The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: 5 big name free agents to avoid

By Lucas Johnson

Philadelphia 76ers, Elton Brand (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Philadelphia 76ers, Elton Brand (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Pau Gasol (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images)
Pau Gasol (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Pau Gasol

After his career is over, there’s no doubt that Pau Gasol will be in the Hall of Fame. The 7-foot European big man has made six All-Star games, won two NBA titles and was named to four All-NBA teams. Yet despite his impressive resume, the 39-year-old isn’t a player that the Philadelphia 76ers should be interested.

“There’s no need for the team to waste a roster spot on him, because he’d be a glorified bench warmer if signed and that’s no way for Gasol to end his playing career.”

The biggest concern his is age. He’s played in 18 seasons and a grand total of 1226 regular season games. Being so close to 40-years-old and having that much mileage on his body already should raise serious questions about his ability to contribute in a regular rotation. Despite becoming a stretch big over time, shooting 36.8 percent from deep for his career, he’s lost a lot of his defensive abilities. It doesn’t help that he’s recently had surgery on his foot.

The other major factor that should stop Philly’s front office from pursuing him would be the team’s current depth. The center depth is deep with: Joel Embiid, Al Horford, Kyle O’Quinn and Norvel Pelle. There’s no need for the team to waste a roster spot on Gasol, because he’d be a glorified bench warmer if signed and that’s no way for him to end his playing career.