Should the Philadelphia 76ers make a play at Kyle Anderson?

After the Spurs failed to extend Kyle Anderson, the point forward doesn’t look long for the team. But would he fit in with the Philadelphia 76ers?

When Kyle Anderson was selected 30th overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs, many fans and pundits alike compared the 6-foot-9 ball handler to a young Lamar Odom and even Magic Johnson.

Sound familiar?

But after joining one of the league’s deepest rosters, playing time has been hard to come by for the former UCLA Bruin, averaging only 3.64 points in 14.35 minutes per game over his first three seasons in San Antonio.

While not nearly as freakishly athletic as Ben Simmons, Anderson has put together a similar, albeit much less impressive resume over his first four seasons in the league. Without a knockdown outside shot, Anderson has developed a solid mid-range game and has excelled at dishing the ball out to one of the Spurs many outside shooters when the driving lane is clogged. With Kawhi Leonard currently out with a quad injury, Anderson has received an extended look in Greg Popovich‘s starting five, and may finally have an opportunity to showcase the talent that made him worthy of being drafted with a first-round pick.

But regardless of how Anderson plays in Leonard’s absence, he doesn’t look long for the Spurs’ roster.

After signing Rudy Gay to a two-year, $17 million deal this offseason, and re-upping LaMarcus Aldridge to a three-year, $72.3 million deal before the 2017-2018 season, the team ultimately failed to reach an extension with Anderson, which will make him a restricted free agent following the season. Even though he could ultimately play out the season and either re-sign with the team or sign with another team, it’s far more likely that the Spurs are looking to showcase their 24-year old do-it-all forward in the hopes of acquiring a more useful asset for Anderson.

Which brings us to the 76ers.

Much like the Spurs, the Sixers also have a former first-round pick who’s struggled to find consistent playing time in a crowded position group, who could ultimately be better served on a new team. It’s no secret that Jahlil Okafor and the 76ers are at an impasse, and will sooner or later part ways, and if the team were to swap their former Duke Blue Devil center for another player on an expiring contract, it could ultimately benefit both teams.

In Anderson, the 76ers would be acquiring a player with a similar skillset to their star point guard and could give the team symmetry on their first and second unit. While far from the athlete Simmons is, Anderson is a quality passer who’s proven himself to be a quality wing defender.

Related Story: The 76ers are winning now by playing big

Anderson finished last season as the NBA’s second-best defensive small forward, one spot behind Robert Covington. Even though Anderson doesn’t possess RoCo’s touch outside shot, he would give the team a second quality wing defender who’s capable of guarding multiple positions across the court.

And the potential deal could also help Okafor as well.

The Spurs have found major success with throwback, paint clogging centers like Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Pau Gasol, and in Okafor, the team could finally acquire an immensely talented young big to potentially fill that role for years to come. Okafor’s playing style is far from transcendent and isn’t a particularly good scheme fit for the majority of the team in the NBA, but he’d actually work well in the Spurs system, and could eventually carve himself a nice niche in Texas.

While this trade is far from a guarantee, it’d be incredibly beneficial for all parties involved and should be strongly considered.

Next: Is Robert Covington the Sixers most important player?

Swapping out Okafor, a player who’s out of the team’s center rotation, for a young, yet raw point forward could give the team a quality defender who’s a quality fit for Brett Brown‘s roster. While he’s far from the outside shooter that the team typically covets, adding a player who can log quality minutes as a secondary ball handler, and a plus-defender could be a major asset to the team down the stretch, especially if they experience any injuries to their starting five.