With all the drama surrounding the Sixers this offseason with James Harden, it has been easy to overlook the other moves, or lack thereof; the front office has made in free agency.
So far this offseason, the Sixers have lost Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels, and Shake Milton in free agency, with the expectation that the front office would replace them with role players who fit Nick Nurse’s system better.
After another disappointing loss in the second round, fans have no issues with overhauling the roster, but the current moves the Sixers have made seem to have left the team with an incomplete roster.
James Harden’s pending trade has caused free agency talks to cease for the Sixers front office, but with the reports now about the diminishing expected returns for Harden, the Sixers should look to add key players through free agency.
The team still has their mid-level exception worth $12.4 million, which is enough to fill some major gaps in the current roster, especially at the wing position. Morey has been able to sign Patrick Beverley and Mo Bamba so far this offseason but has yet to address the scarcity of wings that are currently on the roster, and with the risk of Harden’s trade package being less than previously expected, this is a perfect time to address the position via free agency instead of a trade package.
The best available wing in free agency is Kelly Oubre, who made $12.3 million last year, making him a perfect candidate to use the mid-level exception on.
Oubre has spent the last two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, and while the team has struggled, Oubre has been excelling in his role with the team. Oubre averaged a career-high 20 ppg last season while still being one of the team’s best perimeter defenders, averaging 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks a game. He is not known to be an elite scorer, but with injuries plaguing the Charlotte team last season, he was forced to step up and deliver. The Sixers lack wing depth and size, and there is no better option on the market right now than the 6’7 wing out of Charlotte, Kelly Oubre.
The Sixers only have three wings currently on their roster with Tobias Harris, P.J. Tucker, and Danuel House. House rarely played when Doc Rivers was coaching, and his role may even be more undefined under Nick Nurse. Wing players are some of the most valuable players on an NBA roster, and it’s the position the Sixers are undoubtedly the weakest.
There is no need to hope to get a decent role player back in the eventual trade for James Harden when you can sign a better option via free agency.
Oubre is an upgrade at the position the team is most desperate for, and the Sixers have enough cap room to make the deal, so this should be a no-brainer.
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