August 14, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Could Joel Embiid take a page out of Jalen Brunson's playbook and sign a team-friendly contract extension?
It's Wednesday, and that means the time has come for a weekly Sixers mailbag. Let's get to your questions:
From @JeremyPease2: Any chance Joel Embiid takes the Jalen Brunson discount on his extension?
I would bet quite a bit that he will not, and there are a few reasons why:
First off all, Brunson's team-friendly extension was born out of unique circumstances. When NBA players sign contract extensions, they are only eligible to sign deals starting at a certain percentage of their current salary. Because Brunson is not currently on a max contract with the Knicks, the largest extension he could be offered this summer is considerably lower than what the Knicks could have offered him as a free agent. There would be no such cap on how much the Sixers could offer Embiid in a contract extension.
Additionally, while Brunson is an outstanding player -- a burgeoning superstar, even -- there is some semblance of precedent for a player of his caliber taking a deal below their market value. But for Embiid -- a perennial MVP candidate -- it almost never happens. The only captivating motivation for such a move would be enabling the team to add another star-caliber player, but the Sixers already have two other max players in Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, so they are unable to do that even if Embiid did take a pay cut.
While the Sixers' payroll situation will be complicated with Embiid, Maxey and George inked to long-term deals, it will be easier to navigate than that of the Knicks: in addition to Brunson, they have hefty contracts on the books for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, with a new deal for Julius Randle in play and two other players -- Mitchell Robinson and Donte DiVincenzo -- on sizable deals. Brunson taking the deal he did was critical in the Knicks' hopes of avoiding the league's new punitive second apron threshold.
As things stand now, Caleb Martin will be the Sixers' fourth-highest-paid player in 2025-26. The Knicks have six players already signed to deals that will pay more than Martin's $8.5 million salary in that season, and if Randle returns it will become seven.
In a new salary cap environment, these dueling methods of roster construction will make for a fascinating case study in a handful of years.
From @frite_truite_: Outside of the big three, who are you most excited to watch this year?
If the Sixers had brought Nic Batum back, he would have been my answer without hesitation. Instead, I will go with Andre Drummond, who is a treat to watch because of both his outstanding moments where he flashes impressive skills and his bloopers, which often incite laughs.
On one possession, Drummond will make a nifty one-handed pass to a cutter without looking. On the next possession, he will do something like... this:
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) July 29, 2024
On top of the humorous dichotomy that comes with Drummond's play in terms of highlights and lowlights, he brings a jovial nature to the locker room and media availabilities which, as someone covering the team on a daily basis, is often refreshing to experience.
From @jrking215: Who will be the Sixers' starting power forward after the trade deadline?
The favorite has to be Caleb Martin, just because he is currently the team's starting power forward and it is easier to guess that the team will not add a new starting four than it is to guess which player on another team they will add to slot into that role.
I think Martin will fit in just fine as the Sixers' starting power forward; his film showed the requisite toughness and physicality to guard up in many matchups. What interests me more than Martin's nominal position is how his defensive style changes under Sixers head coach Nick Nurse. Martin is by nature a risk-averse defender who focuses on forcing difficult shots and limiting fouls much more than generating turnovers, but Nurse often encourages his wings to jump passing lanes and bring impromptu double-teams to create chaos and win the possession battle.
If the Sixers do look to find a more traditional power forward in a midseason trade -- either because Martin has not impressed or because they view him as an optimal small forward, with Kelly Oubre Jr. potentially moving to the bench -- a few options continue to stand out as far as players who could conceivably start for a hopeful contender:
• Dorian Finney-Smith of the Brooklyn Nets continues to be the name floated most frequently. It makes sense: Finney-Smith is a strong, sturdy wing who is reliable on the defensive end against multiple positions and is a satisfactory spot-up three-point shooter.
• If the Charlotte Hornets are not competitive for a Play-In Tournament spot, Grant Williams will be a player floated in trade talks. Williams is more of a big than a wing, but has enough mobility to log the vast majority of his minutes at the four. Williams would give the Sixers some muscle down low that they currently lack, along with valuable floor spacing and some flexibility as another option to play backup center minutes if Embiid misses time or Drummond has trouble staying on the floor in the playoffs.
• One player I keep coming back to is Kenrich Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He could be expendable for the Thunder due to their immense depth, making him potentially attainable at a reasonable price for the Sixers. He would not be a starter who plays upwards of 30 minutes per game, but he could conceivably start and play somewhere between 20 and 25 minutes per game for this team. Williams is a jack-of-all-trades type of player; he would give the Sixers little jolts of shooting, rebounding, passing and defense.
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