The Philadelphia 76ers made some bold moves this offseason. They were involved in one of the most surprising moves of the summer when they traded for Jaylen Brown. It was surprising that the trade happened in the division, and all the Sixers had to do was trade Paul George and a few picks.
That wasn’t the only move that Philly made, however. They also added Dean Wade to help solidify the starting lineup. Wade is a good shooter and a better defender than given credit for. Those moves have helped the 76ers earn a great offseason grade from ESPN.
GettyBoston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown drives the ball in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
ESPN Gives 76ers an A- Grade for Offseason Grades
According to Zach Kram of ESPN, the 76ers deserve an A- grade for their moves. He believes they had the fifth-best offseason in the NBA. He cites the fact that now the Sixers actually have an outside shot of making the NBA Finals.
“The 76ers’ roster isn’t perfect — it lacks some shooting and is still too reliant on Embiid for its size — but Philadelphia at least has a narrow path to the Finals now, when such a route didn’t exist before this summer,” Kram writes.
Trading George for Brown is a clear win, even if it means that Brown has more years left on his contract. Still, it gives the Sixers another player who can create his own shot when stuff breaks down. Brown also gives them another level of insurance against an injury to Joel Embiid.
Embiid is still the player who swings the title hopes for Philly. Staying healthy has been a massive issue for him in his career, especially in the playoffs. Trading for Brown and signing Wade gives them the option to rest Embiid more in the regular season so that he is healthy for postseason play.
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid dribbles the ball. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Sixers Have a Tougher Path to the Finals Despite Getting Better
While there is very little debate that Philadelphia got better in the offseason, their path to the Finals has gotten harder. The rest of the East is much better than it has been in the last few years. The Knicks, Pacers, Cavaliers, and Heat all have gotten better or stayed the same.
Boston, Detroit, and Washington are still lurking. While the Pistons haven’t made many offseason moves, they are still a young team that can grow together and were the top seed in the East. That could still get better now that they have some postseason experience.
Philly has certainly raised its ceiling for the upcoming season. Last season, the 76ers had just the 16th-ranked offense in the NBA. That number will likely jump into the top 10 now that they have Brown on the roster. That is necessary if they are going to be a true NBA Finals contender.
The 76ers couldn’t have had much better of an offseason than they pulled off.
The 76ers’ Offseason Moves Named One of the Best in the NBA