Report: 76ers prepared to offer Dennis Schröder max contract in 2017

Dennis Schröder, stuck behind Jeff Teague on the Hawks, wants to become a starting point guard.

The 76ers’ are so desperate at the position, Ish Smith was celebrated as a savior.

Is Schröder to Philadelphia a match?

Keith Pompey of The Inquirer:

The team offered packages that included some combination of shooting guard Nik Stauskas, point guard Ish Smith, a player with an expiring guaranteed contract and a 2016 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for point guard Dennis Schroder, according to multiple league sources.

The pick the Sixers offered to the Hawks was one of the protected ones they have from the Los Angeles Lakers (top 3), Miami Heat (top 10) and Oklahoma City Thunder (top 15).

However, a source expects the Sixers and Hawks to revisit trade talks for him during the NBA draft on June 23.

A source said that the Sixers are prepared to sign him a maximum-salary deal.

There’s a HUGE difference between those first-round picks. The Lakers pick is too valuable to deal for Schröder, the Thunder pick not valuable enough to get him. The Heat pick might land high enough depending on Chris Bosh’s health, but Miami has probably already won too much to appease the Hawks.

There were ways to bridge the gaps in those packages, but the teams didn’t find common ground. Perhaps, that changes this summer.

Atlanta’s dilemma remains: maximizing the value of both Teague and Schröder. Both players’ contracts expire in 2017 – Teague headed toward unrestricted free agency, Schröder restricted unless the Hawks extend his contract in the offseason.

If the 76ers are truly interested in Schröder, they need Atlanta to comply by either trading them the point guard or not extending him and not matching a 2017 offer sheet. What’s a good way to get the Hawks on board? Convince them Schröder will receive a max offer sheet in 2017, whether it’s true or not. If they believe keeping Schröder will cost that much, they’ll be much more motivated to deal him first.

Philadelphia will be waiting with a package that may or may not appease Atlanta. Barring a trade, will that max offer sheet really come? The 76ers face significant roster upheaval before 2017 free agency, and it’s far from guaranteed they’ll still need a point guard then. Remember, they have several first-round picks in the next two drafts to stock their roster (either directly or through trade).

There are reasons for the 76ers and Hawks to talk about Schröder, but that’s a long way from the point guard landing in Philadelphia.