"Run it back."
After striking out on the big fish in free agency, the Sixers essentially appear to be going this route for next season.
They have reportedly agreed to a one-year deal to bring back JJ Redick and a trade for Denver Nuggets swingman Wilson Chandler to help offset the departures of bench standouts Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova. A little juggling to add a reserve center, and you will be looking at your 2018-19 Philadelphia 76ers (barring a blockbuster deal for Kawhi Leonard, in which case all bets are off).
And there's no reason to believe that won't be enough to take another leap next season. Think about it, from a personal standpoint the Sixers had Joel Embiid be named a starter in the All-Star Game and finish as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. Despite all of the noise, Ben Simmons snagged Rookie of the Year in a landslide. Plus, the team had Robert Covington (first) and Embiid (second) each be named to All-NBA defensive teams.
All of those individual accolades helped propel the team to a 52-win campaign (24 more than the previous season), a playoff berth for the first time in six seasons and a first-round series victory.
With that level of production under their belt, there is no reason to believe the Sixers won't continue climbing up the Eastern Conference ranks.
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Just don't think it will be easy.
Even with LeBron James' exodus to the West, the Sixers' path to the NBA Finals won't all of the sudden become a cakewalk. Some other squads will have a say about that, starting at the top.
Toronto may have ditched its head coach, but the Raptors appear to be sticking with the core that won a franchise-record 59 games last season. That group beat the Sixers in three of the four regular-season meetings by an average of 18.3 points.
Of course, the Boston Celtics had the Sixers' number all season long. Between the preseason, regular season and playoffs, the C's won nine of the 11 matchups by an average of 9.2 points. Plus, you've likely heard they'll be getting a couple All-Stars back in the lineup come next season in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
Even the teams a step below have reason for hope. The Indiana Pacers have faith in their own young core led by Most Improved Player Victor Oladipo. The Milwaukee Bucks have one of the game's best players in Giannis Antetokounmpo and boosted their bench by swiping Ilyasova from the Sixers and drafting Villanova standout Donte DiVincenzo. The Washington Wizards (John Wall, Bradley Beal) and Detroit Pistons (Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond) have prolific tandems that could cause trouble for anyone.
It's all wide open in the East now that the King's throne has shifted to Hollywood. And the Sixers have to feel as good as any team about being able to secure the crown, but it definitely won't be an easy task.
