As the playoffs rage on, it’s never too early to start looking at potential free agents. The postseason has proven that the Philadelphia 76ers have a weak bench, so free agency will be important for the franchise this offseason.
Each of the playoff teams in the Eastern Conference have at least one free agent that could improve Philly’s bench. The players are listed by where their teams are ranked in the playoff bracket for the East. With that being written, let’s begin.
Best free agent target of each Eastern Conference playoff team: Miami Heat
This isn’t the first time I’ve had Victor Oladipo as a potential free agent target. He’s a former All-Star who spent most of this season rehabbing. With the frontcourt already set on the Miami Heat with Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, and Tyler Herro already established.
In my previous article, I wrote that Oladipo would be an ideal sixth man for the Sixers. Head coach Doc Rivers has done well with elite sixth men before with the likes of Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams. The question with going after Oladipo is are they going to be able to afford him?
Best free agent target of each Eastern Conference playoff team: Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks
Having a journeyman center on this list isn’t an ideal option for the Sixers, but the Boston Celtics only have two free agents and Luke Kornet is the better player. The only other player is Brodic Thomas who has only 44 career games played.
That being written, Kornet isn’t good defensively, but he’s a stretch big. He’s a solid 7-foot-2 and has a career 3-point percentage of 32.4 percent. He’d be a solid 15th player on the bench, but he shouldn’t be high on the 76ers’ free agent target.
The Milwaukee Bucks on the other hand have a proven backup center who was once an All-Defensive player in Serge Ibaka. Ibaka isn’t the player he once was thanks in part to a back injury. However, he can still prove value as a reserve for the Sixers.
He didn’t begin the season as he still wasn’t 100.0 percent healthy. He’s not the two-way center he use to be, but he can still be a solid enough in spots and an ideal veteran to mentor the young big men on the 76ers.
Best free agent target of each Eastern Conference playoff team: Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls
This isn’t the first time I’ve written that Thaddeus Young should be a target of the Sixers during this offseason. Young is a veteran big who would bring high basketball I.Q. and defense to the Philadelphia 76ers’ second unit.
It also helps that Young was a long time player with Philly at the beginning of his career. Depending on the situation he can be a backup for either big man position or be a mentor for the young bigs already on the roster like he was this past season for both the San Antonio Spurs and more recently the Toronto Raptors.
It’s true that the Chicago Bulls need more players like Derrick Jones Jr., but it shouldn’t stop the Sixers from trying to get the forward. Jones Jr. is a former winner of the Slam Dunk Contest when he was a member of the Miami Heat.
Since then he has been on the Portland Trail Blazers and more recently the Bulls. He’s one of the best athletes in the NBA and considering that the 76ers don’t have much athleticism on their current roster, adding a guy like Jones Jr. is should help even if he’s not a good shooter.
Best free agent target of each Eastern Conference playoff team: Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks
In the past, I wrote about the possibility of Andre Drummond returning to the Philadelphia 76ers this summer. It can be argued that Drummond has been the best backup to Joel Embiid up to this point in his career.
He’s one of the best rebounders in the NBA and solid defensively overall. Now his offense is a hit or miss, but that’s okay, the Sixers need his defense. He’d also be a good running mate for James Harden in the pick-and-roll as well. The issue is will he want to be a backup next year and can the Sixers afford him?
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Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is yet another former 76ers player who made this list. He was just a young player when he was on the Sixers before being traded for Mike Muscala. However, he’s found a home on the Atlanta Hawks as a plug-and-play veteran.
He’s not great on the offensive end, but he’s serviceable and is a good defender too. He would be a solid 3-and-D wing for Philly if he decided it would be wise for his career to make a return to the franchise.
Most of the players on this list would improve the Philadelphia 76ers’ depth heading into next season. Only time will tell how many of these players will be available to the Sixers this summer.