In the lead-up to the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers have commenced preseason duty just recently. And despite the lack of beneficial offseason pizzazz, the team remains slotted among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, if not the entire league.
5 players on the Philadelphia 76ers roster who won’t finish the season with the team
The 76ers front office may still be pre-occupied by the spiraling James Harden situation, but the coaching staff will also be tied to the inevitable cuts before the season officially opens. That being said, even those guaranteed or favored to make the roster come opening night are far from safe bets to finish the season with the team.
Here are five players on the roster who are unlikely to remain in Philly to end the season, aside from Harden of course.
1. Kelly Oubre Jr.
The Sixers deserve credit for bagging a massive bargain by signing Kelly Oubre Jr. for cheap. Even disregarding context, scoring is a valuable skill in this offense-mad league and snagging the veteran for basically a gimme after averaging a career-high in points last season could end up being a massive win for Philadelphia despite an underwhelming offseason.
That being said, it’s clear that both the 76ers and Oubre view this pact as a one-year thing. Hence, it would be just to expect both sides to seek a more optimal resolution.
If Oubre pans out and is as good as advertised, the 76ers could throw the bait and let other teams in need bid for his services, even for a rental. No team will be eager to trade a first-round pick for him, but any draft capital in return would be more than enough incentive for the front office to fast track an inevitable divorce.