Buying or Selling the Latest Philadelphia 76ers Rumors in 2015 NBA Free Agency

It's about time to begin buying or selling the rumors surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers and the 2015 NBA free-agency period.

The Sixers were expected to be one of the NBA draft's most active organizations with a total of six picks going into the event. General manager Sam Hinkie was going to surely make noise while the lights were on and all eyes were focused on what Philly would do. 

None of the above ever happened, though.

Philadelphia missed out on its target when D'Angelo Russell was selected with the No. 2 pick. It looked like Hinkie then left his computer with it set to autodraft. Jahlil Okafor of Duke, a top-flight talent joined the Sixers' two other such centers.

Will things be different as the City of Brotherly Love tries to lure free agents its way?

Yes and no.

The Sixers are in a unique spot during the upcoming free-agency period since they aren't looking to offer max-contract deals to any of those available. The big-name players aren't wanting to play for a team who isn't among the league's best.

Instead, the Sixers are rumored to be involved in trade talks, interested in re-signing those already on the roster and dealing with a possibly disgruntled rookie big man.

It doesn't take the arrival of a high-profile free agent to see the intrigue surrounding Philadelphia in the coming weeks.

Nerlens Noel Getting Traded to the Boston Celtics

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

There is definitely a chance that Nerlens Noel gets dished during the next couple of weeks—we can't overlook that. It's just that there's virtually no shot of him getting moved to the Boston Celtics.

This rumor is based on a report that took place prior to the NBA draft when the Celtics did what they could to move up:

In regard to the trade offer, let's get the obvious out of the way: bullet dodged.

Accepting this deal would have sent fits of outrage down nearly every Philadelphia fan's spine. Luckily, we can move on to bigger ideas and view the proposal as a fleeting moment in time.

Or can we?

The idea of Noel getting shopped for the Celtics' Marcus Smart continues to get brought up. NBA.com's David Aldridge wrote an article about possible moves for people to consider as the league gets into the free-agency period. He had this to say about Boston and Philadelphia:

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The 76ers should trade Nerlens Noel and Robert Covington to Boston for Marcus Smart and James Young

Philly now has Okafor, Noel, Joel Embiid (admittedly, with seemingly serious foot issues) and Dario Saric (who will play one more year in Europe before coming over) in its frontcourt, but has a dearth of quality guards. Smart was up and down in his rookie season, but he'd immediately be the starter at the point in Philly, and Young would get minutes and an opportunity to show what he can do after being in the D League most of last season.

Meanwhile, Boston currently has the four guards it's drafted in the last two years, along with Isaiah Thomas and Bradley, with a less-than-imposing front line, and could certainly work Noel's rim protection into its rotation

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Enough is enough.

There's a good chance that we continue to hear about how perfect the Celtics and Sixers are as trade partners for the remainder of the offseason. Both teams are young and have a ton of cap space. Each has what the other needs in some respect, so it obviously makes some sense.

The chances of Noel getting moved prior to the draft were about as high as they could have been considering that all talks were on the table. If Philadelphia has already turned down a trade with Boston, then it's foolish to think that it would later accept a similar deal.

Hinkie also won't jeopardize Noel's value in this kind of a move until he is completely sure about Joel Embiid's recovering foot injury. The risk doesn't come close to outweighing the reward.

Verdict: Selling

Jahlil Okafor Isn't Happy in Philadelphia

Michael Perez/Associated Press

If we could only truly judge a book by its cover.

First impressions of Jahlil Okafor after getting drafted by the Sixers would lead most to believe that he wants to be nowhere near the Liberty Bell.

It started with his lack of facial excitement after being taken with the No. 3 pick. (Maybe the moment was overwhelming for him, though. We'll give him that one.)

The interviews then came flooding in, and he still had an emotionless tone to everything he was saying. (Was it possible that he just didn't express his feelings through his voice? Absolutely, no need to panic as we'll give him that one, too.)

Then came the press-conference jersey drop. (Uh-oh, he officially hates being a Sixer.)

At least that's what the footage leads people to believe. The reality of the situation is that we must be cautious of how footage is edited before we rush to a conclusion. Okafor didn't drop the Sixers jersey in disgust. In fact, he was simply the first one to lay it down on the table.

The bottom line is that we simply don't know. It's unfair for people to assume that Okafor is upset with his current situation based on a series of possibly misunderstood actions. 

Sure, we can speculate about the way in which a jersey was dropped as much as we want. The issue with doing so is that we might miss the true progress taking place behind closed doors.

The kind of work that would lead Okafor's father to tweet something like this:

If we were looking for an inside source to tell us how the newest man on campus truly feels, then there isn't anyone better than his dad. We may never truly know if the former Blue Devil wanted to get drafted by another team, but we have to acknowledge the fact that his focuses are on performing to the best of his abilities.

Even if it's in Philadelphia.

Verdict: Selling

Upcoming Free Agents from the 2014-15 Sixers Roster Will Get Looked at Before Outsiders

Matt Marton/Associated Press

Those against roster overhauls may be in luck as it looks like Sam Hinkie is prepared to give free-agent priority to those who were on the Sixers last year.

CSN Philly's John Finger wrote an article about Hinkie's plans during the upcoming free-agency period. Here is a bit of Finger's analysis based on quotes from the man in charge:

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According to general manager Sam Hinkie, the Sixers will give a chance to players already on the roster, and free agency will be investigated for the right fit.

'I do think we'll be out there and we'll have discussions (with free agents), but we'll have to be discerning, too,' Hinkie said during Friday’s press conference following the draft. 'We'll have to be reasonable about it and about the kind of players we'll go after.'

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This is basically saying that Hinkie understands there won't be much talent coming their way. The team will have to be deliberate with who they make offers to as each has to fill a specific role, rather than turning around the entire franchise.

Players like Ish Smith—who has great chemistry with Noel—and Thomas Robinson need to be on the list. Both players were productive in their limited time with the Sixers, and brought a much-needed energy level to the court.

Philadelphia also needs to make sure it keeps either Jason Richardson or Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. The average age of last year's roster would have been around 14 years old if it weren't for these two. Richardson combines three-point shooting with 13 years of playing experience, whereas Mbah a Moute has a bond with Embiid that's tough to overlook.

The Sixers need to work on consistency during the 2015 free-agency period. Maintaining some of the team's key relationships while filling specific holes in the roster have to be on top of the team's to-do list. 

Verdict: Buying