Getty Jordan Poole #3 (L) and Juan Toscano-Anderson #95 of the Golden State Warriors.
Free agency is right around the corner, and the Philadelphia 76ers are a team that will likely be very active. After falling short to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Daryl Morey will once again look to bolster the roster in hopes of putting together a title contender.
Led by Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris, the Sixers have the talent at the top to be a threat in the East. Morey’s primary goal for this upcoming offseason is improving in the margins.
Whether through the draft or free agency, wing depth appears to be a top priority for the Sixers. They’ve already gotten linked to multiple forwards, and another one has been added to the list. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale recently listed the Sixers as a best potential fit for impending Warriors free agent Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Toscano-Anderson, 28, will be a restricted free agent this summer. He appeared in 73 games for Golden State in the regular season and averaged 4.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.7 APG while shooting just under 50% from the field.
Is Juan Toscano-Anderson a Good fit for the Sixers?
When the Sixers’ season came to an end, multiple players cited mental and physical toughness as a weakness for the group. At six-foot-six, 209 pounds, Toscano-Anderson could bring some physicality to the roster. While he has some limitations on offense, Favale believes the Warriors forward can provide a lift for a team on the other end.
Suitors that have the flexibility to tilt toward defense could stumble into a bargain, and he isn’t as much of an offensive liability if you tap into his off-ball movement, quick passing and capacity to soup up lineups beside a non-center at the 5.
From this perspective, Toscano-Anderson makes a lot of sense for the Sixers. Having an offensive maestro like James Harden can make anyone a threat as an off-ball cutter. Not to mention Doc Rivers could deploy more small-ball lineups moving forward after an impressive run in the postseason from Paul Reed.
One thing that could deter the Sixers from a move like this is his three-point shooting. Toscano-Anderson is a 36.1% shooter from deep for his career, but only on 1.5 attempts per game. For a team that relies on spacing for its All-Star big man, adding another non-shooter to the roster might not be in the cards.
Sixers Need More “Two-Way” Players
With Danny Green’s future in question after tearing his ACL in Game 6 against the Heat, the Sixers are incredibly thin on wing depth. As of now, Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz are their only options.
Fresh off making his second-straight All-Defense team, Thybulle is a capable starter in the NBA. The only problem is he is a liability on the offensive end of the floor. Rivers went as far as to call him a “one-way player” following exit interviews and gave the former first-round pick a lot to work on in the offseason. Toscano-Anderson might not be as much of a net-zero on that end, but it could still cause some problems.
Limitations like these have hurt the Sixers in the past, which is why Morey needs to target wings who can get it done on both sides of the floor. The Sixers have the star talent to compete with anyone, but if they can’t find stable contributors to put around them, it will be tough to fulfill their championship aspirations.