Free agency officially opens at 6 PM E.T. on Monday, when the moratorium lifts. The Sixers are in a precarious position, with a star on the trade block, a starter eligible to leave, and no major spending power. How Daryl Morey navigates this offseason — starting with free agency — is the biggest test of his tenure in Philadelphia so far.
We have discussed several targets at the site, but in this article, we will focus on bargain-bin opportunities — free agents who, for one reason or another, may be available for less money than the potential outcome of their signing would suggest.
With such limited flexibility, Morey will need to nail the margins. He did so last season, for the most part. We will now see if he can replicate that success in 2021-22. Here are the names to watch.
Sixers bargain bin free agent targets: Tony Snell
Tony Snell is no longer the starter-level wing of yesteryear, but he can still provide solid minutes off the bench. He’s a versatile defender at 6-foot-6 and hit a whopping 56.9 percent (!!!) of his 3-point attempts last season. He averaged 21.2 minutes across 47 regular season games for Atlanta, registering 23 starts.
The Sixers should be able to appeal to Snell on a minimum contract. He would have the chance to carve out minutes, with Mike Scott, Furkan Korkmaz, and Dwight Howard all expected to leave in free agency. Snell is not someone the Sixers should rely on too heavily — he’s better as a 10th or 11th man than a sixth or seventh man — but his size and shooting are still useful.
Snell is still just 29 years old, and he has not drummed up much interest in the rumor mill so far. He’s a very gettable rotation piece who would no doubt wish to contend.