Philadelphia 76ers: If point guard is on the wishlist, Delon Wright is the pick

In a few short hours, we will collectively know exactly what kind of team the Philadelphia 76ers want to be moving forward.

We’ll know how many wings the Sixers want to roster this fall, how they feel about their backup big situation, and finally find out whether or not Daryl Morey and company have a trade up their sleeve.

But what about point guard? Do the Sixers feel comfortable with James Harden as their lone “true” point guard and the dynamic duo of Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey splitting time at the one next to each other, “The Beard,” and even De’Anthony Melton, who was really more of a two than a one in Memphis but may add another wrinkle to his game in South Philly?

If they’re comfortable, then great, the Sixers have decent depth and could add more in the future if things don’t work out, but what if they aren’t? What if they believe that the 3Ms – Maxey, Milton, and Melton – are better off the ball than on it and that a true backup point guard capable of shadowing Harden is a worthy use of the Bi-annual exception?

Fortunately, if that’s the route the Philadelphia 76ers want to go, they’re in luck, as there’s a guard who is expected to hit the open market following the Dejounte Murray trade who just so happens to fit that bill to a T.

Delon Wright fills a number of holes for the Philadelphia 76ers.

All of the Philadelphia 76ers’ guards fall into one of two categories. They are either A. Shorter than 6-foot-3 – Tyrese Maxey and De’Anthony Melton – or B. 6-foot-5 but below average defensively – James Harden and Shake Milton.

Now granted, that isn’t the worst combination imaginable; a team can not only survive but thrive with that combination of players, particularly with wings like Matisse Thybulle, maybe Jaden Springer, and a player like P.J. Tucker – for legal tampering reasons – available for perimeter defense, especially if one of those aforementioned guards can man up on opposing backcourt players, which Melton very much can.

With that being said, could you imagine adding another guard to the rotation who is a darn good defender, a plus passer, and a decent enough scorer in his own right too? Play him as a big point next to Harden and bully up on smaller guard lineups, or play him at the point next to Tyrese Maxey and have them flip flop on offense and defense. Heck, put this player on the court at the same time as Melton and dominate at the defensive end with Joel Embiid in the paint.

But who is this mythical player, and is there any chance at all that he’s actually available in the Sixers’ price range?

Didn’t you read the title? It’s Delon Wright, and in my humble opinion, he is 100 percent a possible target on a two-year deal worth $10.1 million, or the exact value of the Bi-annual exception.

Measuring in at 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, Wright is a big-bodied combo guard who is just an average outside shooter – but a pretty good catch-and-shooter – but makes up for it with being a solid passer, an effective stealer, and a versatile defender who can guard – and play – positions one through three. He’s also coming off the worst season of his career from a purely statistical standpoint since 2016-17, and thus, might just be available for the Bi-annual exception.

Oh yeah, and did I mention that Wright actually had the 21st best Defensive Raptor rating according to FiveThirtyEight, tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo? Even if Antetokounmpo would eat Wright’s lunch in a game of 21, the younger brother of pre-The Process legend Dorell Wright is still an advanced analytics darling who could benefit a team like the Sixers who are looking to add defense and athleticism around their prolific scorers like Harden, Embiid, and Maxey.

Considering the Bi-annual exception wasn’t even on the table a week ago, walking away from free agency with Wright and Tucker would be a pretty good use of a Thursday indeed.

Should the Philadelphia 76ers fill one of their two open roster spots with another point guard? Frankly, no; this team needs selfless 3-and-D wings in the worst way, and having a guard hierarchy of James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, and Shake Milton is incredibly workable. With that being said, Daryl Morey is building the team, not you or I – unless you’re reading this, Daryl – and if he wants a guard, Delon Wright makes a good bit of sense in the role, as he could provide the team with another top-notch defender and selflessly play off of their current core of scoring guards.