NBA free agency: Which remaining players could fit the Sixers? - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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The initial NBA free-agency flurry unfolded last weekend, when the 76ers lost three role players — Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels, and Shake Milton — who were in the rotation at some point during the 2022-23 season.

Since then, the Sixers have agreed to one-year contract terms with veteran guard Patrick Beverley, an antagonist on the defensive end, and center Mo Bamba, a Westtown School grad and 2018 lottery draft pick who so far has not developed into a consistently dominant force. They also surprisingly agreed to re-sign big man Montrezl Harrell, who originally declined his player option for the 2023-24 season to become a free agent.

With 12 standard players on the roster — including James Harden — as of Friday afternoon, the Sixers still need to replenish their depth by, ideally, adding outside shooting and two-way wing production. Yet they remain in a holding pattern while sorting through the Harden situation, which did not result in an instant-reaction trade after he surprisingly exercised his $35.6 million option with the hope that he will be moved.

Though the Sixers could fill some of these roster voids through such a deal, it’s unclear how long this saga will last. In the meantime, here are some remaining free-agent options who could fit this team.

Paul Reed

2022-23 stats: 4.2 points, 2.8 rebounds in 69 games

2022-23 salary: $1.8 million

Age: 24

Thursday’s late-night news drop that Harrell had agreed to return appropriately prompted questions about the status of Reed, who overtook Harrell as Joel Embiid’s backup during the second half of last season.

Reed is a restricted free agent who, as of Friday afternoon, had not yet signed an offer sheet with another team, which the Sixers would then have 24 hours to match. “B-ball Paul” instantly became a fan favorite because of his motor, length, and athleticism, although he has struggled at times early in his career with consistency and being in the right place at the right time.

Reed told The Inquirer during the playoffs that he was interested in coming back to the Sixers, though that was before Nick Nurse replaced Doc Rivers as coach and this transaction cycle began. Perhaps the Sixers have caught wind of a looming offer sheet that they believe is too lucrative to match. Or perhaps Nurse views Reed as more of a forward than a center. Two seasons ago, Reed played a game at the Chicago Bulls as the de facto small forward and guarded DeMar DeRozan.

Kelly Oubre Jr.

2022-23 stats: 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals per game (with Charlotte Hornets)

2022-23 salary: $12.6 million

Age: 27

Oubre is the archetypal athletic wing, a shot-taker and aggressive finisher whose flashy persona often endears him to fans.

Yet there are questions about whether Oubre is a “winning” player. Things did not work out while playing for the Golden State Warriors during the 2020-21 season, as he was rerouted there after being dealt from the Phoenix Suns to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the return package for Chris Paul. Oubre setting a career high in scoring last season went practically unnoticed because it happened in Charlotte.

Oubre’s annual salary has been between $12 million and $15 million the last few seasons. But considering he is still on the market, he might not be quite as expensive to land this time around.

T.J. Warren

2022-23 stats: 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds per game (with Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns)

2022-23 salary: $2.6 million

Age: 29

Since setting the 2020 restart bubble on fire, Warren has struggled with injuries and then with regaining his rhythm. After playing only four games during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons combined, he split last season with the Nets and Suns as a part of the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade. He averaged 13.4 minutes in six of the Suns’ playoff games, and shot 31.6% from the floor.

Before that, however, Warren was a certified bucket-getter who averaged at least 18 points per game in three consecutive seasons. If he can return to form, he would provide scoring punch off the bench. He does not, however, shoot three-pointers at a high volume (two per game during his eight-year career).

Terrence Ross

2022-23 stats: 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists per game (with Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns)

2022-23 salary: $11.6 million

Age: 32

Another player who is a microwave scorer — and, like Warren, whose role and rhythm were spotty with the Suns after he was added off the buyout market for the stretch run and playoffs. Ross shot 29.6% from the field in six playoff appearances.

Ross, though, is a career 36.2% three-point shooter on five attempts per game. That helped him average double-digit points in five of the previous six seasons with Orlando and the Toronto Raptors.

Dario Šarić

2022-23 stats: 6.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists per game (with Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder)

2022-23 salary: $9.2 million

Age: 29

Could there be a reunion with one of the most popular Processors?

Perhaps that no longer makes sense after the Sixers’ frontcourt additions. Šarić also has not been the same player since he tore his ACL during the 2021 NBA Finals.

At his best, however, Šarić is a connector on offense who can make outside shots and even play some small-ball center.

Terence Davis

2022-23 stats: 6.7 points, 2.2 rebounds per game (with Sacramento Kings)

2022-23 salary: $4 million

Age: 26

Davis is another offensive-minded guard, though he is coming off the lowest scoring average of his career. His minutes dropped for a Kings team that broke its playoff drought and already featured an array of offensive threats.

The previous two seasons, however, Davis’ scoring average reached double figures. He also is a career 36.6% three-point shooter on four attempts per game. Additionally, he is the second-youngest playeron this list, meaning more longer-term potential perhaps exists.

Will Barton

2022-23 stats: 6.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game (with Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors)

2022-23 salary: $15 million

Age: 32

Barton is another sixth-man bucket-getter, with a herky-jerky style to score off the dribble and be a secondary ballhandler.

The Baltimore native was part of the Denver Nuggets’ rise to prominence as a double-digit scorer and as a locker-room presence. But he struggled to find his niche last season after he was traded to the Wizards and then added to the Raptors off the buyout market. He shot 37.9% from the field.

Danny Green

2022-23 stats: 5.5 points, 1.3 rebounds per game

2022-23 salary: $12 million

Age: 36

Could this be another possible reunion?

Green spent much of last season recovering from the serious knee injury sustained in the Sixers’ Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat in the 2022 playoffs. But he never became a consistent contributor after joining the Cleveland Cavaliers off the buyout market, playing in only eight regular-season games before spot time during the playoffs.

Green is in the stretch run of his on-court career, already complementing his playing time with broadcasting gigs. It’s unclear if he can still keep up as a perimeter defender. He did shoot 43.2% on 37 regular-season three-point attempts, though that sample size is small.

Green also still has familiarity with much of this Sixers roster — and with Nurse, with whom he won an NBA title in Toronto in 2019.

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