Grading 76ers' Biggest Moves from 2022 NBA Offseason
The Philadelphia 76ers are pushing for the NBA crown.
After linking perennial MVP Joel Embiid with former MVP James Harden at the trade deadline, the Sixers then set about beefing up their supporting cast this summer.
Let's revisit their biggest offseason maneuvers and assign each with a letter grade reflecting both their value and projected impact.
Acquiring De'Anthony Melton
On draft night, Philly made a move to address its defensive deficiencies on the perimeter and acquired De'Anthony Melton from the Memphis Grizzlies for Danny Green and the No. 23 pick.
This could be a stroke of brilliance for the Sixers.
Green is out indefinitely with a torn ACL, and whoever Philly took at No. 23 (Memphis drafted David Roddy) was going to have a tough time cracking the rotation. Melton, meanwhile, just logged a career-high 22.7 minutes per night for the Western Conference's No. 2 seed and generally impressed with his tenacious defense and perpetually improving offense.
Melton gives Philly substantial flexibility on defense, plus extra shooting, finishing and a pinch of shot-creation on offense. He can share the backcourt with James Harden or with Tyrese Maxey or play alongside both. It's a great fit and a great price.
Grade: A
Reeling in P.J. Tucker
Over the past two seasons, the Sixers have watched P.J. Tucker help the Milwaukee Bucks win the 2021 title and the Miami Heat make the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
Perhaps that's why Embiid singled out Tucker in particular as the type of player this team needed to take the next step.
On the court, Tucker should fit like a pair of skinny jeans for the Sixers. He'll likely guard the opposition's top scorer while spending most offensive possessions waiting for catch-and-fire chances from the short corner. He has already proved he can mesh with Harden, and it should be just as easy to find his rhythm with Embiid.
The one gripe here is the cost, as Philly gave Tucker a three-year, $33 million deal. The salary is fine, but the years are perhaps problematic, as he turned 37 in May. It's hard to see him being an eight-figure kind of player two years from now, but the Sixers are in championship-pursuit mode, and he can absolutely assist with that.
Grade: B+
Re-Signing James Harden
The Sixers shouldn't have had the flexibility to be able to add both Tucker and Danuel House Jr., since they entered the summer with so many established, high-level contributors on the roster already.
However, James Harden made that possible by declining a $47.4 million player option to instead sign a two-year pact worth just $68 million.
"This is how bad I want to win," the 32-year-old told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. "I want to compete for a championship. That's all that matters to me at this stage. I'm willing to take less to put us in position to accomplish that."
This is the biggest assist Harden has given the Sixers so far, and it could be a major bargain if he can reverse some recent decline and finally deliver on the postseason's biggest stage.
Grade: A-