The Philadelphia 76ers take the risk and acquire Kevin Porlter Jr.
The Philadelphia 76ers need to find a way to add legitimate perimeter talent without breaking the bank. This is especially true after losing out on the James Harden sweepstakes to the Brooklyn Nets.
Unless Philly mortgages some, if not the majority of the there future, it seems unlikely they can add legit talent. However, there’s a chance that the Sixers can add a young talented player, but it’s not without risk.
Kevin Porter Jr. has recently become available after he had a screaming contest with the Cleveland Cavaliers front office, after having a slew of personal issues, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The Cavaliers plan on either trading or waiving the former first round pick and that gives the 76ers an opportunity to take a risky flier on the wing player.
Porter is worth the risk for the Sixers.
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Porter is only 20 years old and only has one season under his belt. However, he showed legit scoring talent in his rookie. During his first year, he averaged 10.0 points during 23.3 minutes per game while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor and 33.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line.
Despite being 6-foot-4, Porter is listed as a small forward, but he can play either wing position. That being said, Porter wouldn’t just be given every opportunity to play like he was in Cleveland. The Sixers already have some solid young depth on the perimeter and he would have to earn his playing time with his play on the court and his behavior off of it.
The Sixers are an ideal situation to help a player like Porter Jr. to mature. Veterans like Dwight Howard, Tobias Harris, and Danny Green would be great role models for the young man. Then having a head coach like Doc Rivers who gives players clear ideas of what their roles are and the type of man he could only be a positive influence on the second-year player.
Having a general manager like Darryl Morey would certainly help as well. Morey has been able to help former first round talents turn their dropping value around. Ben McLemore and Gerald Green are two players in recent memory that Morey has done this for.
Whether the Philadelphia 76ers trade for or sign Porter Jr. in free agency, he’s worth the risk. The Sixers have the right type of culture to help a player and person like Porter turn things around. There’s some risk to adding Porter Jr., but he is a low coast talent with high-end upside.