Possible free agents for Sixers’ mid-level exception: Otto Porter Jr.
Once upon a time, people would have argued for signing Otto Porter over Tobias Harris. Those days are long gone, and Porter’s last contract was a bust in Chicago, but he still has shades of a very useful player when healthy. And, again, the Sixers could use some size and shooting in the second unit.
Last season, Porter averaged a respectable 9.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game. He shot 37.5 percent from 3-point range, and has historically been even better from beyond the arc, where he is shooting 40.2 percent for his career. The Sixers could buy low and hope Porter can a) stay on the floor and b) rekindle some of his old magic.
The Sixers would provide an ideal spot for Porter to resurface as a useful rotation piece. He would have minimal responsibilities on offense, and a great ecosystem to maximize his tools on defense. Philadelphia would allow him to serve almost exclusively in a 3-and-D capacity, with no pressure — from his contract or elsewhere — to extend beyond that.
It may not even take the mid-level exception, or at least not all of it, to sign Porter. His value has dropped precipitously for years now. That said, if the Sixers can’t strike on some of the bigger names this list has to offer, Porter looks good on paper.