Sixers dream free agent targets: Doug McDermott
Doug McDermott‘s last contract paid him $7.3 million per year, a number the Sixers cannot match outright. Unless it were a sign-and-trade — either involving the contract of George Hill ($10 million) or the Sixers’ trade exception ($8.2 million) — McDermott probably can’t be signed outright. He should make more than the taxpayer’s mid-level.
That said, given the aforementioned avenues to acquiring him and the slim chance of McDermott not getting a raise, he makes the list. It takes very little imagination to understand McDermott’s fit in Philadelphia. He would provide a massive upgrade over Furkan Korkmaz, who is likely gone in free agency. He’s a starting-caliber wing with a skill set tailor-made for the Sixers’ roster.
Not long ago, the Joel Embiid-J.J. Redick two-man game was one of the most deadly actions in basketball. McDermott can run many of the same sets — DHOs, flying around screens like a madman, pin downs, what have you — only he’s 6-foot-7, not 6-foot-3. McDermott is not a total lost cause on defense, and he can fit into various lineup configurations for Philadelphia.
Last season, McDermott averaged 13.6 points and 3.3 rebounds on .532/.388/.812 shooting splits. He averaged 4.3 attempts from deep in 24.5 minutes per game. He’s an elite volume shooter who adds enough value as a cutter and off-ball threat to more than make up for a $10 million (or less) contract.