The 76ers may have ended up with the cleanest possible outcome this summer, and that matters because it saved them from a free-agent detour that could have turned messy fast. If Philadelphia had missed on LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan would have made sense as a fallback name on paper. But with the big swing already landed, the front office no longer has to wrestle with a player whose role expectations appear to be a problem.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, DeRozan was not receptive to the idea of coming off the bench. The Kings reportedly tried to talk with him about a role change this offseason, and that effort went nowhere. Sacramento’s decision-makers then moved to waive him, leaving the six-time All-Star unsigned on the open market.
That development makes Philadelphia’s summer look even better in hindsight. Had the team come up short in the LeBron chase, Mike Gansey and the rest of the front office might have considered DeRozan as a way to patch the scoring issues behind the starters. But his reluctance to embrace a second-unit job would have made that a tricky fit from the start.
DeRozan is still coming off a productive season, even if Sacramento’s year as a whole was rough. He remained an efficient scorer and a steady secondary playmaker, but his lack of three-point shooting and defensive impact stood out all the more last season.
In the right setting, there’s a pretty obvious case for him as a nominal sixth man on a playoff team. He would have a chance to attack bench units, create his own offense more freely, and lean into the parts of his game that still work.
That’s why Philadelphia’s best-case summer outcome matters so much. The 76ers are going all-in on a championship push next season, and that means some decisions are going to be easier than others. In this case, landing their top target spared them from chasing a player who, role-wise, could have become a headache.
Technically, the 76ers could still pursue DeRozan for the minimum if they waive a player. But at this point, that no longer looks like a worthwhile path. If he isn’t willing to accept a smaller role, he would be more trouble than help.
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Jaylen Brown Just Made Sixers-Celtics Feel Even More Personal
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For a team trying to reset itself around a star-studded starting lineup, Brown brings both production and baggage in the best possible way. He comes off a season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists, and now his move to Philadelphia gives the Sixers another marquee name as they chase a major turnaround next season. [Read more 🡒]