Sam Hinkie paving the way for the Sixers to sign a star

Originally from Pattison Ave, check out the article in it's entirety here. 
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"After weeks of what seemed like extended silence out of the organization, Sam Hinkie and the Sixers kicked the offseason into high gear in a hectic and eventful Draft day last Thursday. 

Hinkie orchestrated some major moves that collectively added assets and cut cap space, vastly altering the outlook for the future of the franchise. 

While it became crystal clear that Hinkie has every intention to clean house entirely when he shipped all-star Jrue Holiday out of town for a kid with a box-cut and leg injury issues, his plan is probably deeper than it seems at the surface.


 

Based on his moves on draft day, it seems Hinkie wants to build from the foundation up with fresh faces and young talent, While stocking up on young, developing talent and getting rid of current handicapping contracts is part of the plan, it does not stop there; it is quite likely that he is looking to parlay some of these up-and-comers into an established star. 

Hinkie’s tenure in Houston was characterized by searching for a star, and there’s no reason to believe that it won’t be similar with the Sixers. 

While Nerlens Noel and Michael Cater-Williams make nice additions to the Sixers’ roster, it is difficult to determine if they were drafted as foundations of the franchise.  There is no guarantee that both will be Sixers next summer, as Hinkie may view such players as alluring assets rather than long-term additions. 

Between 2010 and 2012 Houston had six first round picks, and the only one remaining on the Rockets’ roster is Terrence Jones. This illustrates that Hinkie is unafraid to move players, and that he considers overall market value when making personnel moves.

After (unsuccessfully) making moves and clearing cap space to try to sign Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, and Dwight Howard respectively, Hinkie was finally able to land Houston a star in James Harden early last season. 

Finally securing a star did not come cheaply for Hinkie and Houston however, as they had to part with Kevin Martin, 2012 lottery pick Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-rounder as well. In order to make moves like this, a team’s asset base might be high, and this is what Hinkie began developing for the Sixers on draft day.  Established players with chunky contracts (Holiday, Turner, Young) don’t garner much interest on the open market, but young promising players and draft picks are a different story. 

Hinkie’s stockpiling of picks and players in Houston was a clear attempt to land an all-star with which to build the team around, and his plan paid off, as the Rockets are developing into one of the West’s best young teams. 

Based on his moves on draft day, it seems that he may be employing a similar plan with the Sixers. So while Noel, Carter-Williams, and future picks seem like promising pickups, don’t be surprised if they are not all here for the long haul, because if Hinkie’s tenure in Houston is any indicator, the Sixers roster shakeup has just begun."