The Philadelphia 76ers have had one of the most dramatic offseasons in the NBA this summer, reshaping their team’s competitive landscape by signing Paul George as a free agent. The 76ers have also made shrewd free agency decisions such as signing Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, and Caleb Martin to strengthen themselves for competition in the East next season.
They have to add more to their roster, with just 12 players on guaranteed contracts for next season at the moment. Not only do they have multiple roster spots to fill, but they also have a few key team needs still on their team. But who are the ideal players to target for the 76ers? Let’s take a look at who is still available.
Precious Achiuwa
2023-24 Season Stats: 7.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.9 BPG; 50.1 FG%, 26.8 3P%
Precious Achuiwa is a competent big man who is still waiting to find a future home in the NBA after a decent stint with the Raptors and the Knicks last season. The high-effort big pushes the pace, attacks rebounds, and can score at a serviceable clip for a rotational center. While his three-point shooting potential hasn’t actualized yet, he’s shown he’s capable of letting them fly and occasionally making them.
Outside Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond, the 76ers don’t have a single big man in sight on their roster. They drafted a long-term project in Adem Bona this summer, but Bona won’t be ready to play real NBA minutes on a contender. Achuiwa was decent for the Knicks last season when given an opportunity, with the 76ers likely facing similar benefits if they can acquire him to shore up their big-man rotation. He can also split minutes at power forward.
Talen Horton-Tucker
2023-24 Season Stats: 10.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG; 39.6 FG%, 33.0 3P%
Talen Horton-Tucker was viewed as another rough diamond discovered by the Lakers who could develop into a star. The 6’6″ point guard won an NBA Championship as a rookie and failed in the face of pressure as a rotational player on the Lakers after that. He was shipped to the Utah Jazz in 2022, with THT having quiet seasons on a rebuilding Jazz squad for the last two years.
THT has major offensive limitations when it comes to his scoring which will be hard to overcome if he’s in a rotational role. But he’s shown a willingness to improve his three-point shooting and is an above-average on-ball defender. The 76ers could use a player like him in the rotation instead of having to rely on rookie guard Jared McCain unilaterally. There are fit concerns, but his defensive versatility could make him a Nick Nurse favorite.
Luke Kennard
2023-24 Season Stats: 11.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG; 44.8 FG%, 45.0 3P%
Luke Kennard is one of the best shooters in the NBA and is just languishing in the free-agent market. While he might be in the same camp as free agents like Tyus Jones, who are holding out for a new contract from their existing team or a sign-and-trade, interest around Kennard has been much lower. He shot the skin off the ball last season but is fairly one-dimensional as an offensive player.
A shooter like Kennard on a minimum contract would be massive for the 76ers, who could benefit from additional spacing around their star-led core. Kennard will likely get burned on defense in the minutes he plays, but the spacing he offers will be crucial for a 76ers squad that would want their stars to face single coverage. No matter what you think of Kennard, it’s inarguably stupid to not guard him when he’s on the perimeter, which will allow Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey more room to operate.
Davis Bertans
2023-24 Season Stats: 6.7 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG; 39.3 FG%, 38.0 3P%
Davis Bertans is one of the most underrated free agents available on the market right now, as the Latvian shooter is waiting to find his next NBA destination. He was traded to the OKC Thunder last season and was a bit-part player for both OKC and the Charlotte Hornets last season. But he adds a big body in the power forward position that the 76ers have next to no depth in.
Similar to Kennard, Bertans is pretty hard to play defensively. But his ability as a stretch four could catapult the 76ers into success by offering them lineup versatility. We’ve seen Bertans be an impactful player in a Conference Finals run as an end-of-the-rotation option, so he would be worth a flyer for a winning team like the 76ers who need more big man depth as well as more shooting on their roster.
Markelle Fultz
2023-24 Season Stats: 7.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG; 47.2 FG%, 22.2 3P%
Former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz could be set for a homecoming this summer if he signs with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team who drafted him in 2015. Fultz had a major shoulder injury alter the course of his career, as he had to re-learn his shooting mechanism and hasn’t been a major impact player in the NBA due to his poor outside shooting skills. However, that takes away from all the things Fultz is good at.
The 76ers could definitely use a backup point guard like Fultz, who provides strong on-ball defense, is comfortable as a ball-handler, and can open up driving lanes for rim finishes. He’d be a solid second-unit general who could be a valid option next to Kyle Lowry off the bench. Lowry’s decline has been unmistakable, so bringing in Fultz to keep competition for the backup point guard role might help both players be bigger contributors.
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