Thaddeus Young

Thaddeus Young, Restricted Free Agent
As SI’s Chris Mannix tweeted earlier today: Hearing the Sixers are very nervous about someone swooping in with a big offer for Thaddeus Young. Young’s stock soared last season. Specifically, despite coming off the bench and playing the least amount of minutes since his rookie season, Young made the most of his time, scoring more per 36 minutes (17.6) than he ever has and doing it by shooting an incredible 54 percent from the field. He slimmed the fat off his game and became perhaps the Sixers’ most efficient offensive weapon.

Just by going off his per-minute averages, in starter minutes Young could average somewhere around 17 and seven with a combined three steals/blocks. He can run and play off the ball, and has no qualms about coming off the bench as he did this past year (nearly playing well enough to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award). But he has no range, can’t create off the dribble and still has the tweener label.

I’m not saying he won’t become a very good starter. Sometimes, as he did in Games 1,2 and 5 of Philly’s first round series with Miami, he looks like one. But then in Game 3 and 4, he combined for six points on 2-12 shooting. That’s how Young’s career has gone. Some team will jump the gun this offseason and throw the world at him. Last season he made $2.9 million in Philadelphia, and now sits at the edge of a big payday as a restricted free agent. The Sixers extended the $3.9 million qualifying offer to him, so they can match anything. But they need to be prepared. He’ll have a lot of suitors.

Who do you think will get overpaid? Would you overpay for a player if you thought he could make a huge difference this season?

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