9 Free agent targets with ties to new 76ers coach Nick Nurse

The Philadelphia 76ers fell short once again. They were still a really good team all season, they swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, and Joel Embiid won the MVP. That’s not a failure of a season, by any means, but they fell short of the Conference Finals for yet another season.

This offseason will be a crucial pivot point for the team, with James Harden a free agent and with a wandering eye. How the Sixers retool around their superstar center will dictate whether or not they can make a serious run at contention.

New head coach Nick Nurse will help them tactically chase that high-end success, but perhaps he can help recruit free agents as well. The former coach of the Toronto Raptors and multiple G League teams could use his ties to free agents to bring them to the 76ers. Here are 9 such players that Philadelphia could target this summer.

Free Agent No. 9: Rudy Gay, Power Forward

Nick Nurse had spent a long time with the Toronto Raptors franchise before joining the 76ers, and their first free-agent target was one of his earliest players in Toronto. Combo forward Rudy Gay has had a long and prolific career as a scoring threat and will hit free agency this summer as a 36-year-old vet looking for one last home.

Gay had a small role on the Utah Jazz over the past few seasons, and he may have very little left in the tank. On the other hand, he has been a prolific scorer over his career and could be both a veteran presence for Philly’s bench and come in a score in bursts when needed. For the veteran’s minimum, that’s not a terrible player archetype to add.