The Philadelphia 76ers made the big move at the trade deadline that their fans were hoping they’d make in acquiring James Harden for Ben Simmons. However, if fans thought the front office’s job is now done forming this roster for the rest of this season.
The Sixers sent Simmons, Andre Drummond, and Seth Curry along with two picks to the Brooklyn Nets while only receiving Harden and Paul Millsap in return. That means the 76ers have an open roster spot and there are two positions Philly could upgrade.
As the title of this article would suggest, there are a couple of potential targets at the point guard position that the 76ers could target. Don’t be mistaken, with Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, and Shake Milton are a solid trio to have, but one injury, and that position is in trouble, so adding extra depth could help. The point guards on this list are either already bought-out or have the potential to be bought-out.
3 potential buyout point guards to target: D.J. Augustin
Let’s start off with NBA journeyman D.J. Augustin. Personally, I remember when Augustin was a stud in college and was high on him when he was a young player. However, the 34-year-old veteran isn’t a spring chicken anymore.
He’s in his 14th season as a pro and has been the backup point guard/mentor for a young Houston Rockets team. Well, that was until the club waived him after they acquired Dennis Schroder in a deal with the Boston Celtics.
This season, Augustin has averaged 5.4 points, 2.2 assists, and 15.0 minutes while shooting 40.6 percent from the 3-point line. That’s still pretty productive despite his age and the poor situation he was in.
Augustin is the type of lockerroom veteran the 76ers could use moving forward and it’s clear he can still produce. It’s true he’s probably a negative on the defensive end, but what he can bring in terms of playmaking and shooting should get Philly’s attention.
3 potential buyout point guards to target: Goran Dragic
Having a former All-Star as your third point guard could be an interesting situation for the Philadelphia 76ers. Goran Dragic was an All-Star with the Miami Heat in the 2017-18 season and was still pretty productive as a point guard until this season.
During the offseason, he was dealt to the Toronto Raptors but struggled with the team and was out of the rotation for most of the season. With Toronto, he only averaged 8.0 points and 1.8 assists, while shooting just 28.6 percent from deep.
However, that was just a five-game sample size and there’s a real chance Dragic might be able to still be a good bench point guard moving forward. If still productive like was in Miami last year where he averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 assists as a sixth then he could easily leapfrog Milton in the depth chart.
He’s now a member of the San Antonio Spurs and according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, he’s expected to be bought out. Dragic might be one of the biggest buyout candidates on the market and there will be other teams making offers. The 76ers probably don’t have the biggest role available for the veteran but they do offer one of the best chances to win a title.
3 potential buyout point guards to target: Elfrid Payton
It was tempting to Eric Bledsoe in this third spot, but if he came to the Philadelphia 76ers then he’d probably surpass Milton on the depth chart and I believe Milton is the better player. Bledsoe isn’t the right guy, especially with his overall poor shooting record and he’s not bought out either after being dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers.
If the Sixers are going to aim for a non-shooting point guard at least he should be solidified as the third/fourth option on the depth chart. That would be former lottery Elfrid Payton, who is currently on the Phoenix Suns.
He signed with them in the offseason and had been the third point guard depth on their depth chart this season. However, that will probably change now that they have acquired Aaron Holiday at the trade deadline.
There’s a real chance Holiday could surpass Payton on the depth chart and with four point guards on the roster, Payton could be a prime candidate to be bought out. If it does occur, then he could become the third/fourth string point guard in Philly. This season, he’s averaged 3.2 points and 2.0 assists, so he’s a nice emergency guard to have on the bench.
Any of these three point guards could help solidify the Philadelphia 76ers point guard depth chart and there’s a real chance to add one of them.