The Philadelphia 76ers have made marginal moves this NBA offseason and many wonder if Daryl Morey has more up his sleeves that will materialize in the next couple months before the start of the 2023-24 NBA season.
There are not many big-name free agents remaining unsigned, however, it is worth noting that a number of those remaining have ties to the Sixers organization, having played here at one point. Whether the Sixers bring any of these players back or not is yet to be seen, however, Sixers fans may still be interested in where former players will land for the upcoming season.
Christian Wood
First up on the list is Christian Wood. The former Sixer has seen his NBA career blossom since he departed from the City of Brotherly Love. Wood’s career-best year occurred in 2020-21 when he started every game he was available for the Houston Rockets averaging 21 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Wood was the lone bright spot for a team that had absolutely nothing going for it.
Wood spent last season in Dallas, starting in only 17 games, but giving the Mavericks a spark off the bench. Averaging 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2 assists, Wood appeared to be a perfect fit alongside Luka Doncic. The Mavericks had a disappointing season following a Western Conference Finals appearance the year before, but this had more to do with other members of the roster, (ahem Kyrie). Wood will likely not return to the Philadelphia 76ers, and many reports have him linked to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ish Smith
Make sure you say it correctly, NBA Champion, Ish Smith! That is right, Smith secured a long-awaited NBA Championship with the Denver Nuggets this past year, even if he was not a contributing piece on the floor during the team’s title run.
Smith holds the record for most NBA teams played for by one player with 13 teams. The list is long, but does include the Philadelphia 76ers where he got some playing time for ‘The Process’ Sixers during their rebuilding years. At 35 years old, and on the back nine of his playing days, Smith is not a sought-after free agent and I would not be surprised if he considered retirement. Going out on top is not the worst thing and he has to be tired of constantly moving.
George Hill
Another aging former Philadelphia 76er, Hill has struggled to find a home in the NBA since his departure from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020. For the majority of his career, Hill was a reliable fringe starter/sixth-man type of player that provided aggressive perimeter defense paired with an impressive basketball IQ.
At the age of 37, and with such a guard-talented league it would be surprising if Hill could find a home where he would see meaningful playing time. Similar to Smith, I think Hill must be mulling retirement or potentially going to a title contender in a city he wants to live in just to extend his NBA life another year or two. Why not live it up in LA for the Clippers knowing you are just a scout team player with the best game-day seats?
Andre Iguodala
Remember when Iguodala was billed as the second AI for the Philadelphia 76ers to follow Allen Iverson, and bring this franchise to the promise land? Well not only did that never come to fruition in Philly, but Iguodala was able to land on one of the most dynastic teams in the history of the NBA, and with that came 4 NBA Championships and one NBA MVP award. Granted the MVP was for playing “defense” against LeBron James who should have been the MVP even though James was on the losing Finals team.
Nevertheless, Iguodala seems to have contemplated retirement for the last four offseasons but always returns to the league. In the last couple of seasons, he has been more of a quasi-coach for the Golden State Warriors and it seems as though that would be a natural transition for the 39-year-old. Steve Kerr would likely welcome Iguodala on the coaching staff since he has practically been in that role.
Danny Green
Continuing the trend of aging players well past their prime, we arrive at Danny Green. The former Sixer most recently played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he appeared in only 11 games due to recovering from ACL and LCL tears he suffered during the end of his tenure with the Sixers.
At 36, it is fair to wonder how much is left in the tank for Green. In his prime years in San Antonio and Toronto, Green was a top-tier perimeter defender who was elite behind the three-point arc. He was a valuable starter on Championship teams in both of those cities and he added a third Championship in a lesser role with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Green may be the only Sixers player on this list that I would be open to the team re-signing. The Sixers are notably weak at the wing position and even if Green is past his prime, he can still knock down threes with Joel Embiid being one of the league’s best floor spacers due to the attention he attracts, Green could fill the Georges Niang role from last season.
Michael Carter Williams
Carter-Williams’ tenure with the Sixers, though short, was relatively impressive. The point guard from Syracuse was with the franchise during a transitional period when the team was beginning to consider “The Process”. In a system where he could be the focal point, Carter-Williams averaged 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game on the way to winning the NBA Rookie of the Year.
Since his departure from Philly, MCW has had a steady decline in terms of both playing time and contribution. He found a home in Orlando for the last four seasons as a role player, but the Magic not re-signing him is another sign that his NBA career may be close to being over. Expect MCW to be one of the last free agents to sign as camps may look for a bench player or need a roster spot filled due to injury.
Boban Marjanovic
Tell me you do not want to see the Bobi and Tobi show in Philly for another year! Okay, it is obvious the Sixers do not need another center on the roster, but it is impossible to ignore the chemistry that Boban has with Tobias in those Goldfish commercials.
Bobi is being left behind by today’s NBA since he cannot stretch the floor, and his value is strictly in the restricted area on offense. It is interesting what Bobi’s career would have looked like in the 80s and 90s, but since he is playing in an era where big men shoot from guard range and can play multiple positions, it is quite likely Bobi has played his last NBA game.
Lucas Johnson mentioned on our most recent podcast that Bobi’s future may be in Hollywood. He has already acted as a villain in a John Wick movie, and he knows how to read the temperature of a room well. I am unsure if we will see Bobi on the court next year, but we have not seen the last of him on our television screens.
Dewayne Dedmon
Dedmon is the definition of an NBA journeyman, having never stayed on a team for more than two years in his 10-year career. This trend will likely continue as the Sixers will not re-sign Dedmon due to their offseason moves thus far, mainly signing Mo Bamba and Filip Petrusev to the roster.
Similar to MCW, I see Dedmon being a late free agent signing for a team that is looking for a practice player that can give a few game-time minutes as a last resort.
Mac McClung
McClung took the NBA by storm last year when he burst onto the scene with an improbable NBA Dunk Contest victory. The Dunk Contest has been a bore for the last few seasons and McClung shot a dose of adrenaline into the contest with his jaw-dropping slams that had the best players in the NBA stunned (see Ginanis in the photo above).
The 24-year-old is hoping to jump out of the G-League and secure a full-time NBA roster spot this season, however, so far it appears the market has been slim to none. McClung is undersized at a program height of 6’2″ and needs to become consistent with his long-range shooting if he wants his dream to become a reality.
Louis King
There are a lot of similarities between Louis King and the aforementioned McClung. Both have struggled to find footing with their NBA careers and both were key players on the Delaware Blue Coats G-League Championship team last year.
King showed promise as a McDonald’s All-American in high school and at Oregon where he made the Pac-12 All-Freshman team in his only year at the collegiate level. He may have left Oregon a year too soon as he still needs a little more refinement to his game before he can be on a full-time NBA contract.
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