Getty Gary Harris #14 of the Orlando Magic and Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls.
The Philadelphia 76ers, like most of the NBA, are looking ahead to the offseason. After being eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Daryl Morey will now continue re-shaping the roster in hopes of putting together a contender.
We know Morey is hard at work preparing for the NBA Draft, but free agency is just around the corner. Since it’s still unclear if the Sixers will have their first-round pick, signing players is likely how upgrades will be made.
Recently, the people over at Bleacher Report put together a “free agent big board” of players the Sixers might potentially target in free agency. The list consisted of primarily veteran wing players who are capable shooters.
The first name mentioned was Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Martin. Fresh off his best season as a pro, a market is sure to form for the 26-year-old. He appeared in 71 games for the Hornets this season and posted averages of 7.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.2 SPG while shooting 38.4% from beyond the arc.
Gary Harris of the Orlando Magic was the other wing player mentioned as a possible free-agent target for the Sixers this summer. The former first-round pick is coming off a season where he averaged 11.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.8 APG. Harris also shot 38.4% from three on more than double the attempts per game as Martin.
Sixers Stocking up on Wing Depth
Whether it’s draft prospects or free agents, the Sixers are likely to be in the market for wing players this summer. With Danny Green’s future still uncertain, it leaves a hole in the Sixers lineup. More importantly, is wings who can shoot from deep as Morey and Doc Rivers want to open up the floor to maximize the star duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden.
Neither of these names are flashy, but the Sixers are a team looking to upgrade in the margins. They have their core of key players. Now Morey’s main objective is bolstering the cast around them.
Excluding Green as he recovers from injury, the only wings on the Sixers’ roster currently are Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, and Isaiah Joe. If they want to compete against the other top teams in the East, this is one area of the roster that needs drastic upgrades.
Targeting Two-Way Players
While Matisse Thybulle is a phenomenal talent on the defensive end, his shortcomings on offense make him a liability at times for the Sixers. He started in 50 games this season and averaged 6.1 PPG while shooting 33% from three.
Following exit interviews, Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey discussed their plan for Thybulle moving forward. To them, the goal is for him to grow from being a “one-way player.” Figuring out a way to optimize him offensively is the key to playing him for longer stretches and being a game-changer with his defense.
Even if Thybulle takes a step forward or not, the Sixers are going to need wings who get it done on both sides of the floor. Harris and Martin are capable defenders and showed they can some form of production on the offensive end. Only time will tell how Morey plans to build around the MVP-caliber big man and All-Star point guard.