In the final rendition of Sixers Ties, we are heading to the division that perhaps features more people connected to the Sixers than any other: the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Let's begin, shall we?
Sixers Ties
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Los Angeles Clippers
This division was saved for last entirely because of this team, which boasts more connections to the Sixers than any team located more than 2,700 miles away from Philadelphia should. The Sixers have plenty of reason to focus on the Clippers, both in the short- and long-term.
The Clippers have four former Sixers on their roster. The first, of course, is James Harden, who infamously forced his way out of Philadelphia and to the Clippers to team with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. P.J. Tucker was part of that deal, and he remains in Los Angeles on a contract the Sixers were extremely wise to shed.
While Nic Batum was one of the key pieces the Sixers received in that deal and gave the Sixers quality two-way production and an all-time performance to boot, the veteran chose returning to the Clippers over re-upping with the Sixers or retiring. In search of a backup center, the Clippers also signed Mo Bamba, who spent the 2023-24 season in Philadelphia as an innings-eater sort of reserve in the regular season. Bamba had fans in the Sixers' organization and some believed he would return on another veteran's minimum deal, but if he did he would have been the third-string center at best — with rookie Adem Bona challenging him for that spot. With the Clippers, Bamba projects to be their true backup center behind the recently-extended Ivica Zubac.
But the Sixers have far more incentive to keep up with all things Clippers than just checking in on their former players. The Sixers own the Clippers' unprotected 2028 first-round pick thanks to the Harden trade, which also gave the Sixers the right to swap 2029 first-rounders with the Clippers if their pick is not within the top three. They also own the least favorable of the 2026 first-round picks belonging to the Clippers, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, but it seems tremendously likely that will end up being Oklahoma City's pick.
Golden State Warriors
Franchise icon Klay Thompson departed from Golden State this summer, and the Warriors hope to replace him at shooting guard in large part with a combination of former Sixers.
Letting Thompson walk allowed Golden State to open up the full mid-level exception, and they used every dollar of it to sign De'Anthony Melton to a one-year deal. Melton had long been expected to command a multi-year deal after years of playing on an extremely team-friendly contract, but two years of bothersome back injuries harmed his market value tremendously. If Melton can stay healthy in 2024-25, not only will he give the Warriors an excellent return on their investment, but he will set himself up for a significant contract next offseason.
Thompson's transition from Golden State to the Dallas Mavericks eventually became a sign-and-trade, the first ever six-team trade in league history. The Sixers were involved, sign-and-trading Buddy Hield to Golden State to help make up some of the three-point shooting the Warriors lost with Thompson's exit. Hield signed a four-year deal with Golden State, but the deal only has two fully-guaranteed seasons and is worth a maximum of about $37.8 million. It is a far cry from the type of deal Hield had hoped to secure with the Indiana Pacers before they elected to trade him to the Sixers for a package led by three second-round picks.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns do not have any players or prominent faces in their organization with real Sixers connections heading into the 2024-25 season. In fact, the only person with any sort of link to the team last season was Thaddeus Young, who appeared in 10 games for the Suns. Young has had an excellent NBA career -- 17 years and over $150 million in career earnings are not figures to sneeze at -- but his time in the league may have reached its end.
Sacramento Kings
Early in the offseason, the Kings made a trade with the Toronto Raptors that included Jalen McDaniels, a former Sixers failed trade deadline acquisition. The Sixers traded Matisse Thybulle for McDaniels in hopes of bolstering their wing rotation in 2022, but like Thybulle, McDaniels proved to not have enough offensive utility. He fell out of the team's rotation by the time it was eliminated from the playoffs.
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The Sixers received two second-round picks in the three-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers along with McDaniels, but also gave one up to Charlotte. That became the No. 34 overall selection in 2023 NBA Draft, which was ultimately rerouted to Sacramento. The Kings selected Xavier wing Colby Jones, who logged 192 total NBA minutes as a rookie.
Mason Jones, who spent almost six weeks with the Sixers on a two-way deal in the spring of 2021, finished last season on a two-way deal with the Kings and is returning on another one in 2024-25.
Los Angeles Lakers
The only player on the Lakers' roster who has suited up for the Sixers in the talented big man Christian Wood, who despite having excellent athleticism and plenty of offensive skill has continued to bounce around the league with little team success to report. Wood played his first 17 NBA games with the Sixers in 2015-16 and appeared on his way out of the NBA before breaking out with the New Orleans Pelicans and Detroit Pistons. Wood accepted a player option worth about $3 million for the 2024-25 season.
But, in case you have not heard, former Sixers shooting guard JJ Redick has quickly transitioned from his blossoming media career to coaching. He was named head coach of the Lakers at the beginning of the offseason following a tumultuous process in which he was supposedly the team's top choice all along -- despite its public efforts to lure UConn head coach Dan Hurley. LeBron James' former podcast partner will now be his coach, as James and Redick attempt to lead the Lakers to a championship before one of the single greatest athletes of all time calls it a career.
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