
Next: Will The Sixers Win Again This Season?
The Philadelphia 76ers will take the free agent period with intense aggression. The team name will be across reports linked to most of the top 15 free agents, and at the center of the free agent market raid will be the new practice facility.