Getty Could Kent Bazemore find his way to the Sixers?
The Philadelphia 76ers are gearing up for a title run now that the Ben Simmons saga is now in the rear-view mirror.
With James Harden now in the fold, the Sixers appear to be a different beast through two games and Joel Embiid has been outspoken on his love for playing with Harden.
They’ll spend the rest of season improving where they can, and that could happen through the buyout market, according to one writer.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report called the Sixers one of the best landing spots for Kent Bazemore if the struggling Los Angeles Lakers choose to buy out his contract.
“He is an energetic, disruptive defender on the perimeter,” Buckley wrote in a February 28 column on likely buyout candidates. “Bazemore hasn’t fit in Hollywood for whatever reason, but he could hit the ground running elsewhere.”
The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks already bolstered their rosters, but the Sixers have remained quiet. With the departures of Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, there are holes that’ll need to be addressed. And with the Sixers on a three-game winning streak and just 2.5 games behind the Miami Heat, they appear to be ready to make their run.
For Bazemore, playing time with the Lakers has been sporadic, and with the team unable to find a new home for him at the trade deadline, it’s looking like a buyout is the next logical step for Bazemore.
Bazemore to Sixers?
Getty ImagesKent Bazemore.
Curry is clearly in the upper echelon of 3-point shooters in the league (his 41% 3-point percentage is 16th in the league), but Bazemore is no slouch himself, especially in the right situation.
Buckley noted that “his three-point percentage dipped five points from last season (40.8 to 35.8), and his field-goal connection rate took an even bigger hit (44.9 to 33.1).”
With Harden and Embiid surrounding him, Bazemore could find open shots on the Sixers. Buckley also listed the Warriors and Celtics as good landing spots for Bazemore.
“Assuming teams chalk up [his lower shooting numbers] to a sluggish start — he still hasn’t cleared 500 minutes yet — and think a return to form is likely (if not imminent),” Buckley wrote, “then he should drum up a decent amount of interest if he makes it to the market.”
There’s no guarantee he’ll be bought out, but things certainly appear to be trending in that direction. The Sixers definitely have a spot for him, but do they actually need him?
Bazemore Could Provide a Big Lift
GettyKent Bazemore is in his 10th year in the NBA.
If Bazemore does find his way to the Sixers, he’d not only provide shooting from the outside, but he’d also be a pesky defender. While he’s not on the same level of Matisse Thybulle, he could play a similar role and make scoring on the Sixers a very difficult thing to do.
As of right now, it’s tough to say when or even if Bazemore will be bought out, but if he does, expect the Sixers to make a real effort at grabbing him.
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