76ers outlook heading into 2022 offseason

The Philadelphia 76ers are set to undergo plenty of changes in the offseason after being eliminated in the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. This is yet another early exit relative to expectations for the Sixers, who will now have to address several major points in the summer.

2021-22 season recap

The season started off with the cloud of Ben Simmons’ mental state hanging over the franchise. Joel Embiid put together another MVP-level campaign to carry the roster forward. Ultimately, the Sixers decided to make a big trade to land James Harden. The deal has worked out well for Philly in the grand scheme of things considered Simmons never played a second of basketball, but Harden struggled after an initial strong phase with the team. Embiid had some injury issues at a bad time and the 76ers ultimately couldn’t get past the Heat in the playoffs.

2022 offseason priorities

The future of Harden and head coach Doc Rivers will be the talk of the summer. Harden is due for a big extension if he opts out of his deal, which he claimed he didn’t mean to do but made a clerical error at the deadline to do so. Rivers is likely a candidate for other coaching jobs, so we’ll see what happens with him. The Sixers have Embiid in his prime, but that doesn’t mean they should throw Harden a five-year max at $50 million per season.

Tobias Harris is a trade candidate with his salary number, but he’s played well in the postseason. Given Tyrese Maxey’s rise on a rookie contract, Harris could be worth keeping around given his recent production. He can be moved at the deadline if he’s not moved in the summer.