The Philadelphia 76ers have had a stellar offseason, and there is no other franchise out there that could confidently say that they had a better summer slate. That being said, free agency always leaves teams with a certain degree of regret in the middle of the season, and the 76ers are no exception. Even their blockbuster summer came with some misses in the open market that could make them wish they had moved the needle.
To that effect, here are three free agents the 76ers might end up wishing they had signed instead of letting slip away.
Jonas Valanciunas would have been the perfect backup center for the 76ers
The 76ers entered the summer with their quagmire at the backup center position still subsisting. At this juncture, the team still does not have a clear-cut answer to that problem, which makes it quite regrettable that Jonas Valanciunas was open for the taking but was glossed over completely by Philly (and the rest of the league).
Instead, Valanciunas headed back to Europe to continue his career –– a wasteful development for a 76ers squad that would have been a perfect landing spot for the veteran big man who still has a nifty touch on the scoring end and a physically imposing presence on the boards.
Kyle Anderson's basketball IQ could have been of great use
Kyle Anderson is one player who got surprisingly signed to a veteran's minimum deal. Slo-Mo got snagged off the open market by the Raptors, a division rival of the 76ers. But more importantly, the veteran forward would have been a great addition to Philly with his two-way headlines thanks to his basketball IQ.
While Anderson is not one to wow with physical tools, he more than makes up for it with his sheer versatility and ability to read the floor. He reads the game quicker than most players are able to, and with the 76ers still in need of more depth at forward, he could have given Nick Nurse a plug-and-play piece who does not need the ball to be effective.
The 76ers should have reunited with Matisse Thybulle
If there is one thing the 76ers still lack, it is perimeter defense. As such, the possibility of a reunion with Matisse Thybulle was definitely enticing. Unfortunately, Philly was never even rumored to be interested in another partnership with the two-time All-Defensive Team member, and he instead signed a new contract with the Lakers.
Thybulle's availability has become such a massive question mark, but when it comes to his defensive acuity, there is no question that he remains a major asset. The former 76ers wing's one-on-one defense and defensive playmaking are still on a level untouched by most, and his improved three-point shooting makes him even more appealing. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed.
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