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Tag: nba free agency rumors

  • Report: Sixers to sign Paul George to four-year contract

    Report: Sixers to sign Paul George to four-year contract

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    It happened: the Sixers have an agreement with Paul George on a four-year contract that will bring the nine-time All-Star to Philadelphia, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

    George is projected to earn a total of $212,205,000 over the life of the max contract that will run from his age-34 season through his age-37 season. According to Wojnarowski, the fourth year of the deal contains a player option.

    Season (George age) Salary
    2024-25 (34) $49,350,000
    2025-26 (35) $51,817,500
    2026-27 (36) $54,285,000
    2027-28 (37, player option) $56,752,500

    Ever since the trade that sent James Harden to the Clippers at the beginning of last season — which netted the Sixers role players on expiring contracts and future draft picks — it was abundantly clear that Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and his front office were gearing up for the chance to add another high-profile name to their present All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey this offseason. Nearly a year later, their hopes have become reality.

    George, considered by many to be one of the best two-way wing players of his era, has averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game over the course of his impressive NBA career, while posting a career 38.5 three-point percentage as one of the highest-volume long-range shooters in the world.

    The move ends a five-year partnership with Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, after George forced a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Clippers to team with Leonard and try to win a championship in his home state of California. Many expected George and Leonard to lead the Clippers to the promised land, but they never reached an NBA Finals due to a combination of injuries and playoff letdowns.

    The Clippers were reportedly never willing to offer George a four-year deal — Leonard, who had been on the same timeline on George contractually, inked a three-year extension last winter — and evidently, the Sixers had no hesitation pulling the trigger on a contract with that sort of framework.

    NBA free agency: Is Paul George the Sixers’ missing piece?

    There are fair reasons to wonder if this is the right path forward for the Sixers: he is 34 years old, has an extensive injury history and, like the team he is set to join, has a reputation for falling short in the playoffs. Some believe that the Sixers would have been better off spreading out their massive cap space around to sign multiple quality role players in a vote of confidence that Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey can be the lone stars for a championship team.

    But the Sixers have long signaled that a three-star model was their preferred form of roster construction and privately appeared to be of the belief that they had a very real chance of landing George despite conflicting reports about whether or not mutual interest actually existed.

    Signing George will occupy the vast majority of the Sixers’ cap space, with the remainder going to Andre Drummond and the team using its room Mid-Level Exception on Kelly Oubre Jr.

    In order to sign George, the Sixers have to renounce their Bird rights to several free agents, meaning they can no longer exceed the salary cap in order to sign them — they can only sign them to deals using the aforementioned MLE or a veteran’s minimum contract. The players who will need to be renounced include Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, Nic Batum, Robert Covington and De’Anthony Melton. This does not definitively rule out returns for all five, but it does make bringing them back into the fold more difficult to pull off. 

    Sixers free agency primer: Literally everything you need to know

    As the Sixers have demonstrated here, though, they are far more concerned by who their team’s third star is than who their key reserves are. They are of the belief that teams win with as many stars as possible. So, in their view, the hardest part of building a championship team is done, with Embiid, Maxey and George being a three-man unit prolific enough to anchor a championship team in their eyes. Now it is up to Morey and co. to surround their new prized trio with the proper supporting cast to challenge the likes of the Boston Celtics and other Eastern Conference contenders.

    Give the Sixers this: whether one agrees with signing George being the right path for them to travel, the team spent an entire year plotting for this very moment and were able to pull off exactly what they hoped to execute. Paul George is a Sixer.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • How the Sixers can sign Paul George and trade for Lauri Markkanen this offseason

    How the Sixers can sign Paul George and trade for Lauri Markkanen this offseason

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    News broke just over 24 hours before the start of NBA free agency on Sunday evening that Los Angeles Clippers star wing Paul George is opting out of his contract and entering free agency, with the Sixers looming as a “legitimate threat” to sign the nine-time All-Star.

    The Sixers have been positioning themselves for this moment for the better part of a year as their quest for the ideal third star next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey continued. 

    But what if they found a fourth star, too?

    Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz has become one of the most dynamic offensive forwards in the entire NBA over the last two seasons, a genuine three-level scorer who can put the ball in the basket at the highest of levels. As he enters the final year of his current contract, reports have circulated that teams are monitoring whether or not Markkanen, who is only entering his age-27 season, could become available for trade in the near future.

    Sixers free agency primer: Literally everything you need to know

    It could take a massive amount of draft picks to woo the Jazz — rightfully so given how good the Finnish seven-footer has become. But if it is possible, the Sixers are armed with a collection of future first-round selections to make a competitive offer.

    Pulling off a trade for Markkanen after signing George to the maximum offer he is expected to command — which is projected to be worth $49,350,000 in its first season — would be extremely tricky.

    But after a few hours of crunching numbers and asking various salary cap experts, it does seem that this path is feasible if things broke right: that is, the Sixers could theoretically put these four players together without violating any of the league’s salary cap rules.

    Before we get to all of the salary cap machinations, it is worth pointing out that there are some potential downsides to doing this: Markkanen is, of course, due for a new and hefty contract soon. The Sixers’ financial flexibility after assembling this hypothetical four-star unit would be incredibly limited, resembling the hellish situation the Phoenix Suns are currently in. There is a real argument to be made that going down this road would be reckless, giving the Sixers a one- or two-year window at best and then putting them in an extremely precarious position.

    But with the Boston Celtics looking like a juggernaut and teams like the New York Knicks pushing all of their chips in, it is not unreasonable to expect the Sixers to do the same — and if there was ever a group of four players to do it for, it would be this one.

    So, come on a journey with me as I outline the path to building a team featuring Embiid, Maxey, George and Markkanen:

    Step No. 1: Renounce all free agents other than Maxey

    According to the projections of salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan on capsheets.com, if the Sixers renounce the rights to all of their free agents other than Maxey — Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Lowry, Mo Bamba, Jeff Dowtin Jr., KJ Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., Cam Payne and Terquavion Smith — they would have $54,781,404 in cap space. That is our starting point in this exercise.

    Step No. 2: Sign Paul George to max contract

    The first year of George’s max contract is projected to be worth $49,350,000. His deal eating up that chunk of salary cap space trims their cap room to $5,431,404. But, the NBA salary cap has something called incomplete roster charges: when a team does not have at least 13 players who they either have under contract or own the Bird rights of, the team is charged one rookie minimum salary against their cap space for each number below 13 that they are at. 

    So, signing George would remove one incomplete roster charge, which is projected to be valued at $1,160,564. So, that gives the Sixers $6,591,948 in cap space.

    Step No. 3: Trade for soon-to-be salary filler

    When a team makes a normal in-season trade, any player they trade for cannot be traded along with other players for a certain period of time. Free agent signings are not allowed to be traded at all until Dec. 15. But if a team absorbs a player into their cap space via trade, that player can be rerouted at any time, and they are allowed to be aggregated with other salaries.

    So, the idea here is that the Sixers would use this $6.5 million or so of cap space to absorb salary via trade so that they can eventually be sent to Utah in a Markkanen deal.

    There are a few players on expiring contracts who they could likely acquire from teams for little to no cost. Reggie Jackson of the Charlotte Hornets, for example, will make $5,250,000 next season and has no place with his new team in the short- or long-term.

    Of course, the Sixers would only perform Step No. 3 if they knew Step No. 4 was going to immediately follow:

    Step No. 4: Trade for Lauri Markkanen

    This is, of course, the hardest part — and the component of this plan that makes it the hardest to see actually coming to fruition. First, the Jazz have to decide that they are ready to move Markkanen. Then, the Sixers have to hope that no other team makes a stronger offer than what they are capable of. Unfortunately for the Sixers, there are teams out there with stronger collections of future first-round picks, so even if the Jazz did decide it was time to trade their best player, it is not exactly a lock that the Sixers could get him if they want to do so.

    So, the structure of the trade would be Markkanen going to the Sixers in exchange for Paul Reed, Ricky Council IV, whichever player(s) they acquire to satisfy Step No. 3 and a collection of future draft picks.

    A quick note: the Jazz are the team that signed Reed to his unusual three-year deal last summer, before the Sixers matched the offer sheet and ensured he would return to Philadelphia, so it is entirely plausible that Utah would value him to some extent beyond just being salary filler.

    Again, though, things would need to break right for the Sixers to make this offer appealing to Utah beyond its simple legality.

    Step No. 5: Find depth

    With George and Markkanen secured in this hypothetical world, the Sixers would have the room mid-level exception — worth a hair over $8 million — and veteran’s minimum contracts to fill out the remainder of their roster. They could choose to offer the entirety of that MLE to one player in hopes of finding a strong fifth starter, or they could split it up among two viable rotation contributors.

    Step No. 6: Sign Tyrese Maxey to max contract

    This will be the Sixers’ final piece of business officially, but it will be their easiest: Maxey will agree with the team on a five-year contract worth just below $205 million.

    And just like that, Embiid, Maxey, George and Markkanen would all be on the same roster. Take a deep breath.

    Step No. 7: Hope for a title next season, because tough times are coming

    Putting these four incredible talents on the same team in today’s NBA would be a remarkable feat in itself, even just on the level of displaying tremendous creativity. But beyond the 2024-25 season, the team would be in an unspeakably disadvantageous situation from a financial standpoint moving forward if they were to re-sign Markkanen.

    One final disclaimer: none of this is to say the Sixers are going pull all of this off, or that it is a remotely realistic outcome, or even that they should attempt to do it if it was possible. It is merely an attempt to outline the procedural path to assembling a roster featuring these four-star players.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Report: Rumored Sixers target OG Anunoby returns to Knicks

    Report: Rumored Sixers target OG Anunoby returns to Knicks

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    The New York Knicks just keep on pushing their chips in: not even 24 hours after acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, the team agreed to a five-year, $212.5 million deal with OG Anunoby, solidifying themselves as having one of the best and most versatile wing tandems in the NBA.

    Early indications following the Bridges trade were that the Knicks were still going to prioritize keeping Anunoby in the fold — even if it meant losing center Isaiah Hartenstein — and those whispers were true. 

    It is a massive deal for Anunoby, a wonderful player in his own right but not exactly a star-caliber player as of now. The Knicks appear to have locked in a core that includes Jalen Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride. Not too shabby.

    With the Sixers’ reported pursuit of Paul George reportedly dying out and the team seemingly looking elsewhere, many connected them to Anunoby as they seek a high-profile player to put next to their All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, with a wing being the ideal form of said player.

    But with Anunoby securing a five-year deal worth an average of $42.5 million per year to remain in New York, it is evident that the Sixers likely never stood a chance of prying him away: the most they could have offered Anunoby was a four-year deal worth $181,890,000, good for an average annual value of $45.4 million.

    It is hard to imagine Anunoby leaving an ideal situation for him in New York and sacrificing the security of a fifth year for a very slight bump in annual pay. And, to be frank, the Sixers signing him to that hypothetical deal would have set off massive alarm bells.

    Anunoby is a great player who would fit well on just about any team, and impacts winning on both ends of the floor. But he is not nearly as good of a scorer as the vast majority of players in his new price range and fits best as a fourth option on offense (which is what he will be in New York moving forward). Additionally, he constantly grapples with injuries that prevent him from staying on the floor consistently. 

    It is entirely understandable for the Knicks to pay him whatever was required to keep him around as they go all-out in their pursuit of a championship — even if the contract has a high probability of aging poorly. But the Sixers avoided potential catastrophe here.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges, raising the stakes for Sixers in pivotal offseason

    Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges, raising the stakes for Sixers in pivotal offseason

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    An absolute stunner broke late Tuesday night, with fewer than 24 hours remaining before the start of the 2024 NBA Draft: the New York Knicks will acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a package including four unprotected first-round picks, a lightly-protected first-round pick and a future first-round pick swap, as was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

    Already referred to by many as the “Villanova Knicks,” New York now has four former Wildcats set to be critical pieces of their rotation moving forward: Bridges, superstar guard Jalen Brunson, sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo and do-it-all wing Josh Hart.

    With the Boston Celtics firmly cemented as the Eastern Conference’s best for the time being, the Knicks have chosen Bridges as the piece worth cashing in the vast majority of their assets for in hopes of catching up to defending champions. And now, there is more than one team that is head and shoulders above the Sixers in terms of present day talent.

    Perhaps the most obvious ripple effects this move has on the Sixers are that there is another team in their conference with the potential to seriously contend for a championship, and that Bridges — seen by many as an ideal fit alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — is officially off the table.

    The intrigue of these four storied college teammates joining forces in the pros is fascinating, and the Knicks are filled with great players who are likable characters. But it is fair to wonder if four unprotected picks and several other assets for a player who has yet to make an All-Star team is the right path forward. Bridges is tremendous, and will fit like a glove in New York, but is he good enough to warrant a collection of draft choices like this? For what it’s worth, this archetype of trade has come back to bite the team acquiring the “star” more often than not.

    But, to be fair, with the Celtics not going anywhere, New York doing all they can to maximize their championship window now that Brunson has emerged as a full-fledged superstar is understandable, and to a degree, even commendable.

    Bridges, who the Sixers infamously drafted in 2018 before trading him to the Phoenix Suns during his introductory press conference in which he donned a Sixers hat, has become one of the most respected two-way wings in the entire NBA, and since being the centerpiece of the Kevin Durant trade that sent him to Brooklyn, he has made major strides as a scorer. He was overtasked as a go-to scorer in Brooklyn, and that will not be an issue anymore as he reunites with Brunson.

    The next domino to fall here is the status of soon-to-be Knicks free agent OG Anunoby. As recently as Tuesday evening, it appeared Anunoby had enough negotiating leverage to receive just about any contract he desired from New York this summer. Now, with Bridges in the fold, the Knicks are not exactly desperate to bring Anunoby back. 

    If the Knicks were to let Anunoby fetch offers elsewhere and contemplate leaving New York, the Sixers loom as a potential fit for the acclaimed two-way wing.

    Early indications are that the Knicks will prioritize reaching a deal with Anunoby in the near future, which would signal the exit of incumbent starting center Isaiah Hartenstein. But it is not difficult at all to imagine a world in which the Knicks —with DiVincenzo, Bridges, Hart and Julius Randle all under contract moving forward — opt not to give Anunoby the massive deal he is seeking and instead solidify their center position by bringing back Hartenstein.

    As for the Nets, this was the right move: Bridges is a tremendous player, but was not leading the Nets anywhere promising in the near future given his lack of support. Accumulating as many draft picks as possible and accelerating the team’s rebuild was always the right call, and they furthered those goals by promptly trading a few of Phoenix’s future picks to the Houston Rockets to regain some of the draft capital they sent Houston when they acquired former Sixer James Harden a few years back. Word quickly trickled out that Houston wants to offer those picks back to Phoenix to try to get Durant.

    We have reached maximum levels of chaos, and tonight I am grateful I do not cover the Brooklyn Nets or Houston Rockets.

    Another question: how does all of this impact the free agency of Paul George? First the Sixers seemed like a very possible destination for the nine-time All-Star, then they were out, now there are conflicting reports regarding their interest in the star wing who has yet to strike a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Over the last few days, there was steam behind the idea of George forcing a sign-and-trade from the Clippers to a contending team without the requisite cap space to sign him on their own — perhaps using the threat of heading to Philadelphia as leverage to force the Clippers’ hand — but many speculated that destination would be New York. They are almost certainly out of those talks now (if they ever took place to begin with), which could reopen the George-to-Philadelphia door.

    If the events of late Tuesday night are any indication, nobody actually knows what is in store over the course of the coming days and weeks. But it is going to be madness, and the Sixers could end up being right at the center of it all.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • NBA free agency: Is Paul George the Sixers’ missing piece?

    NBA free agency: Is Paul George the Sixers’ missing piece?

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    Since the beginning of the 2023-24 Sixers season, reporting, on-the-record quotes and contextual clues have all told the same story: President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has his sights set on adding another star-caliber player to the team’s All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey this summer. With the constant player movement that has helped define this era of NBA basketball, it may be impossible to guess who that third key cog will be for the Sixers.

    Let’s evaluate the likelihood as well as the pros and cons of the Sixers adding Paul George this summer.

    George, who turned 34 years old earlier this month, is expected to decline his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2024-25 season and become an unrestricted free agent. While there appears to be considerable interest from both George and the Clippers in a long-term reunion, the sides appear to be far apart in contract negotiations that have been going on since the beginning of this season. George’s co-star, Kawhi Leonard — who was also set to have the opportunity to become a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season — inked a three-year extension with the Clippers in January. George was expected to follow suit, but never agreed to terms with the team.

    MORE: Paul George is ‘Plan A’ for Sixers this summer

    George has become known as one of the great two-way wings of his era, a career 20.8-point per game scorer with four All-Defensive Team honors to his name.

    George has become one of the sport’s most consistent and highest-volume three-point shooters. Over the last nine NBA seasons, George has made 39.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc while taking nearly 4,500 total three-point attempts. With the ability to shoot off the catch and off the dribble at 6-foot-8 with a high release point, he is one of the best in NBA history at getting three-point shots up at a high rate. But George has also used his very impressive frame to earn a reputation as one of the league’s best wing defenders, particularly among high-usage offensive players.

    For all of these reasons, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported Monday morning that signing George is considered to be the Sixers’ primary objective this summer.

    This makes sense: George’s on-court fit with Embiid and Maxey is pristine, the Sixers are aiming to win a championship next season and he may be the single best player attainable for the team this offseason.

    In theory, George is the absolute perfect third star to play in between Maxey and Embiid: he should be able to play alongside either or both of them and take over the team’s offense in spurts when necessary while also bolstering the team’s wing defense. The key words: in theory.

    As clean as the fit seems on paper for George in Philadelphia, there are some significant reasons to be worried about whether signing him to a massive, long-term contract is a viable long-term solution to the Sixers’ current issues, as it might create new problems down the line.

    Let’s start with the drawbacks of George as a player: in the last four NBA seasons, he has played an average of 53.7 games per regular season. Once an iron man of sorts, he has developed a lengthy injury history in recent seasons that has damaged his durability. Meanwhile, George’s production as a defender lags far behind his reputation at this point — he does not expend nearly as much energy as he used to on that end of the floor (which is to be expected as he grapples with the aging process and a long list of injuries, but is still a cause for concern).

    There is no doubt that George is still a tremendous offensive talent: he has averaged 24.1 points per game over the last six regular seasons with an impressive 58.8 true shooting percentage, is a true three-level scoring threat, and has even improved his passing — once considered a bit of a hole in his game.

    But, for what it is worth, George has developed a reputation as a player who shies away from the moment when the playoffs come around. Not dissimilar to Embiid, he has still been a good player in those moments, but has clearly not reached his full potential. His efficiency takes a dip in the postseason most years (not too uncommon, in a general sense), and he has been part of several ugly, disappointing playoff exits.

    On the day the Clippers were eliminated from the first round of the NBA Playoffs earlier this month at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks — a game in which George shot 6-18 from the field — Robert Flom, who covers the team for 213Hoops, summed up concerns about George’s playoff production as they relate to the Sixers succinctly:

    “Sixers fans who want their max players to be aggressive in key moments are in for a world of disappointment if PG does end up there.”

    Speaking of a maximum contract, the price of adding George is another significant factor here that could lead the Sixers to be nervous. In order to pry George away from his home state of California and the Clippers, the Sixers will likely have to offer him the most they possibly can — and not a single penny below it.

    While the Clippers have the advantage of being able to offer George a five-year deal, it seems nearly impossible that they would go to those lengths given George’s age and injury history. Leonard’s three-year deal may have been an attempt at setting a precedent for George’s future deal with the team — if one is to actually come to fruition.

    If the Clippers stick to that timeline, the Sixers have a chance to usurp them by offering George the longest deal they are allowed to, a four-year pact. Because George has more than 10 years of NBA service, his maximum contract starts at 35 percent of the salary cap. If he signs with the Sixers, he can receive raises of up to five percent each season. Here is what George’s maximum contract would look like if he came to Philadelphia:

    Season (George age) Salary
    2024-25 (34) $49,350,000
    2025-26 (35) $51,817,500
    2026-27 (36) $54,285,000
    2027-28 (37) $56,752,500

    That comes out to four years and $212,205,000 — a staggering number, even for a player with George’s track record.

    To create the requisite salary cap space to sign this deal, the Sixers would need to gut their roster by renouncing the vast majority of their free agents. Letting go of Tobias Harris will not hurt; watching Buddy Hield walk would not be a crushing blow either. But signing George might make it impossible for the team to bring back someone like De’Anthony Melton, who could potentially be signed to another deal below his market value after dealing with two years of back injuries.

    Of course, in a vacuum, swapping Melton for George while letting two high-priced disappointments in Harris and Hield sign elsewhere is a promising proposition. But if the Sixers renounce nearly all of their free agents to sign George, they will have very limited resources to fill out the rest of their roster.

    The best the Sixers could do in terms of keeping their own free agents in-house after a theoretical deal George addition would be keeping their rights to Maxey — who is primed to sign a five-year contract of his own worth $204,450,000 this summer — as well as two of their players who were on veteran’s minimums this season (likely Kelly Oubre Jr. and either Cam Payne or KJ Martin). That would mean they lose their ability to go over the cap to sign whichever of Payne and Martin they do not retain, as well as Melton, Nic Batum, Kyle Lowry and others — all of these players would only be able to sign with the Sixers for their minuscule remaining cap space, a salary cap exception or a veteran’s minimum deal.

    Spending nearly $50 million on a player next season will be well worth it for the Sixers if that player genuinely elevates them into championship status. But the idea of paying George over $56.7 million in 2027-28, when he will be 38 years old by the time the playoffs end, is daunting.

    On paper, George could not be a better fit alongside Embiid and Maxey to form a dominant trio in Philadelphia which could compete with anybody in the Eastern Conference and the NBA. But, like most matters with the Sixers, it is just never quite that simple. While the upside of inking George to the four-year deal he would likely command from the team is palpable, so are the massive risks that come with such a move.

    MORE: Sixers offseason FAQ

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Report: Sixers to sign Kyle Lowry

    Report: Sixers to sign Kyle Lowry

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    According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers are expected to sign 17-year veteran guard Kyle Lowry once Lowry completes a buyout with the Charlotte Hornets.

    Charlotte acquired Lowry via trade from the Miami Heat earlier this month along with a first-round pick in exchange for Terry Rozier. But considering Lowry is 37 years old on an expiring contract and the Hornets are a rebuilding team focused on youth, there was little incentive on either side for the two parties to stick together.

    Now Lowry, a Philadelphia native, will finally play for his hometown team after years of rumors about the team’s interest in the Villanova product. After the trade which sent Patrick Beverley to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Cameron Payne and a second-round pick, the Sixers are without a solidified option at backup point guard. Payne has had a decent season up to this point, but Lowry’s track record is far more impressive.

    In addition to returning to his hometown, this will be a reunion for Lowry, who will once again play under Nick Nurse, the Sixers’ first-year head coach who won a championship with Lowry when the two were with the Toronto Raptors.

    Lowry is averaging 8.2 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 28.0 minutes per game this season across 37 games with the Heat — 35 of which were starts.

    Lowry can serve several roles with this Sixers team, depending on what it needs from him. He can organize an offense and distribute the ball. He can play in and off-ball role and space the floor as an impressive three-point shooter. He can still defend, particularly against bigger guards and wings, due to his tremendous strength. 

    Lowry may not be the piece that puts the Sixers over the top. But he figures to make this team much better right off the bat.



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    Adam Aaronson

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