Do the Knicks or Lakers have Embiid, Noel or Okafor to convince young free agents to sign with them?
I think free agents will soon want to play with the future best frontcourt in the league, especially if Embiid turns out to be the next AD like they think he can be.
Just like how I think the Cousins-WCS pairing could turn around the mess that it's been in Sacramento.
Where a team is located at is far less important than how competitive a team is.
As it stands now, lal nyc and Philly all won't be fa hotspots come next summer until one of them show that they can be competitive.
It absolutely has nothing to do with location as to why I'm saying it. Although if you had a choice between the same exact team, same players just in different locations. For MOST NBA players. Better location wins.
But that's not how it works. Teams do not have the same roster. So ignoring location.
Buc's original comment was about the Sixers need to chase their guys with their cap space. And what I said.. IF the Lakers and Knicks had trouble getting guys with cap space, the Sixers will have even more trouble with their cap space.
Why? Because of "Trusting the process."
No player worth a damn in the NBA cares about their process. They don't see Noel & Okafor. They see a team that publicly admitted that they will not field a competitive team, and not try to win.
That is where you get this
The 76ers are feeling good about themselves after winning two straight games and three of their last four.
But that hasn't changed how the team is viewed by veterans around the NBA.
"No one wants to go there," said an Eastern Conference player who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Not right now."
Established players cringe at the thought of being traded to the 7-29 squad. Marquee free agents won't even consider the franchise.
That's not surprising to the Sixers, especially coach Brett Brown and general manager Sam Hinkie. They realize that the franchise, in its current tanking state, is far from a sought-after destination spot.
Danny Granger and Andrei Kirilenko are two veterans who refused to suit up for the Sixers
http://articles.philly.com/2015-01-13/sports/57988440_1_brett-brown-dario-saric-sixers
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...-dont-want-to-play-for-the-philadelphia-76ers
What attractive situation are you providing for a FA when not a single veteran wants to play there? When they don't even use their cap space? When they treat players like poker chips as opposed to actual people?
The Sixers would have been better off start getting veteran guys on their roster, and said "Hey look at us. We have young guys. And role players." Not just "We have young guys."
You know how Milwaukee & Toronto got players? They made the playoffs. The Sixers are the worst team in the league. Again. And not fielding a competitive team again.
Do you know how the Kings got players? They overpaid.
So no Philadelphia IS NOT even remotely the destination in Free Agency that New York & Los Angeles is. Not because it is New York or Los Angeles. Because no player cares about Hinkie's "process."
Also the question can the Lakers provide a situation with Noel, Embiid & Okafor.... Try Russell, Clarkson, Randle & Upshaw. And if they just go with team as is into 2016, $60mil in cap space. So yeah. LA can offer the "young core" that Philly can offer.
Also to include the meeting aspect, LA & New York got meetings with these players. Why? Because they are LA & NY. And they both sucked last year. How many meetings did the Sixers take with anybody of substance?
So sure, LA & NY may strike out again next year. But let's not act like Philly is remotely in as good as a position as either of them when it comes to Free Agents.