It’s no secret of what’s going on in Philadelphia with the 76ers nowadays. The team is in full ‘rebuild’ mode (aka tank) and aren’t looking to win right now or anytime soon. They’ve acquired picks like crazy for the coming seasons and are completely trying to make the team new through the draft and signing big name free agents. The 76ers have a plan, that’s for sure, but many veterans in the league don’t see Philadelphia as a destination to continue their careers.
It might be due to what Andrei Kirilenko went through with Philadelphia and GM Sam Hinkie or it now may be what an unnamed NBA veteran said about the team.
The following from Keith Pompey of Philly.com:
“No one wants to go there,” said an Eastern Conference player who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Not right now.”
Established players cringe at the thought of being traded to the 7-29 squad. Marquee free agents won’t even consider the franchise.
That’s not surprising to the Sixers, especially coach Brett Brown and general manager Sam Hinkie. They realize that the franchise, in its current tanking state, is far from a sought-after destination spot.
Danny Granger and Andrei Kirilenko are two veterans who refused to suit up for the Sixers.
The Sixers have the youngest team in the NBA and are on pace the finish the season as the youngest team in NBA’s history. This youth movement is not relating into victories (despite Philadelphia’s new 2 game winning streak) but it’ll be alright in Philadelphia, no need to be alarmed.
Despite what one NBA veteran says, the Sixers do attract NBA Veterans. They currently have 2 players on the roster who are over 25 years old and have more than 5 years of service in the NBA in the form of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Jason Richardson, even though Richardson and Mbah a Moute are out currently due to injuries. The way they are set up is not for NBA veterans to go there anyway so I don’t think coach Brett Brown or GM Sam Hinkie are too bothered by this.
