5 free agents from the NBA Finals the Sixers should consider: Bobby Portis
Bobby Portis has a player’s option for $3.7 million that he could very well decline in search of a bigger payday. The Sixers have a use for someone in Portis’ vein — a natural power forward who can serve 15 minutes a night as the backup five, while also spending time next to Joel Embiid when desired.
The Bucks swiped Portis from Chicago for a measly sum and have greatly benefited from the move all season. The 26-year-old is far from perfect, but he’s a confident 3-point shooter who has put together some of his career-defining performances against Philadelphia. His motor runs white-hot, he’s a quick fan favorite wherever he goes, and when he’s not punching teammates in practice, he can really bring a locker room together.
The Sixers would get from Portis what they thought Mike Scott would provide — toughness, 3s, and a certain degree of chaos that can swing in Philadelphia’s favor. In 20.8 minutes per game this season, he averaged 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds, with a remarkable 47.1 percent success rate from deep. That’s worth $5.9 million a year.
Portis would immediately improve the backup center situation, which the Sixers have failed to get right year after year during the Embiid era. That may not seem like the best use of $5.9 million, but if the preferred wings go elsewhere, there’s a pretty solid case to nail down the frontcourt reserves with Portis.