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The Dominick Barlow Contract is a Slam Dunk Even if the Sixers PR Spin is Annoying
By Sean Barnard
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The Philadelphia 76ers stood pat at the trade deadline, with the exception of trading away Jared McCain and Eric Gordon for a return of some draft capital. McCain is a move I remain extremely frustrated by, and gave some deeper thoughts here. However, the biggest goal the organization accomplished at the deadline was upgrading Dominick Barlow from a two-way deal to a standard contract.
This felt like a question of when, not if, as the season progressed. Barlow was in the starting lineup on opening night and has largely maintained this position. He’s started 35 of 42 games while averaging 8.4 points, 5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and one steal across 23.8 minutes. He’s embraced the dirty work role, being the best offensive rebounder on the team, and is completely willing to play within the box of what his responsibilities are.
Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office have largely approached the outlook for two-way contracts with a different mindset than most teams in the league. Every NBA team has three two-way slots that allow players with three or fewer years of NBA service to split time between the NBA and G League. Players on these types of deals are eligible to play up to 50 regular-season games at the NBA level and are ineligible for playoffs for a cost that is roughly half a typical rookie salary.
For most of the league, teams have prioritized using these slots for players they are looking to develop but aren’t quite ready for a real NBA role. For the Sixers, Morey has prioritized bringing in players on the tail end of the eligibility limit who will push for minutes right away. Barlow reportedly had standard contract offers from other teams this offseason, but elected to take the two-way contract for the Sixers with his expected level of playing time in mind.
Both Barlow and the Sixers are being rewarded by this gamble. The 22-year-old is playing the most consistent role of his NBA career and has been upgraded to a standard contract for the remainder of the season with a team option for next year. It’s a similar structure to what the Sixers rolled out for Justin Edwards and Jared Butler last season. Philadelphia gave Barlow a healthy pay bump in this deal as he will make a prorated salary of $3.4 million for the remainder of the season. This puts him on pace for a contract that is worth roughly $9 million over a full season; however, his team option for next year will also be for $3.4 million. This is roughly four times what a minimum contract would have paid.
The expectation will be that the Sixers and Barlow will return to the table this summer and work on a long-term contract, but the option is a good insurance policy that he remains under team control. Comparing this to Edwards last season, the Sixers ended up tacking on an additional year and he entered this season on a three-year, $7.1 million deal with the final season as a team option. For Butler, the Sixers elected that this roster spot could be better utilized for a player like Barlow and declined the team option. Butler is currently playing for KK Crvena Zvezda in the ABA and Euroleague.
The only nauseating part of this is the PR spin for an option that was always on the table. The Sixers entered the season with 14 players on the roster and have actively played gymnastics, such as signing Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin Jr. to 10-day contracts with seemingly no expectations either would play, just for the sake of the roster being full and two-way players remaining eligible to play. Trading away McCain and/or Eric Gordon had no bearing on Barlow’s outlook, roster-wise or financially, despite the way the Sixers present it.
At the end of the day, this is still a good move that should be celebrated. There are some rightful critiques for how the players at the top of the salary cap sheet have been selected and handled, but Morey has done a really nice job winning within the margins. This is not the difference in the short-term, but separates organizations in the long haul.
Barlow’s skill set is especially necessary to pair with Joel Embiid at this stage of his career. The former MVP has wildly outplayed realistic expectations based on his health, but he is not the level of defender or rebounder he once was. Barlow leaves a bit to be desired as a defensive rebounder, with his 13.1% DREB percentage and 11.7% total rebounding percentage each trailing Embiid. But his 10.3% offensive rebounding rate is a great pairing with Embiid, whose shot diet has become increasingly dependent on perimeter and mid-range jumpers. Barlow is also an extremely willing passer in these opportunities, which have created some of the Sixers’ best offense coming off misses:
The Sixers have 13 standard contracts now on the books and two players on 10-day contracts that will expire shortly. They will look to attack the buyout market to fill these slots with about $1.6 million to spend on prorated minimum deals while remaining under the luxury tax. Essentially, the Sixers calculated how close they could get to this number and offered everything remaining to Barlow, with the exception of the pair of players who will eventually sign. Players that are in the buyout market typically are for a reason, but Lonzo Ball has been connected to the Sixers, Cam Thomas recently signed with the Bucks, and players like Matisse Thybulle, Khris Middleton, and Haywood Highsmith have received some buzz of potentially becoming available.
This will be the biggest storyline to monitor in the coming weeks, but Barlow has officially secured his future with this Sixers team. The former Overtime Elite product has made the most of his opportunities thus far and has now been rewarded for his effort. This is good practice by the organization, and Barlow will continue to play a key role moving forward. Keep an eye on him as a true diamond in the rough for this franchise moving forward.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.