Breaking down the Sixers’ 2023-24 salary cap and contract info
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Their history of second-round disasters aside, the loss the 76ers suffered in Game 7 against the Celtics on Sunday is the kind of defeat that can lead to wholesale changes across the organization, from the top down.
And following the loss, coach Doc Rivers was asked about his job security, not only because of the result of the game, but also because of the current NBA landscape, with several prominent coaches being fired this offseason, like Monty Williams, the reigning coach of the year, and Mike Budenholzer, who is just two years removed from leading the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years.
» READ MORE: Sorry, Doc. Sixers need a change of direction after Game 7 meltdown. | David Murphy
Needless to say, Rivers knows that no one, including himself, is safe.
“I think I have two years left [on my contract, so yeah,” Rivers said when asked if he planned on being the Sixers’ coach next season. But he added, “No one is safe in our business and I get that.”
The same can be said for the team, as questions linger about whether this is the right group to get the job done. James Harden, who has a $35.64 million player option for next season, seems to think it is.
While the former MVP, who came up small in the Game 7 loss, said he hadn’t thought about his plans for next season, he did point out that he liked the current team, saying that “it’s only year one together” and that he just wants “to have a chance to compete” next season, whether that’s in Philly or elsewhere.
Harden, however, isn’t the only Sixers player with an offseason decision to make. Two others — Danuel House Jr. and Montrezl Harrell — have player options. Beyond that, the Sixers will need to make decisions of their own regarding a trio of unrestricted free agents (Georges Niang, Shake Milton, and Jalen McDaniels), as well as one restricted free agent in Paul Reed.
» READ MORE: Joel Embiid, James Harden choke in a gutless showing in Boston. ‘The Process’ fails again.
But that doesn’t mean the decisions will stop there. Daryl Morey and Co. could decide to completely blow things up. Or maybe the entire leadership changes following Sunday’s massacre, the Sixers’ fifth second-round exit in the last six years. Either way, someone will be making the decisions at Sixers HQ.
Here’s a player-by-player look at who is (and isn’t) under contract next season and how much they’re owed.
(Note: The NBA salary cap is expected to rise to $134 million next season, with the luxury tax threshold at $162 million. Given that the Sixers are already over the limit with just 11 contracts, the team will almost certainly again be paying the luxury tax — unless it makes big changes.)
Will the Sixers largely run it back next year? Will they make massive changes and kick-start “The Process 2.0?” Or will they settle somewhere in between? No matter what, this is shaping up to be an interesting offseason for the Sixers.
Some things never change.
» READ MORE: Disappointment, frustration permeate aftermath of Sixers’ season-ending Game 7 loss