4 Sixers playing their final postseason in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia 76ers' fight for playoff seeding will come down to the wire. Philadelphia could essentially end up anywhere from No. 6 to No. 8, with the Play-In Tournament and a first round matchup with Doc Rivers' Milwaukee Bucks very much in the cards. That possibility is equally frightening and elating, the perfect summation of how precariously this Sixers team is set up for the stretch run.

On paper, the Sixers are very much a contender. Joel Embiid is back and playing at his standard MVP level. Tyrese Maxey has made the leap. Meanwhile, the roster around Philadelphia's stars has never been deeper. That said, it's rare for sixth or seventh or eighth seeds to go deep in the playoffs, no matter the circumstances. The Sixers don't have access to the South Beach voodoo. Philadelphia will need to run the gauntlet while staving off injury concerns and a lack of continuity.

Either way, the offseason figures to be a doozy in Philadelphia. It gets easier, maybe, if the Sixers win it all. Then Daryl Morey can run it back and players will be inclined to re-sign. Assuming that very distant possibility doesn't come true, however, the Sixers are going to be working with a virtually blank slate, aside from their franchise cornerstones.

The only Sixers under guaranteed contracts for next season are Embiid and Maxey, with the latter due for a lucrative extension. Paul Reed's contract becomes guaranteed if, and only if, the Sixers proceed to the second round. Otherwise, everybody else is completely off the books. Morey is expected to pursue the likes of Paul George and LeBron James, and he has never been afraid of overhauling the roster in the offseason. So, prepare for a lot to change, and fast.

Here's who won't be back once the playoffs end.

4. There's not much reason for 76ers to bring back Mo Bamba

The Sixers signed Mo Bamba to serve as the third-string center behind Joel Embiid and Mo Bamba. For the most part, Bamba has fulfilled his role admirably. He's not particularly impactful, but again, we're talking about the third-string center on a team built around an MVP post scorer. So, expectations never should have been too high.

Bamba has been a great "on paper" player since the Orlando Magic drafted him sixth overall in 2018. He's listed at 7-foot, 231 pounds with a 7-foot-10 wingspan. He can definitely block shots at a result (1.0 in 12.9 minutes per game), and he's even a competent 3-point shooter (39.7 percent on 1.1 attempts).

Unfortunately, the many dazzling puzzle pieces have never coalesced into a consistent, solid performer. Bamba creates events with his athleticism on defense, but he's not the most disciplined rim protector and he's exploitable out in space. On the other end, he's far too inconsistent inside the arc, lacking the strength to muscle through contact at the rim. He has unlocked some nice pick-and-roll chemistry with Kyle Lowry, but it's probably too little, too late.

Given the inherent uncertainty about Embiid's health on a season-to-season basis, the Sixers should probably try to upgrade the Bamba minutes. There has been enough hand-wringing about Paul Reed as the No. 2 center, and he's still clearly a better option than Bamba.

3. Nic Batum won't return to the 76ers — or any team

Way back in August, Nic Batum's wife tweeted that he would retire after the season. Feelings can evolve, of course. Batum was with the Los Angeles Clippers at the time, and he's had a full season to mull over his future. But, assuming there hasn't been an unreported change of heart, the 35-year-old is probably hanging 'em up once the season concludes.

That would be a difficult blow for the 76ers. Even if Batum does keep playing, though, he's an unrestricted free agent and he should have several aggressive suitors. Batum has quietly been the Sixers' third or fourth-best player when he's available, supplying versatile defense on the wing and plus-plus instincts on offense. His simple mix of passing, off-ball movement, and 3-point shooting is exactly what Philadelphia has always lacked on the perimeter.

Maybe the Sixers can convince Batum to stick around with a deep run. Maybe the energy is so much more positive in Philadelphia than it was in LA, that he's no longer keen to leave the game he loves behind. I doubt it, though. Generally, players retire when they're ready, and Batum is by all accounts ready.

He has performed tremendously on his way out the door, and the Sixers will sorely miss him. That won't change fate. Batum was always a rental, no matter how beloved that rental became.

2. Kelly Oubre Jr. has priced himself out of the 76ers' range

Kelly Oubre Jr. signed a one-year minimum contract with the Sixers after averaging 20.3 points on .431/.319/.760 splits with the Charlotte Hornets last season. That always felt strange, and yet it was a classic Daryl Morey bet on talent overcoming fit concerns. Oubre was banished from Charlotte due to concerns about shot selection and his presence in the locker room.

Whatever those concerns were, they haven't been evident in Philadelphia. Oubre became an immediate fan favorite. From the striking hair to the emphatic dunks, he's pure fun on the court. Off the court, he's consistently supportive of teammates and willing to embrace the competitive atmosphere of Philadelphia. Maybe that's the difference between toiling away in Charlotte and playing for a real winner.

Oubre's counting stats are down, but he's averaging more assists (1.5-1.1) despite fewer minutes and fewer touches. He's making an effort to fit into his surroundings, emerging as a regular starter on the wing due to his prodigious bucket-getting and solid on-ball defense. Joel Embiid even called Oubre the Sixers' third-best player after their win over the Magic on Friday night. Controversial, but certainly a reasonable take.

Unfortunately, Oubre's shot-making talent and renewed commitment to ancillary contributions has essentially priced him out of the Sixers' range. Philadelphia won't have his Bird rights, and while the Sixers could clear north of $60 million in cap space, that money is expected to be diverted elsewhere. Oubre has earned a nice long-term deal from a half-competitive team in search of firepower, but I wouldn't want to pay him a bunch of money. Congrats to the Detroit Pistons?

1. Tobias Harris' contract is finally set to expire for 76ers

Five years and $180 million later, Tobias Harris is finally off the books for Philadelphia this offseason. We shouldn't shortchange Harris for his contributions in the locker room and around the community. He's a good dude, truly, and he deserves a ton of respect for how he carries himself as a professional.

That said, the basketball product has been increasingly frustrating over the years. This has been Harris' worst season in Philly by a solid margin, averaging 17.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on .486/.349/.877 splits in 33.9 minutes. It's hard to pinpoint the exact issue beyond an uncharacteristic 3-point slump, but all of Harris' trademark flaws — laggy decision-making, inconsistent defense, boneheaded shot attempts — have been far too frequent.

Harris locked in the for the playoffs last season and gave the Sixers a commendable mix of spot-up 3s and hard-nosed defense when it counted. He can still guard a couple positions and score with relative efficiency at all three levels. As far as No. 3 options go, there are far worse around the league. Especially when Oubre, Kyle Lowry, and others are in the mix to ease Harris' burden.

That said, he's not getting another $36 million annually from the Sixers, nor any other team. Philadelphia could bring him back on a more modest contract, but frankly, it's time to cut ties. The Sixers can use the Tobias Harris money elsewhere. He's a clunkier fit than the common narrative suggests, and at a certain point, a relationship between a player and a franchise gets stale.

The 31-year-old will get a nice deal somewhere else. So, uh, again, congrats to the Detroit Pistons?