GM Sam Hinkie drafted the rookie of the year, Michael Carter-Williams at No. 11 in last year's draft. Credit: Getty ImagesThere’s no such thing as a quiet offseason for Sam Hinkie.The Philadelphia 76ers’ general manager continues to mold the team with trades, signings and tweaks here and there. The final product is far from complete.It’s a continual work-in-progress.Bereft of veterans, the Sixers are likely in for another trip to the NBA lottery.Aside from 33-year-old Jason Richardson, Luc Mbah a Moute is the team’s second-oldest player, and he’s entering his sixth season in the league.While Hinkie keeps shaping the roster, it keeps getting younger.“We’ve talked about this a lot over the past 12-plus months,” Hinkie said. “It is important for our young players to have other players to look up to. Last year, a lot of that fell to (coach) Brett (Brown) and our coaching staff.”How about second-year point guard and reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams?“It’s a lot to place on a rookie or second-year player,” Hinkie said. “Brett said he saw Michael, particularly in the back third of the season, show some signs of that.”Hinkie discussed a wide variety of subjects during a 30-minute conference call Tuesday.Here are some other highlights:On potential changes to the lottery: “It's a bit early right now. There has been some discussion about that. A team like us, you want to gather all of the information. We will look at all of the options before you would make any kind of decision.”On first-round pick Joel Embiid’s animated posts on Twitter: “Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of February, or late March, in the middle of a road trip where some of that humor doesn't go over so well. Maybe he will touch the stove and get burned a time or two, but I think he will find his way and be fine. But it is the sort of thing we talk about.”On whether Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, was mentioned in trade talks with the Sixers: “I can tell you unequivocally we didn’t have any conversations about (Bennett).On whether Richardson will be able to contribute after missing more than a year-and-a-half with an injured knee: “I know he’s focused on getting ready for camp. I don’t know exactly how that will go. We’ll see when he gets closer.”On how difficult it was to trade Thaddeus Young: “Thad Young has been here seven years for the Sixers and has laid it on the line night after night, undergoing a lot of change, some in the last year, and has continually brought it every day. … He was a day-to-day professional.”On adding a first-round top-10 protected pick from Miami in the Young deal: “Nobody anticipates Miami will be in the top 10, they'll be a very solid team this year and we'll see how that plays out.”
