Ron Turenne/Getty Images And that is why the Philadelphia 76ers traded for Jimmy Butler . It wasn’t just because they could, or because the Markelle Fultz experiment went belly up before it ever started, or because Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons aren’t enough on their own. It was all those things and more, and then even more than that. After dealing for Butler in November, acquiring Tobias Harris in February and once again leaning on late-season additions to flesh out a rotation begging for substance beyond the starting five, the Sixers are as close as it gets to an NBA contender assembled on the fly. They are shallow yet teeming with star power, terrifyingly talented yet unavoidably unfamiliar. That top-heavy slapdashery doesn’t always work, but it can work. It has worked—often just barely, though it’s worked all the same. Butler is the primary reason why. He gives the Sixers a line to potential dominance. He also affords them a margin for error. They can fall behind big,
Aaron Gash/Associated Press After finding a new franchise cornerstone in Luka Doncic this past season, the Dallas Mavericks have big hopes for free agency this summer to boost their surrounding talent. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times , the Mavs are looking for “s hooters, athleticism and veterans.” Stein mentioned Khris Middleton and Kemba Walker as two of their top targets. The Mavericks should have ample salary-cap space to sign free agents. They currently have only $45.9 million in guaranteed salary on their books for next season, per Basketball Insiders , although they’ll also have to re-sign Kristaps Porzingis this summer. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the NBA ‘s projected salary cap for 2019-20 is $109 million, while the luxury-tax threshold is projected to be $132 million. Stein said the Mavs are hopeful they will have a shot at signing one of either Middleton or Walker. Dallas is already one of the most intriguing teams
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