Derek Bodner’s Blog

Originally posted at RealGM.com.

Nearly six weeks after the NBA Draft, the Sixers are poised to make their first free agent acquisition of the Summer.

That player is Royal Ivey.

Yes, the same Ivey that less than two months ago declined to pick up his option with the Sixers for the 2009-2010 season.

Sixers fans can now breath a sigh of relief.

Past contractual mistakes, committed by both the previous and current regime, combined with the league-wide drop in basketball-related income, which lead to a drop in the salary cap and perhaps more importantly a drop in the luxury tax threshold, have stifled the Sixers ability to provide significant additions to a roster already short on talent and experience.

After parting ways with Andre Miller without getting anything in return and sitting out the bidding on both veteran (Mike Bibby) and young (Ramon Sessions) point guard options, the Sixers hesitance to explore multi-year deals has left them with returning combo-guard Louis Williams, 19-year-old rookie Jrue Holiday and Ivey as their options to start in the backcourt.

Heading into free agency it became obvious that the Sixers and Miller would part ways, but there was the fleeting hope that they could work out a sign-and-trade deal and get something of value in return. That failed to materialize. It then became apparent very early on in the process that long-term deals were unlikely. Realizing this, my expectations for this offseason have been lowered drastically. I expect to be stuck in NBA purgatory next season, not good enough to realistically contend, and not bad enough to obtain high level talent in the draft. And even with these lowered expectations, I came away sorely
disappointed.

Signing Ivey epitomizes the frustration of this offseason.

Philadelphia does needs to fill out the remaining spots on their roster, so why should signing Ivey get under your skin?

Signing someone to vault the Sixers into realistic contenders, even contenders to advance past the first round of the playoffs, is slim at this point. So what should we be looking for in filling out the few remaining spots?

Since Ivey is unlikely to make an appreciable difference in the success or failure of the Sixers season, I would want someone who fills one of the below criteria:

1. Would be a part of the team’s long term plans.
2. Is such a tremendous fit that his value for the Sixers is significantly greater than his talent level.
3. Has enough experience and veteran savvy that he can guide the youth on the team and aid in their development.

Ivey accomplishes none of these. He’s not likely to be onthe team long-term and doesn’t provide either the shooting or true point guard play that the Sixers need from another member of the rotation. At 27, Ivey has logged barely 4,000 minutes and only 45 in the postseason, so it’s hard to imagine him taking Holiday under his wing and mentoring him.

Giving minutes to Ivey that could go to either Holiday or Williams seems counterproductive. Williams may very well turn out to lack the mentality needed to run the point guard and may be a better option as a spark off the bench. That being said, I would rather see Williams fail as a point guard then go through the season and not get that question answered.

Royal Ivey is your big offseason addition. I commiserate with you Philadelphia fans. This is the immediate future we find ourselves in.