“I think the opportunity in the end was too hard to pass up…I still feel like I’m on the cusp of finding somewhere steady in the NBA & hopefully that will be Philly.” -Ryan Broekhoff on signing with the Philadelphia 76ers (quote from Serena Winters).
The Sixers were quick to add a free agent to their roster last week, as they gear up for the league’s return to action down in Orlando. Targeting former Dallas Maverick sharpshooter Ryan Broekhoff, it appeared Elton Brand had made a sneaky last-second upgrade to the bench.
Seeing the quote included above, it would almost appear that the Sixers were offering Broekhoff a significant role in the offense, as a way to lure him away from other teams (multiple teams were reportedly interested in the Australian’s services). However, in a press conference with the media just hours later, Sixers’ head coach Brett Brown revealed a different sentiment.
Brett Brown stated he was actually quite “surprised” that Broekhoff agreed to join the Sixers of all teams. Brown cited the heavy number of wings already on the roster (Harris, Korkmaz, Thybulle, Scott, GR3), saying that he didn’t “want to mislead him or anybody.”
While Sixers fans were quick to jump on the idea of Broekhoff being a solid floor-spacing bench piece, it appears Brett views this addition in a bit more of a conservative manner. The Sixers have still barely seen what guys like Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks can do coming off the bench, and players like Milton, Thybulle, and Scott are all surely ahead of Broekhoff in any sort of hypothetical rotation.
Brett did emphasize that the three weeks of “training camp” leading up to the NBA’s restart will be huge for Broekhoff, as a time to show what he can do. However, in all reality, it will be borderline impossible for someone to learn an entire NBA system in just a few weeks.
PhillySportsNetwork’s Zach Ciavolella wrote a piece just a few days ago, detailing the possibility of Broekhoff factoring into the Sixers long term plans. With prominent roleplayers like Burks and Robinson III expected to depart this offseason, it does leave a considerable opening for Broekhoff to slot into heading into 2021.
Barring any catastrophic injuries or illnesses (knock on wood!), Broekhoff likely won’t see any sort of real minutes this year. However, if he impresses in training camp and in the few bits of playing time he does receive, he would be a prime candidate for the Sixers to extend on a league-minimum contract moving forward.
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
