NBA Finals end, offseason flurry begins: How a new rule could help the Sixers attack summer

The 76ers’ front office had reason to be pleased the NBA Finals ended Monday night.

Not because they wanted to see the Boston Celtics hoisting their 18th Larry O’Brien trophy, after defeating the Dallas Mavericks, four games to one. But so they can move to a crucial — and somewhat new — portion of the offseason.

As part of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams can now begin negotiating with their own free agents the day after the last Finals game. Previously, that (technically) could not occur with a team’s own or outside free agents until the evening of June 30.

Though players still cannot officially sign new contracts until the moratorium period lifts July 6, that it is possible for agreements to be in place before next week’s draft could provide some clues — or clarity — on how the Sixers will attack this summer.

(But first, a mental exercise: Would anything have changed with last summer’s James Harden saga — when he felt “ghosted” in the lead-up to June 30, then exercised his player option and demanded a trade before free agency began — had this rule been in place then? Probably not.)

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid and Paul George appeared together on NBA Countdown. Could they reunite on the Sixers?

This timing wrinkle sets up a hybrid combining the NBA’s previous offseason calendar and the NFL, which holds free agency before its draft. The NBA’s two-day draft is next Wednesday and Thursday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the Sixers have the 16th pick.

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has said all options are on the table, including making their selection, trading the pick for win-now talent to add to core stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, or trading down to accumulate additional assets for future potential deals.

Because the draft has typically been the first opportunity for a team to make significant offseason moves, decisions from that night often impacted whom a team chose to pursue in free agency. Now, the opposite could be at least partially true.

The Sixers have a whopping 10 free agents, an estimated $65 million in cap space, and decisions about whom they try to re-sign.

Has Nico Batum had enough time to mull retirement before playing for France in the Paris Olympics? Would Kelly Oubre Jr. come back on a reasonable deal, after outplaying last season’s veteran’s minimum contract and hiring new representation? Could February additions Buddy Hield, Kyle Lowry or Cameron Payne return? How will De’Anthony Melton’s spine issues affect his options?

If any of those players waits to test the open market — or either side decides it is time to move on — Morey’s approach during the draft could be affected. Targeting a specific position or skill set or physical prototype might become more (or less) important.

The moved-up timing also allows the Sixers and Maxey to focus sooner on finalizing a max extension, after he became a first-time All-Star and the league’s Most Improved Player in 2023-24. Perhaps more important, this timetable should help reveal how the rest of the league’s dominoes might fall — and who may be available to sign or in a trade as the Sixers go star hunting.

» READ MORE: How an ESPN draft expert predicts the Sixers’ selection, and why Jared McCain could be a fit

An impromptu Embiid appearance with Paul George on the NBA Countdown set ahead of the Finals’ Game 4 reignited speculation about the Sixers’ plans to lure the 34-year-old forward to Philly. Of course, George could quickly squash those hopes by agreeing to an early offer to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers. Or, George choosing to wait could signal a lengthy leverage play for a full max deal — or that he would legitimately consider a new team.

OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, who were both traded in the middle of the season, could also be off the board swiftly if they choose to stay with the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, respectively. And the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell is among the stars eligible for an extension, and, if he chooses not to sign or negotiations stall, that could help set the blockbuster trade market.

But first, the Finals needed to end.

Now, the offseason flurry looms.

And the Sixers had reason to want that to begin as soon as possible.