Getty Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz shoots past Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey is known for having fun on social media. However, some of his recent activity might indicate he has more on the way as he re-tools the roster around Joel Embiid and James Harden.
When free agency went underway, the Sixers were quick to address a key area of need. In the initial frenzy of signings, the team came to terms on deals with P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. Establishing wing depth was crucial after the departure of Danny Green, and now the Sixers have a pair of forwards who can contribute on both sides of the floor.
Recently, Morey had a tiny exchange with Rich Bucher of FS1 over a grammar mistake involving the spelling of the team name. When Bucher mentioned something being missing, Morey took it as an opportunity to send Sixers fans into a frenzy by responding with the infamous “now why is that?” meme of ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
It did not take long for fans to begin speculating on what this might mean for the Sixers moving forward.
An array of names were tossed out in the thread as to who could potentially be on their way to Philadelphia. Some fans cited Donovan Mitchell, who was just partying in the Hamptons with multiple Sixers stars. Others brought up Reggie Bullock following his recent slip-up on social media. Another free agent worth throwing in the mix is Philly native Markieff Morris, who recently mentioned he’s interested in joining the Sixers.
Sixers in no Rush to Sign Backup Center
One of the few holes left on the Sixers’ roster is the backup center spot. Many fans were holding out for a reunion with Andre Drummond, but the former All-Star signed a deal with the Chicago Bulls.
After an impressive run in the postseason, Paul Reed is a common name mentioned for who should fill in behind MVP runner-up Joel Embiid. The former second-round pick appeared in 12 playoff matchups and averaged 3.7 PPG and 3.8 RPG while shooting 52.8% from the field.
It appears that the former G-League MVP is starting to turn some heads with his play. Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice recently reported that Reed and Charles Bassey might get their chance to be Embiid’s backup full-time this upcoming season.
To this point, the Sixers have opted not to sign a veteran big man, and if some in the organization had their way, it would stay that way the rest of the offseason. Opinions are not necessarily aligned on the subject, but there is a sense that the Bassey/Paul Reed combo may be good enough to hold down the fort behind Embiid this season, or at least that they deserve a chance to show what they have and develop behind the MVP candidate.
Danuel House Jr. Makes Bold Jersey Number Selection
Following the signings of House Jr. and Tucker becoming official, the Sixers took to Twitter to showcase their newest additions. It was there we saw House Jr. decide to go with the jersey number 25. He wore that same number with the Utah Jazz last season, but 25 was most recently used in Philadelphia by Ben Simmons.
House in the 🏠!
As expected, fans were quick to give their thoughts on House Jr. wearing Simmons’ number less than a year after he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.