Free agents that (almost) make sense for the Philadelphia 76ers

Guys who actually make (some) sense

Jamal Crawford: Crawford has been linked to the Sixers for the past two offseasons. The 39-year-old guard has made a lengthy career out of putting the ball in the basket. Crawford is a career 14.6 point-per-game scorer and three-time Sixth Man of the Year.

Last offseason, there was reported mutual interest between Crawford and the Sixers, but the sides never began deep discussions. His ability to create off the bounce makes him a natural candidate for minutes alongside Ben Simmons. But for every gravity defying ankle breaking dribble, there’s a blown defensive assignment or an ill-advised shot. Crawford exploded for 51 points last season, but he also shot 39 percent from the field on the season.

Last summer, Liberty Ballers explained why signing Crawford would have little merit. All of the points made hold water. Jamal Crawford isn’t a consistently productive player anymore. The only way a hypothetical tenure with the Sixers would be able to exist, is if he accepts an Amir Johnson-esque role.

Crawford cannot have a featured role on a contending team. It’s just not in the cards anymore. If he’s willing to accept a role featuring minor minutes, with the caveat of helping develop the Sixers backcourt, then it would make sense to explore bringing in the 19-year vet.

J.R. Smith: His Cavalier career came to a listless end, but J.R. Smith still has enough left in the tank to help an NBA team. He’s a 37 percent shooter from deep for his career. Smith would be an instant shooting upgrade.

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He’s a former Sixth Man of the Year and has had experience with deep playoff runs. Ben Simmons’ passing repertoire shows similarities to that of LeBron James. Thanks to his coordination and height, Simmons can always find the open shooter. Smith could get the chance to recreate some of his Cleveland offensive output if he ended up in Philly. Smith has never made a strong impression as anything other than an eternal green-light gunner. He would be a neutral factor at best as a passer and defender.

The Sixers could have kicked the tires on J.R. Smith this summer, but opted to give Furkan Korkmaz one more chance to justify his first-round selection. Smith reportedly met with Milwaukee, but the Bucks signed the recently bought out Kyle Korver instead.

Korkmaz over Smith is probably an indication of how most of the league views Smith’s current NBA prospects. He may be the culprit behind the biggest brain-fart in recent NBA history, but if Furkan Korkmaz’s redemption shot comes up short, J.R. Smith may be the best shooter available.

Carmelo Anthony: You knew it was coming. I wrote about it a few months ago. Carmelo Anthony is the highest profile unemployed basketball player on the planet. If you own a smartphone you’ve probably seen him hooping it up in an empty gym or pick up game. The Brooklyn Nets’ players are reportedly pushing for him to join the team.  The Sixers get occasionally linked to Melo. Although Anthony and GM Elton Brand have history together on Team USA, the “relationship” feels manufactured by Anthony’s camp.

The basketball logic behind Melo as a Sixer starts and ends with his shot creation. Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, Trey Burke, and occasionally Joel Embiid are the only Sixers that stand out as players that can score in isolation.

Carmelo Anthony would have a moderate role in the Sixers’ second unit. Supplying offense in a handful of minutes off the bench, is a role Anthony has never had. Even in his forgettable stint with Houston he was averaging 29 minutes per game. If he’s willing to take a bench role, Melo could possibly revive his dormant career.

It’s silly to expect Melo to return to his All-Star form. He’s still pass-adverse and offers nothing on defense. For as much nitpicking you can do about why Anthony is unsigned, it’s becoming puzzling as to why he’s still on the market. The Sixers worked out Joe Johnson. Johnson is 38-years-old and just got done tearing up the BIG3. Iso Joe earned his most recent NBA contract with the Detroit Pistons, but don’t pretend he’s better Carmelo Anthony. A top-20 all-time scorer can’t get a contract but the MVP of the Ice Cube old-head league can ? C’mon now.

Carmelo Anthony isn’t going to magically transform the Sixers’ bench, but he could be an interesting fit on a team that will be head-hunting mismatches. The Sixers don’t need Melo, but in the right capacity, they could certainly use him. There isn’t much to lose if the Sixers decide to experiment with revitalizing the career of one of the best scorers to ever do it.