Armed with affordable young assets and a boatload of cap space, the Philadelphia 76ers have what it takes to push the free agent market to the brink of absurdity. Sooner or later, they might be doing just that.
According to a report by Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer on Tuesday, the Sixers came close to acquiring Hawks point guard Dennis Schröder at the trade deadline and are now prepared to offer him a max deal once Schröder hits free agency.
Schröder, 22, is averaging 11.2 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and 4.7 assists per game in a sixth man role for Atlanta this season. A fast, lengthy, and physical athlete that attacks the rim with reckless abandon and reads the floor well, the German’s strong play almost convinced the Hawks to trade away incumbent point guard Jeff Teague.
The Sixers badly need a competent floor general that can penetrate off the dribble and get the ball to their plethora of talented bigs in efficient spots, which is why the Ish Smith trade has worked out so well for them. But Smith is an unrestricted free agent after the season, forcing the team to develop a contingency plan.
Schröder is under contract through 2017, but it looks like the Sixers are ready to throw the bank at him the first chance they get. Still, forking over max money to a young guard who is still rather raw and inefficient could be fool’s gold, even under the new cap. Nevertheless, with Philly fully committed to an all-or-nothing approach, this is exactly the type of move you would expect them to make.
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H/T NBA Reddit
