Former Philadelphia 76ers great Charles Barkley has high aspirations for the current iteration of the Sixers.
The Hall of Fame power forward turned sports broadcaster weighed in on the ceiling for the Sixers after the franchise's flurry of offseason moves to improve the team.
Per Michael Lee of The Athletic:
“The Sixers got everything,” Barkley said. “I’m putting my faith in Ben and Joel. Let’s be realistic. The Sixers were probably a bounce of a basketball away from being the champs last year. That ball bounced like 12 times in slow motion. Now, they’re on everybody’s radar. I love the addition of Al Horford. I love the addition of Josh Richardson. The Sixers have everything in place.”
Point-forward Ben Simmons, a 23-year-old former Rookie of the Year, signed a contract extension with the Sixers to remain in uniform in the foreseeable future. Also, All-Star center Joel Embiid is already locked up to anchor the paint for Philly going forward.
Outside of the franchise cornerstones, the Sixers also re-signed forward Tobias Harris, the valuable veteran who they acquired at the NBA's 2019 February trade deadline. However, Philly lost All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler, sending him to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade wherein it received a solid role player in Josh Richardson.
Philly also made a splash in free agency, luring All-Star big man Al Horford away from Atlantic Division rivals Boston Celtics and signing him to a four-year deal north of $100 million.
Like Barkley says, Philly should present a formidable opponent to rival Eastern Conference teams as they chase a ring in 2019-20.
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