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The Philadelphia 76ers have used this season as a win-now predicament to finally catapult them over their biggest competitors in the East, acquiring star swingman Jimmy Butler and an All-Star-caliber forward in Tobias Harris. It's put the Sixers in a good spot.
Those big names have managed to mesh well playing together, but unfortunately, there hasn't been enough continuity between them due to untimely injuries. Yet the real decisions will come in the offseason, as three of their five starters — Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick — will become free agents after the season, while another in Ben Simmons, is due for an extension later this year.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, paying all of them at their asking price could be enough to flood the franchise in luxury tax.
Article Continues Below“Paying them all top market rates might cost the 76ers a sum approaching $500 million. Can ownership possibly stomach that sort of outlay for a group that isn't seriously in line to compete for a title? It's a big question and the answer may reveal itself in the next few weeks. Frankly, it has to.
Once you take all that in, consider that two of these East teams won't even reach the conference finals. These entire playoffs is a multi-tiered pressure cooker ripe for anxiety.”
Butler and Harris are both eligible to get a five-year, $190 million max contract, while Redick is coming off back-to-back one-year deals and will want further commitment from the Sixers to remain with the team. He's viewed as a necessary asset in an otherwise limited perimeter offense, as his elite 3-point shooting adds another level of threat.
Simmons will also require a contract extension after this season, his third year in the league (missed first season due to injury).
New GM Elton Brand said he intends to keep all four players in free agency, but he might have been speaking to the masses, rather than thinking it through — as the challenge of getting that done comes at the cost of completely depleting his bench or risk being in luxury tax purgatory for the next five seasons.
