The Sixer Sense
Fansided

5 free agents the Philadelphia 76ers missed out on this summer

By Stuart London

Nerlens Noel and DeMarcus Cousins | Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Nerlens Noel and DeMarcus Cousins | Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

4. Aaron Gordon

If you were ever wondering what player was taken in the 2014 NBA Draft right after the Sixers selected Joel Embiid, the answer is Aaron Gordon.

If the Sixers had someone in charge who looked more to the present than the future, Gordon very well could have become a Sixer. After all, two other teams passed over Embiid because of his broken foot.

But Sam Hinkie took Embiid (and waited two years for him as it turned out) so Orlando got Gordon, a highly-athletic 6-foot-9 forward.

For three years there appeared to be a big gap between the No. 3 and 4 picks. However, Gordon had a breakout season last year, averaging 17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds.

It appears that Gordon is about to put it all together and become a perennial All-Star. So why waste all those high producing seasons in Orlando, when he could help the 76ers take on the Celtics? Al Horford would have matchup problems with Gordon.

Rotating Gordon between small and power forward would either strengthen the bench immeasurably or, if he started, moving Saric or Covington to the second unit makes it stronger as well.

Getting Gordon would have been a bit more difficult because he was a restricted free agent. He could sign with whoever he wanted, but Orlando had the right to match the offer and keep him.

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But the 76ers, before the Chandler trade, had a huge amount of cap space for this upcoming season.

If the Sixers were star-hunting and Gordon seems to be an emerging star, going after him made sense. Simply offer him a contract with a big first-year salary number that is a poison pill. If Orlando matches that offer, at the very least you have crippled an Eastern Conference rival as they would be cap-strapped. If the Magic decided the offer was too much, the 76ers added a real impact player.

The odds are that Orlando, since they do not have a heck of a lot else, would match virtually any offer sheet made to Gordon.

But after losing out on James and George, a big offer to Gordon would have shown the fans how committed they are to a championship team – and wrecked the chances of viability for fans in Central Florida.