Charles Barkley is jumping on the Sixers bandwagon.

"I think the Sixers gonna get really good, really quickly, but it all depends on (Joel) Embiid," Barkley said. "They're not gonna win a championship the next couple years, but I think they can really become a perrenial playoff team in the next three years."

Sounds good, right? Not so fast. There are a lot of "ifs" according to Barkley. 

Most of those "ifs" ride on the health of center Joel Embiid. If the big man gets healthy, and the Sixers can resolve the "glutton of big guys," Barkley likes the Sixers chances.

"I think the most important thing they need to figure out is if Joel Embiid is going to be healthy. ... I like (Jahlil) Okafor and I like (Nerlens) Noel, but they gotta figure out if Joel Embiid is going to be healthy. 

"I like Ben Simmons, but that team's got a long way to go," Barkley said.

To hear more of Barkley's thoughts on the Sixers' future, watch the full video above. 

The Sixers concluded their plan in Las Vegas summer league following an opening stint in Utah competition. After two weeks of games, practices and shootarounds, the Sixers' future is taking shape. Check out 10 observations from the Samsung NBA Summer League.

1. Simmons will make an impact next season
It took only a few possessions to realize the versatility of Ben Simmons’ game. 

At 6-foot-10, he runs the floor with the ease and savvy court vision of a point guard, yet attacks the rim for rebounds like a forward. Simmons will have to develop his offensive game, as he showed hesitancy with his shot. Even though he is not a prolific scorer, Simmons already has shown how he can be a centerpiece of the Sixers' team.

2. Saric is (finally) here
The two-year wait has come to an end. Dario Saric left Anadolu Efes in Istanbul to play for the Sixers next season. He signed his contract last Friday. Saric had reiterated his intentions of playing in Philadelphia to Brett Brown since being acquired on draft night. 

"One of the biggest reasons because I promised when we had a meeting after a draft that I'd come after two years," Saric said at his press conference. "Another reason, I wanted to play against the best players in the best league in the world to show what I can do. And the third because I think I'm mentally ready, I think I've improved my game enough to come here and play the best players in the world."

3. Lots of work to be done
The Sixers have talent.

Now they have to figure how to piece it all together. Brett Brown is faced with what he describes as a “good challenge” of figuring out where to utilize Saric in their system. Saric played power forward in Europe, but the Sixers are logjammed at that position. He could slide to the three, as Brown would like to play him and Simmons together.

Then there is the issue of too many bigs. 

Keep an eye out for trade buzz and possible movement before the season starts. The Sixers already were logjammed last season with Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel. Throw Joel Embiid, Saric and Simmons into the mix, and they have to balance the roster.

4. 1 vs. 2
Leading up to the draft, there was a debate as to who should be the No. 1 pick: Simmons or Brandon Ingram. The two faced off in the Sixers’ opening game against the Lakers, in which the Sixers lost on a buzzer-beater at the hands of D’Angelo Russell. Ingram averaged 12.2 points (41.2 percent from the floor, 25.0 percent from three) in Vegas. He has the potential to develop into a dangerous scorer, but Simmons is the more immediate contributor. 

5. Sixers need shooters to finish 
Simmons is looking to dish, and the Sixers will have to surround him with those who can score. They have offensive power in the frontcourt with an overabundance of bigs. Simmons routinely found Richaun Holmes at the basket, now imagine him doing that with, say, Noel or Okafor next season. 

When it comes to the backcourt, though, the Sixers didn’t have knock-down shooters last season. They have added Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who can hit shots. Nik Stauskas will have to become more consistent offensively to earn his minutes.

6. Embiid part of the squad
Embiid joined the team in Las Vegas for summer league upon their arrival from Utah. He arrived early ahead of games with the team, and occasionally stayed after to catch other matchups. At shootarounds and practices, Embiid worked on his own training and participated in shooting drills.

“His progression is very separate from the rest of the team,” Las Vegas summer league head coach Lloyd Pierce said. "This allows him to still be around the coaches and players on and off the court.”

7. Veterans are eager to lead
Both Bayless and Henderson traveled to Las Vegas to sign their contracts. The pair of veteran guards spoke of their NBA experience and how they are ready to share it with their younger teammates. 

“I’ve always felt like on all levels I’ve been a leader, so that won’t be difficult for me,” Henderson said. 

Bayless shared the same sentiment, saying, “Having a guy who's been around the league, who's been there, that can help them grow a little bit faster is something I want to do, and I'm looking forward to that."

8. The team bonded
The Sixers spent time away from the court in Las Vegas. Last week, Simmons, Okafor, Embiid, Jerami Grant, Robert Covington and others went to Topgolf on the team’s off day. Several players took to social media for team photos, too.

9. Simmons ready to play with old friends
Brown isn’t the only person Simmons already knew when he was drafted by the Sixers. He has been friends with Okafor and Embiid since he was in the tenth grade. Both bigs were at summer league watching the games, and Simmons said he hopes their chemistry carries over onto the floor next season. 

10. Opportunities for contracts
Summer league is a chance for players to get looks from the team they are playing for and others that are watching. 

Christian Wood inked a deal with the Hornets midway through the competition after a strong showing for the Sixers. 

Brandon Paul, whose playing time increased as the games went on, reportedly agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the Sixers Monday.

LAS VEGAS — For the past two years, Brett Brown has watched Dario Saric play international basketball from afar. He has traveled overseas to meet with him three times. He has corresponded with him through text messages.
 
Finally, he can coach him.

Now that Saric has signed with the Sixers, the next step will be for Brown to determine where to play him within the team. The Sixers are adding the 6-foot-10 forward to an already-loaded frontcourt. One option the team has is making a trade to move bigs and balance the roster. 

In the meantime, Brown will assess the team, which includes numerous players that can be utilized at multiple positions. He believes he can pair Saric with first overall pick Ben Simmons, who plays point-forward. 
 
“I don’t know,” Brown said Friday of where he will play Saric. “You’ve got an abundance of bigs. Ben Simmons and Dario are very similar. We have a few veterans coming in. We’ve got Sergio [Rodriguez] and T.J. [McConnell] as who you’d stamp off on and say that’s a true point guard. 

"I say that very much with a tone of excitement than trepidation. How we use him is going to be a challenge but fun, a great challenge. Dario and Ben can play together. They’re two really good players. How this plays out, how it takes shape, I think is a good challenge and one that we’re excited to learn more about.”
 
Saric averaged 11.7 points (50 percent from the floor and 40.3 percent from three), 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24 Euroleague games this season for Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball Super League.
 
Saric said his position will be wherever Brown tells him to play. He played predominantly power forward in Europe and can also play small forward. Saric envisions himself fitting well with Simmons, as they both can shift to different positions on the floor. 
 
“If you have five players you know who can run … I think it doesn't matter which position we play,” Saric said at his introductory press conference in Philadelphia. “It means like how we play, how we help each other during a game, and I think we will make a good team, not just me and Ben, I think all things."
 
Brown had been waiting eagerly for the day Saric signed with the Sixers. He had been checking his phone regularly for updates — buyouts, clearances, flight statuses. All the pieces came together on Friday.
 
Saric assured Brown he would join the Sixers for the upcoming 2016-17 season on each of their visits. “'Coach, I have told you. In two years I’m coming,’” Saric would repeat. But until the deal was inked, anticipating Saric on the roster was close, yet still in the distance.
 
“It’s mist. It’s a ghost,” Brown said of waiting. “There’s nothing any of us can sort of latch onto because of the uncertainty.”
 
Saric will be new to the Sixers, but familiar with the organization. Through their communication over the years, Saric and Brown have developed a relationship that will ease Saric’s transition to the NBA.
 
"Like three to four times per week we stay in touch,” Saric said. “We don't talk just about whether I will come or I will not come. We talk about life, we talk about players … he's a great person, and I think he's a great coach and he will improve my game and game of all the team."
 
Brown was at the Thomas & Mack Center Friday evening to watch the Sixers play the Heat. The day marked the finale of their summer league action, and the beginning of the new phase they have been waiting for since draft night 2014. 

“Today, for me to get images and texts and footage of him signing a contract in the city of Philadelphia, is a very, very exciting day for the organization," Brown said.