National Basketball Association

Which Player Will Philadelphia 76ers Retain? Ersan, Nerlens, Or Sergio?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:15 p.m. ET

Fansided, Bret Stuter/FanSided via The Sixer Sense

The suddenly vibrant Philadelphia 76ers have just defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 114 -109. But the cost of winning in the NBA comes in many forms. At the end of this season, the 76ers must choose who to retain.

The final score of the game was Philadelphia 76ers 114 Milwaukee Bucks 109. The Philadelphia 76ers were on the road, did not have Jahlil Okafor, Jerryd Bayless, Joel Embiid, nor Ben Simmons. Despite all those challenges, the Philadelphia won again, their 17th win of the season.

In fact, in 2017, the Philadelphia 76ers are 9-3. That’s good enough for playoff discussions if that pace is maintained over 82 games. But this team is a late bloomer of sorts, and fell to 7-24 before going on a 10-3 tear to this point.

The Philadelphia 76ers won by a strong team effort. Gerald Henderson came off the bench to lead the 76ers in scoring with 20 points. Dario Saric came off the bench as well, and tied for second with 17 points. Starting center Nerlens Noel scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds for the 76ers. Ersan Ilyasova, in keeping with his career season, scored 17 points with 9 rebounds. Sergio Rodriguez came off the bench for 18 minutes to add 4 points and 7 assists.

OOPS!

Now here’s the problem.

The contracts for Ersan Ilyasova, Nerlens Noel, and Sergio Rodriguez expire at the end of this season. Sergio Rodriguez plays point guard. The point guard position is in high demand in the NBA right now. Nerlens Noel plays center. The center positions is in short supply in the NBA right now. Ersan Ilyasova plays a textbook stretch-4. Yeah, they are in high demand as well.

More from The Sixer Sense

When the Philadelphia 76ers lost 80 percent of their games, nobody sought out the team’s players in free agency. In fact, few were signed in the early days of free agency. But this team, playing as hot as any team in the NBA, is turning some heads. And some of those heads are attached to hands which sign NBA checks.

N-B-Economics

In short, there are three guys on the Philadelphia 76ers roster who should expect to be paid handsomely next season. Unfortunately, two if not three of those players will not be cashing paychecks from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Salary cap management is a very rare skill indeed. While I haven’t balanced an NBA roster amidst the strains and constraints of a salary cap, I can point out some of the hurdles.

Losing spoils you. It gives the fans just one area of focus, the next NBA Draft. But now, cheering for the team which is proving to be better than the imagination allows, there are a myriad of other factors weighing on the fanbase. Health of key players. Contracts salaries and terms. Keeping the band together in the NBA can be nearly as difficult as finding that first marquis player.

And so, the team is making the climb. But to do so will require special care – who stays, who leaves, and who replaces. The fragility of this team was predictable a year ago. And it’s predictable as any team emerges from bad, to good. Is it the players who paid their dues on a bad team who elevate the play? Or is it the players who arrive?

Jan 21, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo watch a game against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 110-93. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Loyalty Is A Two Way Street

The challenge now is, can Bryan Colangelo pick up on the team’s chemistry in the absence of the original architect? So far, his actions have impressed more than his rhetoric. But he is coming to an important fork in the road. Does he:
I. Show loyalty to the longest-tenured player on the team and try to retain Nerlens Noel?
II. Show loyalty to the player who came on a “prove me” one-year deal, and proved it, Sergio Rodriguez?
III. Show loyalty to the player he traded for, who is working so well as the starting power forward for the team, and try to retain Ersan Ilyasova?

Or none of the above?

The fact of the matter is that there is more at stake than just money. Whomever the team allows to go, that player’s role must be absorbed by the remaining players on the team. To be honest, the role of Nerlens Noel could be handled by Richaun Holmes. The role of Sergio Rodriguez could be absorbed by T.J.McConnell. And finally, the role of Ersan Ilyasova can be absorbed by Dario Saric.

What it comes down to is who do the front office executives feel in invaluable to the future of this franchise? RIght now the team just defeated a very good Milwaukee Bucks team without either Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons. To be honest, any answers beyond Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid is icing on the cake at this point.