Philadelphia 76ers: Who is the best shooter in free agency?

Over the 2021-22 NBA regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers took 2,608 shots from beyond the arc or roughly 31.8 attempts per game.

Is that number good? In a word? No; 31.8 attempts per game actually ranks 27th association-wide, which, *spoiler alert* is pretty darn bad for a team that theoretically should have a ton of open options thanks to the presence of Joel Embiid in the painted area.

If the Sixers didn’t hit a disproportionate percentage of their 3s, as their hit rate of 36.1 ranks seventh association-wide, that disparity might have felt even more obvious, but what are the chances that happens again? No, if the Sixers want to ensure they have drained even more 3s next season and look more like the teams Daryl Morey put together in Houston, they need certified marksmen who can get the job done both with volume and efficiency.

Fortunately, with free agency right around the corner, the Philadelphia 76ers have a perfect opportunity to do just that.

The Philadelphia 76ers need to secure a certified shooter this summer.

Alright, for the sake of argument, let’s set some parameters for this discussion of free agency. 1. No restricted free agents, as that process is both tricky and unlikely to be how the Philadelphia 76ers attack the offseason, and 2. No players with team/player options, as they too are unpredictable. For this particular thought experiment, let’s simply focus on the unrestricted players who could be had for nothing more than their consenting signature on a contract.

So, with that all in mind, let’s take a look at the players available in one of the “weaker” free agent classes in recent memory and attempts to find a few diamonds in the rough.

Of the players expected to hit unrestricted free agency this year – which you can read here via Spotrac – the best shooter in terms of 3 point shooting percentage is Bryn Forbes, the long-time San Antonio Spurs who won a championship with Milwaukee last season and most recently played for the Denver Nuggets. Forbes is a career 41.3 percent shooter from beyond the arc who can dribble a little bit, defend a little bit less, and at 6-foot-2, is rather limited in how he can be used lineup-wise.

Still, after saying goodbye to Seth Curry back in February, Forbes could fill the same role in Doc Rivers’ offense, albeit as an eight man instead of a fifth starter.

Speaking of Doc Rivers, two members of his extended family, Austin Rivers and Damian Lee, will be hitting the open market this summer, too, and while the former is unlikely to play for his father ever again, the latter is an intriguing reserve who may thrive in a bigger role free of the scores of shooters employed by the Golden State Warriors. While Lee, who played three years at Villanova before transferring to Louisville, isn’t technically related to Rivers by blood, as he’s married to Seth Curry’s sister Sydel, I’m sure the duo have interacted more than a few times and wouldn’t mind teaming up.

Turning our attention to volume shooters, there are two UDFAs who attempted 400 or more 3s during the 2021-22 NBA season, Malik Monk and Ben McLemore, who should be on the Sixers’ wish list. A former lottery pick of the Charlotte Hornets, Monk bet on himself in 2021-22 by signing a veteran minimum deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and turned in a career-best season headlined by averaging 13.8 points in 28.7 minutes while knocking down 47.3 percent of his shots from the field and 39.1 from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, Monk may have actually played himself out of the Sixers’ price range, as some team in need of a talented young guard may be willing to pay more than the $6.339 million per season the Sixers can offer using their mid-level exception.

And as for McLemore? Well, if you’re a longtime reader of Section 215 you’ve certainly read his name before, as he not only played for Daryl Morey in Houston but has experience spacing the floor for James Harden in the Rockets offense. While McLemore isn’t the most efficient shooter in the NBA, he’s taken at least 400 3s in two of the last three seasons and could provide the volume from deep Philly desperately needs moving forward.

If Philly can come away from free agency with one or more of these players, it’ll go a long way in righting their issues – more so than a fourth reserve center at least.

Ideally, the Philadelphia 76ers will prioritize landing a bigger 3-and-D forward with their limited assets. With Danny Green out indefinitely with a torn ACL and Matisse Thybulle arguably the team’s biggest trade option moving forward, landing a forward who can switch on defense, hit open 3s, and rebound at both ends of the court has to be at the tippy top of Daryl Morey’s wish list. Number two on that list, however, should be a knockdown shooter, especially one who won’t cost an arm and a leg. While that task is a lot easier said than done, as every team would love to secure such a player, it’s not impossible, and the Sixers need to make sure they are the ones who secure the steal of free agency.