The Spurs and the Bulls were able to lock down their star wing players, Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler, as restricted free agents in the offseason. The Philadelphia 76ers, who came up quiet and empty in this year’s free agency, reportedly did their “due diligence” in pursuing both or either players.
From Grantland’s Zach Lowe:
But the Sixers have a ton of picks already, and rival executives are curious about why Philly didn’t take a shot on some young players who signed for cheap. Aminu is at the high end of that market, but why not take a minimum-salaried curiosity like, I dunno, John Jenkins, Jeremy Evans, or Justin Holiday, and lavish him with a three-year, $8 million deal as the cap is set to skyrocket? Philly sniffed around offer sheet possibilities for Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard, sources say, but that’s basic due diligence.
Landing a marquee player, especially a marquee wing player like Leonard or Butler could have been a miraculous feat for the 76ers who are stocked with raw youth and inexperience. Still, as Lowe put it, this was just Philly’s duty as a franchise to see if presenting an offer sheet would even be worth it. Leonard and Butler are both in stable, successful situations. The odds for the 76ers this time around were poor, but as we know, their recent focus has been building through the draft anyway.
