The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers should consider signing Luol Deng

By Lucas Johnson

PHILADELPHIA - MARCH 04: Luol Deng #9 of the Miami Heat handles the ball against Robert Covington #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 4, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA - MARCH 04: Luol Deng #9 of the Miami Heat handles the ball against Robert Covington #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 4, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers could use some added depth at the forward position and veteran Luol Deng could be a great fit if the club can make space for him.

The small and power forward positions aren’t huge needs for the Philadelphia 76ers, but adding a little bit of extra depth at either position heading into training camp certainly wouldn’t hurt the franchise. Luckily for the Sixers, a veteran forward is about to hit the market. Recently, Luol Deng agreed to a partial buyout and was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers. Deng would be a solid addition to the 76ers if signed by the team.

Deng has had an impressive career, earning two All-Star nominations and being named to the NBA All-Defense second team. During his prime, Deng was one of the better two-way players in the league. For his career he’s averaged 15.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

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The combo forward has shown that he can still contribute in the latter part of his career. In the past two seasons while playing for the Lakers, Deng’s averaged 7.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Granted last season Deng only played in literally one game, but that was more because the Lakers were developing young forwards Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma than Deng’s deteriorated skills.

Deng’s ability to play both sides of the court should interest the 76ers front office. The only issue with signing Deng is making a roster spot for the veteran. In order to sign Deng, Philadelphia will have to either make a trade or waive one of their current players. There’s one prime candidate that Philly should have cut ties with months ago and that’s Jerryd Bayless.

Due to the fact that the 76ers have yet to trade Bayless, it’s more likely the team will have to waive the veteran combo guard in order to open up a roster spot. The price of waiving Bayless will be worth the cost, seeing as Deng’s two-way ability and veteran leadership is very valuable to the 76ers organization.

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If the Philadelphia 76ers are able to make the necessary room on the roster to sign Deng, fans shouldn’t expect his role on the court to be anything more then a rotational player off the bench. However, he should still be able to make an impact on the floor while also mentoring the team’s young core as well.