8 players the Philadelphia 76ers gave up on too soon

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 01: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic shoots over Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on February 01, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /

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3. Christian Wood

The Sixers nabbed Christian Wood in the summer of 2015 after he slipped all the way out of the draft due to various non-basketball concerns. While some of those concerns have maybe been validated, Wood has certainly outperformed his undrafted status. Just not with Philly.

Wood appeared in 17 games for the Sixers as a rookie, averaging 8.5 minutes per contest. When one considers the quality of that 2015-16 team (10. Wins. Total.), it’s hard to justify the lack of opportunity for a player with Wood’s obvious talent.

Naturally, the Sixers struggled in the pre-Embiid years to sift through their myriad options at center. Wood was a victim of circumstance as much as anything and he probably wouldn’t have received the chance to break out like he eventually did if the Sixers had kept him around.

Wood’s best season to date was the 2020-21 campaign with Houston, when he averaged 21.0 points and 9.6 rebounds on 59.1 percent true shooting. Wood is legitimately one of the most skilled offensive bigs in the NBA, a dynamic shooter and slasher who can punish the defense at all three levels. If he was a little more reliable defensively, Wood might be a perennial All-Star candidate.