Philadelphia 76ers should buyout Kyle O’Quinn
The NBA Trade Deadline has passed, but the Philadelphia 76ers need to make more roster changes before they continue their season.
When the rumors came out that Kyle O’Quinn wanted to be waived by the Philadelphia 76ers, per Keith Pompey of Philly.com, Christopher Kline initially covered the story for The Sixer Sense. It’s a great piece and you should read it after this article. In Kline’s coverage of the story, he felt that O’Quinn and the Sixers were going to split, but it has yet to occur, however it should happen soon.
O’Quinn’s role has been limited with the 76ers this season and has become even more so with the emergence of Norvel Pelle. That happened before Pelle was signed a regular NBA deal, so now that the rookie big man isn’t limited in games he’s allowed to play, expect O’Quinn’s role to be even less moving forward.
It doesn’t help that Al Horford has been moved to the bench either. With Horford being the de-facto sixth man and primary backup center, that means fewer backup minutes for both Pelle and O’Quinn. At this point, it appears O’Quinn has become a disgruntled insurance policy and it’s time to cut ties with the veteran big man.
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It’s clear that Philly doesn’t need him for extra depth. Despite foul problems, Pelle has proven to a player that can provide 10-15 minutes of solid play. Head coach Brett Brown has turned to point guard Ben Simmons to play backup center at times when starting center Joel Embiid missed games with injuries. Keeping O’Quinn doesn’t do the 76ers any favors, so moving on from him makes sense.
If they do decide to waive O’Quinn, adding a player like Dion Waiters, who I’ve written about in the past, could be an ideal option. Other players like Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Johnson are other free-agent options for Philly as well.
Adding another shot-creating guard makes sense for the Sixers. Only Alec Burks and, to a lesser extent, Shake Milton are the only two players that can create offense for themselves who come off the bench for the 76ers. During the playoffs, Philly needs as many players as possible that can create offense for themselves and others.
Next. Give Korkmaz more time in starting five. dark
Moving on from O’Quinn just makes sense for the Philadelphia 76ers. It allows him a chance to join a club that can offer him more playing time and it opens up a roster spot for the Sixers to add another shot creator.