We predict what the Philadelphia 76ers will do with their six free agents in the offseason.
As the Philadelphia 76ers head into the offseason, there are not a lot of avenues they can go down to improve their team.
The Sixers do not have a lot of money to play with in free agency. They have just minimum contracts and the $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level exception.
Therefore, president Daryl Morey and the rest of the front office will have to get creative to upgrade the roster. They will have to focus on the draft and through trades.
The Sixers have six free agents they will have to make decisions on, and we are going to predict whether they stay or go when free agency begins on Aug. 2:
Now is the time for the individual player grades for the 2020-21 regular season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 2020-21 regular season is in the books for the Philadelphia 76ers. They finished 49-23 and atop the Eastern Conference. It was a fun and entertaining season for the Sixers, who accomplished their goal of earning the No. 1 seed and having home-court advantage in the playoffs.
Led by their star duo, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and the savvy additions of Danny Green and Seth Curry, they have made huge steps forward. Coach Doc Rivers has been huge in their development. He has gotten the most out of the star duo as well as Tobias Harris on the offensive end.
As the team gets ready for the playoffs, we take a final look at the regular season and give out the individual player grades:
The Philadelphia 76ers will sign Gary Clark to a two-way contract.
As the Philadelphia 76ers get set to begin the final week of the regular season on Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers, they are putting the finishing touches on their roster.
After recently waiving Mason Jones, the team had opened up a two-way spot on the roster. With that open spot, they have decided to sign a stretch forward who has playoff experience under his belt.
The team will sign former Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets forward Gary Clark to a two-way contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Clark has played in 37 games in the 2020-21 season with the Magic and the Nuggets before he was waived.
Forward Gary Clark is signing a two-way deal with the 76ers, sources tell ESPN.
Clark started all five games for the Magic in the 2020 playoffs and he shot 34.4% from deep as Orlando fell in Round 1 of the playoffs. He also played in two playoff games with the Houston Rockets in 2019 so he does have some ability to knock down open looks from deep and he provides depth for the future.
Former New England wide receiver Julian Edelman retired earlier this week after a 12-year NFL career.
Former New England wide receiver Julian Edelman retired earlier this week after a 12-year NFL career.
A former college quarterback, Edelman carved out an outstanding career with the Patriots, serving as Tom Brady’s security blanket from 2013-19. Edelman was terrific, especially in the playoffs, but he is absolutely not a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
If we are going to discuss which wide receivers should be in the Hall of Fame, the line should begin with former Washington star Gary Clark.
Clark entered the NFL in 1985 after spending two years in the USFL with the Jacksonville Bulls. Clark would catch 72 passes for 926 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. Had he not entered the NFL at the same time as Jerry Rice, he would’ve likely received more love.
Not to mention, Clark was teammates with Hall-of-Famer Art Monk.
When you go back to those great Washington teams in the 1980s into the early 90s, it was Clark who struck fear into the opposition. Monk was reliable and steady, while Clark was fearless and explosive. Clark would go across the middle in traffic at just 5-foot-9, 175 pounds during a time when players like Ronnie Lott patrolled the secondary.
You need a big play? Clark was one of the NFL’s top deep receivers during his time, too.
Edelman had a great run in the playoffs. Clark wasn’t too shabby either. In 14 career playoff games, Clark finished with 58 receptions for 826 yards and two touchdowns.
How many All-Pro teams did Edelman make? Clark was a three-time All-Pro. How many Pro Bowls did Edelman appear in? None. Clark was a four-time Pro Bowler.
Edelman was a part of three Super Bowl championship teams, while Clark finished with two Super Bowl rings.
Clark would play eight years in Washington. He would end up playing 11 years in the NFL, playing two years with the Cardinals and his final season in Miami. He rarely ever missed games, despite always playing hurt.
One of the biggest accomplishments of Clark’s career was the respect he had from his peers. John Madden named Clark to his All-Madden Team numerous times during his career. Madden admired Clark for his toughness, reliability, clutch ability and leadership.
Edelman finished his career with 620 receptions for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns. He caught 118 passes for 1,442 yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs. That’s a tremendous career, but not Hall-of-Fame worthy.
Clark completed his career with 699 receptions for 10,856 yards and 65 touchdowns. He went over the 1,000-yard mark five times in his career. And Clark played in an era of smashmouth football.
https://youtu.be/yXP5AhqxeKs
Look, this isn’t to disparage Edelman or his fantastic career. There are just more qualified candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Players such as Cliff Branch, Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne and Clark are just some of the names who belong in Canton before Edelman. And there are others.
So, if there are folks making a case for Edelman, then they should start with a deep dive into Clark’s career.
After earning a spot in the 2020 Western Conference Finals, the Denver Nuggets made a huge splash during the 2021 NBA trade deadline.
After earning a spot in the 2020 Western Conference Finals, the Denver Nuggets made a huge splash during the 2021 NBA trade deadline.
Hungry to build on the success they had last season, Denver’s front office made a push to land Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic as well as two-time NBA champion JaVale McGee from the Cleveland Cavaliers. They also acquired Gary Clark, a sneaky good role player, to the mix.
While the organization surrendered longtime starter Gary Harris as well as promising prospect RJ Hampton in the deal, they maintained much of the depth necessary to make another run in the postseason later this year.
Denver came into the season with some excellent star power behind MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and a stellar guard in Jamal Murray. They maintain excellent upside with the firepower of Michael Porter Jr. as well.
With all three on the floor, the Nuggets have outscored opponents by 13.1 points per 100 possessions this year. That ranks as the second-best among three-man groups in the Western Conference that have played at least 600 minutes together thus far in 2020-21.
But they also have Will Barton, Paul Millsap and Monte Morris – all of whom are reliable veterans who play well within their roles. So when you add Gordon and McGee to that already strong core, you suddenly have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA.
As such, below, we have broken down the new group for the Nuggets as they prepare to make a playoff push.
The league is moving more and more towards positionless basketball. Note that we define “guards” as the playmakers and primary initiators, “wings” as the versatile athletes who can typically play somewhere between two through four and “bigs” as the main frontcourt threat.
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni says trade possibilities were among the “main forces” prompting last week’s decision to waive Gary Clark.
The recent release of second-year forward Gary Clark was motivated in part by trade possibilities heading up to the NBA’s Feb. 6 deadline, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said Wednesday.
Known best for his defense, Clark played in 69 games over the last two seasons, averaging 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.4 minutes.
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Speaking with flagship radio station SportsTalk 790 on The Matt Thomas Show, D’Antoni explained some of the thought process behind the team’s decision to move on from the 6-foot-6 forward.
Specifically, D’Antoni cited the front office team of GM Daryl Morey.
I think Gary can play. There are a lot of factors that go into it. It’s not just whether he can play or not. Gary was great. Very professional, a very good guy, and has talent.
One of the main forces of letting him go was that it opens up the possibility, to make it easier for Daryl’s team to impact a trade. I don’t get into that, I don’t know. That’s probably the thinking behind it. Whether it happens or not, who knows.
Daryl and them have their way that they think is best. We hate to lose Gary. He was good for us.
The 25-year-old Clark, who played college basketball at the University of Cincinnati, has since signed a 10-day contract with the Orlando Magic.
But that’s certainly not a long-term deal, and D’Antoni alluded to the possibility of bringing Clark back later this season in his interview.
Who knows, we might get him back. He’s on a 10-day with Orlando, if I’m not mistaken. We’d be open to getting him back here. We’ll see how it goes, and we’ll wish him luck in the meantime. He could be a very good basketball player.
While Clark’s open roster spot could be filled by trade, it seems likely that financial considerations were at least a part of the thinking, as well.
Clark was waived on Jan. 7, which was the deadline for NBA teams to decide whether to keep each player on a partially guaranteed deal (which Clark was) for the full season or to waive them, which can save the remaining money on their 2019-20 contract and free up a roster spot.
With the Rockets narrowly above the league’s luxury-tax line, Clark’s release could be part of a plan by the Rockets to minimize payments or perhaps get beneath the line altogether.
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However, the team insists there’s more to the story. That day, a team source told the Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen that the plan is to use Clark’s roster spot to add an NBA-ready contributor, rather than leaving it unused or awarded to a cheaper developmental prospect.
Houston’s roster was at the 15-player maximum after rookie guard Chris Clemons was converted to a standard NBA contract in December.
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As of Wednesday, eight days after Clark was waived, his roster spot still remains open. But the Rockets continue to signal that it could soon be filled via a trade or free agent signing in the days or weeks ahead.
With a strong closing week in December, young center Isaiah Hartenstein appears to have made himself a bigger priority to the Rockets.
Be it for financial reasons, roster flexibility, or a combination of the two, it seems clear after Tuesday’s decision to waive second-year forward Gary Clark that the Houston Rockets always intended to free up a roster spot prior to the NBA’s annual buyout season in January and February.
In hindsight, the most intriguing aspect of the storyline was the team’s choice regarding what player would go to create that opening.
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The three obvious candidates were Clark, 21-year-old center Isaiah Hartenstein, and 26-year-old guard Ben McLemore, since they were all on partially guaranteed contracts and could be waived without the team incurring as much “dead money,” relative to a waived player with a fully guaranteed deal. Tuesday was the last day that players with partial guarantees could be waived without being owed a full season’s salary.
McLemore clearly wasn’t going to go, since he had carved out a regular role in head coach Mike D’Antoni‘s rotation with the Rockets and averaged nearly 28 minutes per game in December.
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The choice for GM Daryl Morey effectively came down to an athletic big in Hartenstein or a defensive-minded forward in Clark. Both had nearly identical contracts for this season and next year.
As recently as Christmas Day, Hartenstein appeared to be behind Clark in the team’s pecking order. In 18 Rockets games from Nov. 18 through Dec. 25, the young seven-footer played in just seven of them, averaging 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in a mere 8.5 minutes per game.
Hartenstein even played in three December games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate — which typically shows that a player isn’t in the parent team’s immediate plans. Clark, on the other hand, did not play in any G League games in December.
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Over that same 18-game stretch that Hartenstein played just seven times (largely mop-up duty) for an average of 8.5 minutes, Clark had several stints in D’Antoni’s actual rotation. By comparison, the 6-foot-6 forward played 14 of those 18 games at 12.8 minutes per game.
But Hartenstein got his chance when Clint Capela missed two games in late December with a right heel contusion, and he took advantage in a big way. In the two games that Capela missed, Hartenstein averaged 14 points (72.2% shooting) and 11 rebounds in 29.3 minutes.
Though Capela returned for Houston’s Dec. 31 game versus Denver, D’Antoni stuck with Hartenstein as his backup center ahead of veteran Tyson Chandler. The 2017 second-round pick continued to excel with 16 points (75% shooting) and 12 rebounds in a win over the Nuggets, including a team-best plus/minus figure of +21 in only 18 minutes.
Offensively, he does things nobody can teach. He’s quick in getting picks for James, he’s quick off the ball, relentless on the boards. Just his energy alone makes him valuable.
Mike D’Antoni with some major praise for Isaiah Hartenstein:
“Offensively, he does things nobody can teach. He’s quick in getting picks for James, he’s quick off the ball, relentless on the boards. Just his energy alone makes him valuable.” pic.twitter.com/DURKh2REUD
It was a small sample of only three games, but the raw numbers of 14.7 points (73.1% FG) and 11.3 rebounds in just 25.5 minutes were hard to ignore. Moreover, for the NBA’s oldest roster and often an undersized one with 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker starting at power forward, Hartenstein’s dose of youth, size, and athleticism up front was a welcome change.
Another part of the team’s thinking may have had to do with the recent return of Eric Gordon from knee surgery. With Gordon and McLemore able to play reserve minutes at shooting guard and small forward, that allows 6-foot-6 Danuel House Jr. to slide over to power forward when Tucker sits. In turn, that takes away Clark’s most clear path to minutes.
In contrast, at the center spot, Chandler played in just five of Houston’s 15 games in December after appearing in 13 of 15 in November. It seemed apparent that the Rockets were open to an upgrade, and Hartenstein took full advantage of his opportunity.
If he isn’t claimed on waivers, the relationship between Clark and the Rockets may not be over. According to media reports Tuesday, if the team is unsuccessful in pursuing a veteran player for that roster spot, they could pivot back to Clark at a later date.
According to a source close to the team, the Rockets like Clark but the contract was not an ideal fit and they are confident they can make an impact with that spot, especially as buyout season approaches. It's unlikely but possible that Clark returns on a different contract.
Re: Clark waiving—Houston currently looking at a couple options around the league who they anticipate could be waived soon. Another option is bringing Clark back, assuming he clears waivers. Team likes his potential.
For now, the two sides will go their separate ways. Though the Rockets say they still like Clark’s potential, the combination of a sudden emergence by Hartenstein and Gordon’s promising return seemingly squeezed the 25-year-old out of their plans for the time being.
Although the Rockets are slightly above the luxury tax, there are factors that should make them operate as if they are much more above it.
The Houston Rockets waived forward Gary Clark on Tuesday ahead of the NBA’s salary guarantee deadline. He only appeared in 18 games this season and was in and out of the rotation.
Clark’s 2019-20 salary was only 50% guaranteed. Had he not been waived today his $1.4 million salary would’ve become fully guaranteed. Guard Ben McLemore and center Isaiah Hartenstein both are now fully guaranteed for the rest of the season.
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Clark leaves the Rockets with a $708,426 dead cap hit, bringing them from $1.2 million over the luxury tax down to about $331,000.
Houston Rockets current cap sheet after waiving Gary Clark and fully guarantee Ben McLemore and Isaiah Hartenstein.
The Rockets need to reduce much more payroll than the figure they are over the luxury tax by if they are to stay under it by the end of the season. Although the Rockets are slightly above the tax, there are factors that should make them operate as if they are much more above it.
For starters, center Clint Capela has $2 million in incentives that he can earn. He can earn $500,000 if he plays 2,000 minutes and finishes with a 30% defensive rebounding rate, and $1 million if the Rockets reach the 2020 Western Conference Finals.
Rockets following my “no-tax” plan… They’re now $1.8M over, if Capela gets $1.5M of his $2.0M bonuses ($1.0M WFC + $500K 30 DRB%). They’d drop under by trading Nene (his $2.6M salary has $1.4M left to be paid, $985K at trade deadline, and HOU has $4.6M of tradable cash, etc.).
Capela currently has a 31.6% defensive rebounding rate as of January 7 and has played 973 minutes in 29 of the team’s 35 games, according to Basketball-Reference. If he earns both incentives, that would increase his cap hit by $1.5 million. This means the Rockets, as currently constructed, can consider themselves $1.8 million over the luxury tax.
One thing that feels certain is that veteran center Nene will be traded. He is eligible to be traded on January 15, and clearing his $2.6 million base salary would bring the Rockets from $1.8 million over the tax to $734,000 below it. This leaves them with tight flexibility for the rest of the season to fill their last one or two roster spots, which they could do through either 10-day contracts or pro-rated minimum deals while avoiding the luxury tax with Capela potentially earning $1.5 million in incentives.
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A second trade would give them a lot more flexibility below the tax line. They can trade one of Gerald Green (who has trade veto power), Thabo Sefolosha, or Tyson Chandler, all of whom have a $1.6 million cap hit. If they were able to trade one of them, Houston would further increase their luxury tax cushion to about $2.4 million.
Initial indications are that GM Daryl Morey wants to use Clark’s open roster spot to bring in an impact player, perhaps sooner rather than later. If such a move happens in January, that could require a second trade.
Yes, but it was not done in the way to save as much as possible. They could have waived him during the break in the schedule and saved more. Plus, it appears they are considering options to fill roster spot quickly, rather than only w/ pro-rated FA contract after All-Star break. https://t.co/U8daLqBt77
According to a source close to the team, the Rockets like Clark but the contract was not an ideal fit and they are confident they can make an impact with that spot, especially as buyout season approaches. It's unlikely but possible that Clark returns on a different contract.
There are several ways the Rockets can go about evading the tax while filling out the roster. They generally all lead back to the same road, but the route they take will become clear once the trade deadline passes.
…THAT's why there's still a real possibility that Gary Clark gets waived next week before his salary fully guarantees. That'd leave HOU enough room to sign a buyout guy to the prorated vet min in late Feb. and still have a bit left over to sign a developmental guy in April.
The Rockets opened a roster spot Tuesday by waiving forward Gary Clark before his contract fully guaranteed for the 2019-20 season.
The Houston Rockets are waiving second-year forward Gary Clark and appear to have plans to use the subsequently open roster spot, according to media reports on Tuesday afternoon.
Known best for his defense, Clark played in 69 games over the last two seasons, averaging 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.4 minutes.
Tuesday effectively served as the deadline for NBA teams to decide whether to keep players on partially guaranteed deals for the full season or to waive them, which can save money and free up a roster spot. Clark was one of three Rockets without fully guaranteed contracts, alongside swingman Ben McLemore and third-year center Isaiah Hartenstein.
Rockets to waive forward Gary Clark, a person with knowledge of the move said. Team wanted flexibility to consider options with the roster spot, which could include offer to bring back Clark, though decision has not been made.
Contracts for the below players will become guaranteed today (5PM EST):
BOS: Ja. Green CHA: Ca. Martin and J. McDaniels CHI: S. Harrison DET: C. Wood HOU: B. McLemore, G. Clark and I. Hartenstein LAC: D. Walton Jr. LAL: D. Howard MEM: B. Caboclo
In contrast to McLemore and Hartenstein, who appear to have had their contracts guaranteed, Clark did not have an clear role in Mike D’Antoni‘s rotation moving forward — which made him more expendable.
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On paper, the financial savings could be especially lucrative to teams with expensive rosters like the Rockets, owing to potential luxury tax payments. Entering Tuesday, Houston had the league’s No. 2 roster in total payroll, as calculated by HoopsHype.
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However, according to Jonathan Feigen, the decision may not entirely be financially motivated. Per the Houston Chronicle beat writer, who cited a team source, the Rockets want flexibility with their 15th and final roster spot and could even decide to bring Clark back at a later date.
In his story on the move, Feigen says the expectation is for the Rockets to use that spot on an NBA-ready contributor, rather than leaving it unused or awarded to a cheaper developmental prospect.
The Rockets had determined they would try to add a player considered NBA-ready, rather than using the spot to evaluate a developmental prospect as they have in past seasons.
Houston’s roster expanded to the 15-player maximum once rookie guard Chris Clemons was converted to a standard NBA contract in December.
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It appears that Clark could be a fallback plan for that final roster spot if other pursuits don’t pan out. That fallback plan would be thwarted if Clark is claimed on waivers or subsequently signed by another team, but the Rockets and GM Daryl Morey seem to believe it’s worth the risk.
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According to a source close to the team, the Rockets like Clark but the contract was not an ideal fit and they are confident they can make an impact with that spot, especially as buyout season approaches. It's unlikely but possible that Clark returns on a different contract.
A new ESPN report says reserve guard Ben McLemore is “very likely” to have his contract fully guaranteed by the Houston Rockets.
According to a new ESPN report, the Houston Rockets are “very likely” to fully guarantee the contract of reserve swingman Ben McLemore for the 2019-20 season by Tuesday afternoon’s effective deadline.
Tuesday at 4 p.m. Central effectively serves the decision deadline for NBA teams to decide whether to keep players on partially guaranteed deals for the full season or to waive them, which can save money and free up a roster spot. McLemore is one of three Rockets without fully guaranteed contracts, alongside young prospects Isaiah Hartenstein and Gary Clark.
The potential financial savings can be especially lucrative to teams with expensive rosters like the Rockets with luxury tax concerns. However, it appears the 26-year-old McLemore has sold Houston on his value.
McLemore’s full $2 million salary for this season locks in if he remains on Houston’s roster beyond Thursday, though the more practical deadline is today at 5 p.m. [Eastern] — the last moment Houston can waive McLemore before his contract guarantees. It appears very likely he sticks beyond that deadline, even though the Rockets are barely above the luxury tax line. (They could also keep him and trade him later.)
Ben McLemore's NBA journey doesn't fit any neat template. It continues today as Houston faces a deadline to guarantee his contract. Inside McLemore's fight to regain his career: https://t.co/dCFTxVnmuC
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. McLemore appears to have increasingly earned more trust from head coach Mike D’Antoni as the 2019-20 season has moved along, with his minutes per game rising from 7.3 in October to 24.5 in November and 27.7 in December.
His efficiency has improved in kind, with McLemore shooting 44.3% from the field and 39.2% on 3-pointers in December. Both of those figures are well above his 37.1% and 31.7% numbers in November, and his 30.0% clip in both categories during October.
It’s likely that McLemore’s minutes will decline from December levels, now that reserve guard Eric Gordon is back from a lengthy injury absence.
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However, even if his minutes dip some, McLemore has clearly shown enough for the Rockets to keep him around as a bench contributor and potentially valuable insurance policy against other future injuries.
Entering 2019-20, McLemore was largely seen as a bust — at least relative to his draft position as a 2013 lottery pick — after his first six NBA seasons with the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies. But this is the first time in his career that he’s been with a contender, and he’s currently fitting in quite well around stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
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The Rockets (24-11) also have decisions to make Tuesday regarding Hartenstein and Clark, with each facing the same timeline for his contract becoming fully guaranteed for the 2019-20 season.
Contracts for the below players will become guaranteed today (5PM EST):
BOS: Ja. Green CHA: Ca. Martin and J. McDaniels CHI: S. Harrison DET: C. Wood HOU: B. McLemore, G. Clark and I. Hartenstein LAC: D. Walton Jr. LAL: D. Howard MEM: B. Caboclo
