The Sixers just officially announced Dwight Howard and what a whirlwind 18 hours has it been. Howard went from re-signing with the Lakers to popping up randomly with the Sixers. As far as back-up centers go, it sent some major shockwaves.
The Dwight Howard contract in Philadelphia is for the veteran minimum exception of $2.6M, per league sources.
The cap hit is $1.6M
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) November 21, 2020
But what a smart move (one of many so far) for Daryl Morey. The Sixers realized they needed an insurance policy for Joel Embiid. The morons in charge last year tried to do it for $109 million. Daryl Morey got it done for $2.6 million.
It’s efficient and it’s cost effective, two things the Sixers front office hasn’t been for years.
Think back to that Game 7 in Toronto. Embiid played 46 minutes and was a +10. They lost by 2. So they got outscored by 12 points in the two measly minutes he sat down. Would’ve been nice to have a legitimate back-up then. And it would be nice to have a back-up center to rely on so the Sixers can sit Embiid out in January back to backs when they’re on the road in Cleveland. It won’t be an entire catastrophe if there are games where the Sixers don’t have to cling to Joel Embiid’s post presence as their only hope for victory, no matter the talent of the opponent.
And to get Howard for the vet minimum at $2.6M?! Very savvy move. Last season, the Sixers believed in the same theory. We need to bring in a guy who will hold us down when Embiid misses time, or simple has to rest. So they overspent on some washed up Center and it tanked their roster construction in the process. This time around, they found bargain bin value. And they did it in a guy who just spent last season, proving he can provide productive front court minutes to spell a star (Anthony Davis).
Is Daryl Morey this smart? Or was previous Sixers front office management this dumb?