The NBA offseason is nearly complete now that the 2023-24 season is less than two months away. The majority of roster spots around the league are already claimed, however, the 76ers are one organization with room for another face.
According to Spotrac, Philadelphia has 14 one-way contracts, meaning they have one more spot left on the 15-man roster.
There isn’t enough cap space to sign any available player looking for a huge payday, however, the spot can be used on someone willing to accept a minimum deal for a shot to chase a championship ring with reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
The good news for the 76ers faithful is that, even at this stage of the summer, there are still several free-agent names worth exploring.
Here’s a look at three remaining free agents that must be on the 76ers’ radar before October.
76ers Free Agent Targets
1. Bismack Biyombo
The 76ers’ lack of center depth beyond Embiid opens the door to a potential Bismack Biyombo signing. Montrezl Harrell was predominantly Philadelphia’s backup center last year, but the 29-year-old veteran tragically tore his ACL and meniscus to begin August.
76ers center Montrezl Harrell has a torn ACL and meniscus after undergoing an MRI Wednesday to assess recent right knee swelling following his offseason workouts.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 2, 2023
Considering how Paul Reed and the newly-signed Mo Bamba are the only centers behind Embiid, adding another big man makes sense.
Biyombo — who’s entering his 13th NBA season — played well in a supporting role with the Phoenix Suns last season. He suited up in 61 games (14 starts), recording 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while playing 14.3 minutes per contest.
Philly also got a front-row seat to see what Biyombo could do back in March when he blocked five shots (including two by Embiid) in a 125-105 win for Phoenix.
That isn’t even mentioning how he averaged 10.8 rebounds per 36 minutes. His presence would help a 76ers team that finished with the fifth-fewest rebounds in 2022-23.
Given that Embiid has also never played more than 68 games in a campaign, it’s in the Sixers’ best interest to give Biyombo a shot.
2. T.J. Warren
T.J. Warren showed a lot of promise a few years ago, averaging at least 18.0 PPG across three seasons for the Suns and Indiana Pacers between 2017 and 2020.
Unfortunately, the ex-NC State product’s NBA career was derailed by a stress fracture in his left foot. He finally returned to the floor last year, averaging 7.5 points and 16.4 minutes played across 42 games between the Suns and Brooklyn Nets.
Even though Warren’s best days might be behind him, I still think he’d be a good fit for the 76ers.
Philadelphia could use another scoring threat behind Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and, to a degree, Tobias Harris. Warren proved that he can still contribute offensively, scoring 10-plus points in 16 games while averaging 16.5 points per 36 mins all season.
Danuel House Jr. and P.J. Tucker are solid defenders in the small forward spot, but neither man can score as well as Warren, who owns .506/.354/.780 shooting splits over 374 career games.
Besides, if Warren can somehow return to form, the 76ers will look like geniuses for getting that production on a cheap deal.
Even if he doesn’t show glimpses of his old self, Warren’s addition to the bench still makes Philly more competitive.
3. Danny Green
Danny Green is one player that 76ers fans are more than familiar with. The three-time NBA Champion spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons in Philadelphia, averaging 7.8 points and 2.1 three-pointers on 39.5% shooting over 131 games (97 starts).
If Green does return to the City of Brotherly Love, expectations must be tempered. He’s two years older since Philly fans last saw him and that’s without mentioning that he tore an ACL in his last game donning a Sixers jersey.
Still, the North Babylon, NY native showed that he can still be a threat last campaign. He only played 11 games between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies, tallying an average of 1.5 threes on 3.4 attempts (43.2%).
Green’s days as a starter are likely long gone, but that doesn’t mean he can’t come off the bench to give the 76ers some life during scoring slumps. Even if he’s only playing 10-15 minutes per game, that’s enough of an opportunity for his defense and three-point shooting to make an impact.
Furthermore, Green would have an easy time transitioning to the 76ers’ locker room, having played with eight members of the current roster the last time he was in town. On top of that, he played under head coach Nick Nurse during the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 championship run.
Even if it’s mainly to be an off-court presence to help the young players, I love the idea of Green donning a 76ers jersey one more time.
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