The 76ers spent the summer making noise for all the right reasons, but one roster problem may have slipped through the cracks anyway: they got smaller.
That’s the uncomfortable part of an offseason that otherwise looks loaded with headline-grabbing moves, especially the blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown. Brown is a major talent, no question.
But talent doesn’t erase fit, and it doesn’t magically solve every structural issue on a roster. In Philadelphia’s case, the size question on the perimeter is still hanging around - and maybe looking worse than before.
The issue starts with what the team lost. Philadelphia moved on from its two natural forwards from last season, Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr., and also parted ways with Andre Drummond.
That leaves the 76ers lighter in the places where they were already thin outside of the center spot. And while Dean Wade was brought in to help absorb the loss of Oubre in free agency, one role player isn’t enough to cover all the ground that those departures created.
Brown helps in plenty of ways, but he’s still more wing than tweener. There are limits to how much he can cover up when the roster around him is leaning smaller. That matters because the 76ers’ biggest concerns in this area show up in the same two places every time: defense and rebounding.
Last season, Philadelphia ranked 17th in defensive rating and 21st in rebounding percentage. Those aren’t numbers that inspire much confidence, and the concern now is that the team may have made both areas harder to manage. Brown and Wade can defend, with Brown especially bringing value on-ball, but George and Oubre offered more size, more versatility, and more rebounding punch.
The front office was aware of the issue earlier this summer, too, when it said it would prioritize rebounding in free agency. Whether that goal has truly been addressed is still an open question. For now, though, the roster doesn’t look built to be a better team on the glass than the one that took the floor last season.
There’s still time to correct it, and that’s the important part. But right now, the 76ers are smaller than they were a year ago. Given how much this has already bothered them in recent seasons, that’s the kind of flaw they can’t afford to let linger.
In Other News...
Sixers LeBron Chase Could Bring Another Former Top Pick Into Play
As the Sixers keep one eye on their LeBron James pursuit, another former lottery pick has quietly entered the picture. Marc Stein reported that multiple NBA teams have interest in Mario Hezonja, who has been playing for Real Madrid and has spent the past few seasons overseas after last appearing in the league during the 2019-20 campaign.
What makes the name worth tracking in Philadelphia is the overlap Stein noted between the teams chasing Hezonja and the teams in on LeBron. For a club trying to maximize every roster spot around a star swing, a return for Hezonja would add another veteran wing option to the conversation, even if the bigger domino in the Sixers' summer still has to fall first. [Read more 🡒]
LeBron Rumors Just Took Another Turn Heat Fans Need To See
LeBron James is still in the middle of the free-agency process, and the list of teams circling him keeps the conversation alive for anyone watching the leagues top contenders. At 41 and still a free agent, he is being linked to Cleveland, Miami, Golden State, Philadelphia and Minnesota, with the common thread being the same one he has made clear for years: he wants a team built to win now and backed by a strong culture.
For the 76ers, that alone keeps them in the picture, even without any public commitment from James. The longer this stretches on, the more it feels like a moving target rather than a straight line to a destination, especially after reports suggested the process has shifted again and the field is still open. [Read more 🡒]
Former Sixers Forward Still Faces One Frustrating Problem
Trendon Watford showed enough versatility in his time with the 76ers to make himself a useful piece, but the fit never quite opened up the way Philadelphia hoped. The front office declined his team option for next season, sending him into free agency after a stretch in which he flashed potential without ever fully locking down a larger role.
The frustrating part is familiar for a player with his skill set: the all-around game is there, but the outside shot still lags behind. Watfords three-point issues kept his minutes from growing, and that same limitation now hangs over his search for a new home, with little clarity yet on where he fits best. [Read more 🡒]