Retaining Grimes will clearly be the priority, and luckily for the Sixers the salary cap environment in the NBA this summer paves the way for them to not only re-sign the 24-year-old breakout guard, but do so on a contract that is team-friendly. But the key to fitting in Grimes, Yabusele, Kelly Oubre Jr. and a top-six pick is getting Yabusele on a deal that does not limit the team’s flexibility. If he takes the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, projected to be worth a maximum of two years and approximately $11.6 million, the Sixers would be able to spend whatever they needed to in order to re-sign either of their remaining key free agents. If it requires more money than that for the Sixers to re-sign Yabusele, they would need to dip into the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception. Doing so would initiate a hard cap at the first apron for the Sixers, at which point they could fit in Grimes, their first-round pick and possibly not much else outside of minimum contracts. Andre Drummond has a $5 million player option he will likely pick up — perhaps a salary dump of what will then be an expiring deal could help the Sixers clear room under their hard cap if Yabusele’s market grows. -via Philly Voice / April 15, 2025
