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

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 Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

2. Wayne Ellington

It seemed like a perfect fit. 76ers coach Brett Brown likes players who shoot 3-pointers. Wayne Ellington is a player who likes to shoot 3-pointers.

Oh, and lets throw in the fact that Ellington is from the Philadelphia area, having attended Episcopal Academy out on the Main Line. The 6-foot-5 guard played for the Miami Heat last season but even the reporters in that area could see how he might be an ideal player for Philadelphia.

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He was a high-volume 3-point shooter (sixth in the NBA) and had made 39 percent of his shots from beyond the stripe last season, and 40 percent against the Sixers in the playoffs. Besides being a local guy, he was also known for being a good citizen who would contribute to a winning culture.

Yes, the Sixers re-signed J.J. Redick to return as their shooting guard but Brown does not have a reliable 3-point shooter besides him currently on the roster.

Maybe Furkan Korkmaz will turn into a rotation player and maybe Fultz will regain his college form and, maybe, Robert Covington won’t go weeks where he makes 10-percent of his 3-point attempts. Ellington from outside is a relatively sure thing.

Although there was speculation the Sixers might be interested in Ellington, he was on the open market for 13 days.

With not much happening, Ellington went back to Miami on a one-year deal worth $6.27 million.

If the 76ers start struggling with outside shooting, remember they could have had Ellington launching them instead.