Getty Derrick Jones Jr.
The Philadelphia 76ers have added a bit more frontcourt depth this offseason by adding Mo Bamba on top of bringing back both Paul Reed and Montrezl Harrell, but they could add another versatile wing to their frontcourt, and podcaster Adam Aaronson of The Rights to Ricky Sanchez floated a Philly native as a possible option.
“I believe the best wing still available in free agency is Chester, Pennsylvania native Derrick Jones Jr., a high flier who can conceivably play either forward spot — and even man the middle in an especially small lineup against the right team. Jones Jr.’s athleticism and frame are excellent, enabling him to become a quite useful defensive player,” Aaronson wrote.
Aaronson then explained Jones’ flaws, though he added how his downsides could be mitigated if he were to join the Sixers.
“There is a catch here, though: Jones Jr.’s only consistent offensive ability is as an alley-oop threat, which is not an ideal primary offensive utility for someone who is listed at 6-foot-5. In the last three seasons, he has taken just 4.3 three-point attempts per 100 possessions and has only made 32.5 percent of them.
“Non-shooters or poor shooters can absolutely cement themselves as viable rotation players in the right contexts. New Sixers Head Coach Nick Nurse could foster an environment in which Jones Jr. can succeed, as he has a documented affinity for tremendous athletes dragged down by suspect skill sets.”
Jones has seven years of NBA experience to his belt and has NBA Finals experience from his time with the Miami Heat in 2020.
Sixers Mentioned as ‘Possible Landing Spot’ for Pascal Siakam
On July 13, Matt Moore of Action Network mentioned that the Sixers are among the three teams who could trade for Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam, though it appears that the prospect of a possible Siakam trade at the current time is laughable.
“There was a lot of chuckling when I brought up reporting out of Toronto that the Raptors were exploring deals for Pascal Siakam,” Moore wrote. “The Hawks, Thunder, and Sixers (in a multi-team trade) were among those mentioned as possible landing spots if Toronto does actually move the All-NBA forward.”
Siakam is not only a two-time star and NBA champion but also has ties to Joel Embiid, as both are Cameroon natives. If James Harden gets traded in a multi-team deal involving the Raptors, Siakam would be a fair trade return for him.
Daryl Morey Not Rushing to Trade James Harden
Despite Harden’s trade request, President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey will not cave to the pressure of trading him anytime soon, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
“Rival executives with whom I spoke at summer league were universally convinced that the Sixers are now attempting to keep Harden. Discontent be damned.
“The sluggish trade talks between the Sixers and Clippers about Harden would seem to support this stance. Morey is known to be asking for the kind of return that — as of Tuesday afternoon — left the strong impression that he had no genuine interest in getting a deal done anytime soon,” Amick wrote.
Harden is still on the Sixers’ payroll until the end of the 2023-24 season. Morey can tell himself that he has until the trade deadline to trade him.