Getty Patty Mills #8 of the Brooklyn Nets drives against Jeff Green #32 of the Denver Nuggets.
The start of NBA free agency is just around the corner, and the Philadelphia 76ers are likely to be a busy team. After solidifying the star talent by adding James Harden at the deadline, Daryl Morey now looks to bolster the supporting cast.
While there is still some time to go, the Sixers are already being connected to a handful of names. One player they might have their sights set on is veteran forward Jeff Green. Not only does he have connections to Doc Rivers, Harden Daryl Morey, but an Eastern Conference executive recently told Heavy’s Sean Deveney that the Sixers are expected to be in the mix to land him this offseason.
“I think they will look at Jeff Green too, depending on what happens with his player option,” the exec told Deveney. “He did well for Denver and if he is satisfied to stay there, fine, but if not, he is the kind of option the Sixers need to bring in. A veteran guy who can fill his role well. He played some small-ball center, and that is something that interests this team for the non-Embiid minutes. Morey loves that kind of player. They have not done that enough. He frustrated Doc Rivers a lot when they were in Boston together, but Doc likes him, likes how he matured as a player.”
Green played 222 games with the Boston Celtics over a span of four seasons. The 35-year-old has until June 20 to decide on his $4.5 million player option for next year.
Jeff Green Is a Good Fit With the Sixers
Despite getting up there in age, Green has proven to be a solid role player. Last season for Denver, he posted averages of 10.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. More importantly, Green is a player who understands his role on a team from day one and doesn’t stray away from it.
At 6-foot-8, Green would bring some much-needed size to the Sixers roster. Similar to some other free agents on their radar, this type of signing also creates some lineup flexibility.
In the later stages of his career, Green has shown to be effective as a small-ball center, which could open the door to create some souped-up lineups when Joel Embiid is on the bench. Green also operates well as a screener in the pick-and-roll, making him a fine addition to flank Harden.
While Green is not a deadeye shooter from deep, he is respectable enough for defenses to account for him. He connected on 31.5% of his threes with the Nuggets, but for his career, Green is a 33.9% three-point shooter.
Sixers Could Luck Into Free-Agent Wing
Orlando Magic forward Gary Harris is a name regularly brought up when listing players the Sixers should target this summer. Depending on how the market shapes up for him this offseason, they could potentially acquire his services.
“Gary Harris is the kind of player they need to get lucky on,” an Eastern Conference exec told Deveney. “He was awful to start the year but he got better and if he finds there is not much of a market out there for him, he might try to get on with a contender and rebuild his career on a short-term deal. If you are the Sixers, you need to get in on a guy like that even if it is just a one-year thing.”
Harris, 27, averaged 11.1 PPG for the Magic this season while shooting an effective 38.4% from beyond the arc. Based on the names that have been connected to the Sixers, it’s clear that wing depth is their top priority in re-tooling the roster this offseason.