Fans and pundits alike expect the Philadelphia 76ers to be on top of the free agency leaderboard this offseason. As repeatedly mentioned before, only one team stands to have more spending power than them — the main reason behind their many linkages with expensive commodities in the rumor mill for the past few months.
Touting a mammtoh cap space doesn’t necessarily mean a monopoly in the market, though. There are also those under win-now edicts who could throw the 76ers a curveball. Here are three teams that could ultimately give them a run for their money in free agency.
1. The Thunder could be the biggest obstacle to the 76ers
Oklahoma City wowed everyone this season by finishing as the No. 1 seed in an extremely tough and deep Western Conference. Powered by a young core that should ensure they remain perennial contenders from here on out, the scarier thing is that they could open up to $35 million in cap space this summer that they can use to get significant roster upgrades.
The Thunder bowed down to the fifth-seeded and eventual West champs, with the Mavericks exploiting their biggest weakness: their lack of frontcourt size and rebounding. Despite OKC’s rabid defense and efficient shot-making, Dallas’ big men simply outmuscled them up front, making it one of their biggest priorities heading into the offseason.
Having said that, addressing that need wouldn’t require them to break the bank. What could prompt that, however, is if they try to consolidate some of their flippable assets, which include their league-leading war chest of draft picks and Josh Giddey, in addition to their cap space, to absorb a third star who could be on the 76ers’ radar. It’s pretty feasible.
2. Could a new offseason rivalry brew with Orlando?
Look, if there’s one team in the East the 76ers should fear in the open market, it’s the Magic. Orlando can free up as much as $49.5 million in usable money this offseason, and their emerging act has their prospects looking much better, especially from a marketing and self-advertising standpoint. Put simply, they have the makings to be the cool kids of free agency.
That figure should be enough, or if not, close to it, to hover around the realm of max contracts. They also have other players they can dangle to open up even more cap space to bolster a pretty lethal young core led by sophomore All-Star Paolo Banchero and rising star Franz Wagner. Oh, and their list of needs perfectly fit the crop of players expected to become available.
Orlando could reasonably target Paul George or other A-listers to accelerate their winning cause. Alternatively, they have the means to lure in a couple of high-end role players whom the 76ers could actually look into as Plan Bs of their own. Either way, the Magic have a great shot at waging a war of attrition with Philadelphia this offseason.
3. Could the Wembanyama fever affect the 76ers?
The lone lottery team on this list, San Antonio enters the summer having a world of optionality. They only have $21.3 million in practical cap space as of writing, but they can easily increase that by dangling Devonte Graham’s contract and trading some of their relatively older commodities.
The league-wide belief is that the long-term thinking Spurs would gladly continue taking it slow while the rest of the West dukes it out for short-term success. That’s honestly the best approach, even with Victor Wembanyama in the fold. However, should they decide to suddenly pivot into a more aggressive stance, the floodgates could open for stars looking to shift situations.
San Antonio is a very desirable destination right now with Wemby and Gregg Popovich still manning the sidelines. It’s conceivable to believe that a veteran star out there could try to force his way to the Alamo City and join a future contender. How does that affect the 76ers? Well, one of their golden targets could find a way to get to Texas with a little bit of financial gymnastics from their acclaimed front office.
