The 76ers are heading into free agency with a roster that already has some moving parts in place, but the front office still has obvious gaps to attack when the market opens Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. EST.
The first thing that jumps out is how thin the wing and forward spots look. With contracts expiring for Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr, Andre Drummond, and Kyle Lowry, among others, Philadelphia suddenly has a lot less certainty around the edges.
That makes forward help a natural target, especially with names like Jonathan Kuminga, John Collins, Khris Middleton, and Maxi Klebi all expected to be available. Outside of Dominick Barlow, the Sixers don’t have much in the way of starting-caliber forward depth, so that’s an area the front office could focus on right away.
There’s also the big-man question behind Joel Embiid. On paper, the Sixers don’t have to prioritize that spot, but losing Drummond makes it a more practical need than it first appears.
Right now, the options include second-year guard Johni Broome, who had a rough rookie season after a season-ending injury in February, and Adem Bona. Bona saw more run in his sophomore season, but even with roughly 300 more minutes, his offensive game didn’t grow much.
He scored only seven more points, though he did rebound at a much higher rate. The concern isn’t the box score alone, either; his handle and confidence with the ball can still look shaky at times.
If Philadelphia wants a steadier backup for Embiid, there are several names that fit the bill. Moritz Wagner, former Sixer Nikola Vucevic, Jaxson Hayes, Kevon Looney, and defending NBA Champion Mitchell Robinson are among the options the team could explore.
Another lane the Sixers could go down is adding a veteran presence who can help guide some of the younger players, including Maxey, who is now a six-year veteran himself. Philadelphia has leaned on that kind of voice before, with PJ Tucker, Eric Gordon, and most recently Lowry serving that role.
Maxey has talked about that value before, and there are still veterans on the market who could do it again. Marcus Smart, Gary Payton II, Russell Westbrook, and Mike Conley are the names mentioned as possible fits.
The other major decision is Quentin Grimes. He’s coming off his qualifying offer, and his situation was one of the bigger offseason storylines last year.
His path in Philadelphia was uneven from the start, including missing preseason games in the Middle East because of the late contract resolution, and his season swung up and down before he settled into a useful bench role. In 75 games, he averaged 13.4 points and shot 45 percent from the field.
Even so, the fit question is real. The Sixers are short on guard depth, but with Philon drafted and Maxey and Edgecombe in the starting mix, there may not be much room left for Grimes to claim a bigger role. That leaves his future unsettled as free agency gets underway.
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