Getty Jaden Springer #11 of the Philadelphia 76ers is guarded by Robert Franks #26 of the Dallas Mavericks during the 2021 NBA Summer League.
With NBA training camp and the regular season right around the corner, teams are forced to make some tough decisions. While the blockbuster trades and big-name free agent signings tend to get the bulk of the attention, there are smaller decisions made behind the scenes that general managers are also forced to wrestle with. The 76ers are currently facing this issue with what to do with former first-round pick Jaden Springer.
After selecting the Tennessee product with the 28th overall pick in the 2021 draft, the Sixers have seen little output out of Springer. He will now head into the final season of his rookie deal with a team option on the table for next season. The Sixers have just over a month to decide whether they will pick up this option and keep him on the team for the 2023-24 season. Given the Sixers’ win-now focus, limited roster spots, and the lack of production from Springer thus far; this has become a more difficult decision than it tends to be.
Jaden Springer’s NBA Transition
When the Sixers drafted Jaden Springer, they knew he would be a project. The then-18-year-old was the fourth-youngest player in the draft and clearly had a few years of development before he would be NBA-ready.
Daryl Morey has firmly stuck to the game plan of taking the best-projected player on the board when it is time to draft and figure out the fit later. In some cases, Tyrese Maxey for example, this has worked perfectly. However, Springer has struggled to find his stride.
Really strong drive through contact here from Jaden Springer.
Through his two seasons in the NBA thus far, Springer has logged a total of just six minutes with the Sixers. He has primarily spent his time with the Delaware Blue Coats where he has had mixed results. Last season in the G-League regular season he averaged 14.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting just 24.1% on three-pointers. There are positive flashes from the young guard but the direction of his growth has been somewhat scattered.
What Will the Sixers Do?
Typically there is not much debate about the option to keep the team’s first-round selections. Rookie contracts are incredibly valuable in the NBA due to the low cap hit they carry. However, given the Sixers’ focus on contending now, they are in a unique situation. The roster currently holds 17 players and will need to be trimmed down to 15 ahead of the season’s start. If you were to rank each player’s potential to impact the roster this coming season, Springer may very well find himself at the bottom of the list. It is hard to fully project the roster next offseason but the goals of contending are certain to stay the same.
This is not to say there is no hope for his NBA future. The 19-year-old is far too young to give up on and there are still redeeming qualities about his game. Jaden Springer is already a high-level defender who could produce at the NBA level. He has a strong frame and uses it to attack the basket well on the offensive end. His ability to finish through contact and get to the free-throw line is advanced for his age.
Quite the defensive play from Jaden Springer
However, the slow growth in his overall development has been somewhat concerning. Springer does not have a clear positional fit and the lack of confidence in his jump shot is a red flag. This is especially the case considering he shot 43.5% on three-point attempts in his lone year of college. His handle looks too loose to serve as a primary ball-handler and his feel for the game is still a work in progress.
In another situation with less pressure to compete now, Springer may have a more clear developmental path where he is able to work through the growing pains in his game. However, his timeline and the Sixers do not match up in that regard. What the Sixers decide to do with Jaden Springer long-term is still to be determined, but the October 31st deadline on his 2023-24 option is one they must make a decision on in the near future.