Like last season, the buyout market has the potential to help the Philadelphia 76ers in a big way.
Last season, the Philadelphia 76ers were 24-24 entering February — a young team with promise, but nothing indicative of a playoff contender. The buyout market changed that, with Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova adding valuable firepower to the second unit.
The Sixers finished the season 52-30, including a 16-game win streak to secure the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons deserve credit for that run, but Belinelli and Ilyasova provided significant upgrades to the offense.
Now, the Sixers are 5-4 early in the 2018-19 campaign. Despite some discouraging losses, it’s clear this team is better than last season’s in the early going. Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala and Landry Shamet are all valuable cogs the Sixers lacked last season.
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Moving J.J. Redick to the sixth man role has also elevated the Sixers’ bench, even if it’s at the expense of the starting five. All in all, this Sixers team should (and will) figure things out. They’re a top-10 NBA team.
That doesn’t mean the buyout market can’t play an equally as big role for the Sixers in 2019. There are several veterans who a) probably won’t stay with their current team and b) could add to the Sixers’ bench.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ current debacle is a prime example. Kyle Korver is on the market and J.R. Smith has publicly demanded a trade. Since both are on contracts with guaranteed money beyond this season, there’s a chance the trade deadline passes without either one being dealt.
If that’s the case, the Cavs would be wise to waive them, avoiding locker room distractions and committing to a full-blown rebuild under lead voice Larry Drew.
Korver’s fit in the Sixers’ offense has been talked about ad nauseam on this site. He’s the perfect Belinelli replacement, taking fewer bad shots and competing on defense, even if he’s still a liability on that end. Redick, Korver and Shamet is a nice bunch of shooters for the Sixers.
Smith, while not the ideal fit that Korver is, would still provide value as a short-term rental. He’s a long-range threat, competent defender, and scoring boost off the bench. As long as he remembers the score, the fit makes sense.
Another name that comes to mind is Trevor Ariza, who signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Suns this summer. That experiment has already gone south, with Phoenix heading for another lottery pick. Ariza might be looking for another contract mid-season.
The Rockets probably top Ariza’s preferred destinations, but the Sixers could slide in and offer the mid-level exception. He’s a quality wing defender and spot-up shooter, fitting an obvious niche on the bench. The Sixers need versatile bodies against Boston and Toronto in the playoffs.
When the time comes, those are just a few names worth watching. As teams struggle and tanks unravel, players will gradually become available. The Sixers should be players on the buyout market yet again.