Sixers: Decreasing cap can impact free agency strategy

With the draft over, the Sixers look to complete their retool in free agency. The cap fell $2 million short of the latest projections, and Philadelphia can benefit from it.

The Golden State Warriors aren’t bad for basketball. But their dominance has cost the league $2 million dollars in cap space. Thanks to the short playoffs due to the top heavy league, revenue numbers came out shorter than expected, and this summer’s cap will sit at $99 million, and the Sixers can benefit from this.

The Sixers have as much cap space as a team could imagine, but Bryan Colangelo has preached that flexibility going into the 2018 summer is a top priority. So, with those comments and the selection of Markelle Fultz, it seems the Sixers may have a somewhat “quiet” free agency period. The Kyle Lowry rumors still hold some possibility, but are most likely a blind swing of the bat at this point.

It’s good Colangelo is showing patience and waiting one more summer to attack the free agent market, especially with more stars on the docket in 2018. It may sound overly optimistic to think Philadelphia can land a major free agent so soon, but the Sixers have a whole season to prove that their young core is more than just potential. If they find even marginal success, the allure to play with the young three stars will increase to a point that could convince a star to be the final piece.

More from Philadelphia 76ers

• 3 Reasons the 76ers Should Poach Blake Griffin From the Celtics
• 3 Most Overpaid 76ers Heading Into the 2023 Season
• Ranking Daryl Morey’s 3 Biggest Mistakes with 76ers
• 3 Teams Crazy Enough to Trade for James Harden
• James Harden Putting Career in Jeopardy With Holdout Threat

But going back to this current summer strategy. It’ll should be the same as last summer’s; slight overpay in the short term. Bryan Colangelo didn’t nail last summer, but his three marquee deals were low risk even if production didn’t surpass expectations. Gerald Henderson has a very real chance of seeing his team option not be picked up, Sergio Rodriguez is gone, and Jerryd Bayless will hold the team with a $9 million dollar salary the next two seasons.

It’s the same strategy this year. If the Sixers are targeting a mid-tier free agent, like a J.J. Redick, the team must convince him to come in on a massive one-year deal. Or, they can try to front-load a multi-year deal as much as possible. The Sixers could, and should, play it real cautious this summer.

This won’t play to well to the newly founded playoff expectations that came with adding yet another top draft talent, but the Sixers will be trying to pinpoint the right time and situation to attack in free agency. Reason is, while the cap decrease probably won’t be as drastic in the coming years, Philadelphia has to work contract extensions for both Robert Covington and Joel Embiid in the near future.

16 Wins A Ring contributor and host of the NBA Front Office Show Keith Smith set his expectations for the Sixers’ cap space this summer.

It’s clear the team has room to make a move. But with this team reaching closer to competitiveness, every dollar means more. There can’t bee too many more, “let’s take a chance” signings. The Sixers still have roster sports to fill, however, even with the now expected arrival of Furkan Korkmaz.

There should be trust that Bryan Colangelo does so in a meaningful manner, with regards to future cap situations. His vision of flexibility in 2018 shouldn’t deter him from making moves to improve the team this year. The East, as it stands after the draft, seems weaker than ever. The Sixers have a real (although still more on the unlikely side) possibility of reaching the playoffs.

Next: Markelle Fultz sets high expectations

The team basically must make short-term moves, with long-term thinking attached to them. The Sixers find themselves in a good situation, presently. But the team can only move forward with highly-calculated moves. A lot can happen from now until two summers ahead, but the Sixers are on the right track to landing key free agents that’ll boost this young core forward.