If the Philadelphia 76ers stay relatively healthy in the upcoming season, they’ll be among the Eastern Conference’s finest. What could separate Philadelphia from the pack is possessing a reliable power forward that could iron out the flaws of its starting five. Currently, the 76ers don’t have a safe option at the four and there’s no clear-cut starter.
The 76ers tried to fill in the void
It’s not like Philadelphia didn’t attempt to address this issue throughout the summer. Its first free agency play was snagging Trendon Watford on a two-year/$5.3 million contract. Re-signing Guerschon Yabusele would’ve been the 76ers’ best path. But, he signed with the New York Knicks, which was a sacrificial byproduct of Philadelphia’s ongoing stalemate with Quentin Grimes.
Watford essentially served as a Yabusele replacement because the remaining free agent power forwards either weren’t desirable or were out of the 76ers’ price range. There was only so much Philadelphia could do as its talks with Grimes dissuaded it from making a notable move in fear of crossing the $195.5 million first tax apron mark. This would’ve made it trickier for the 76ers to retain Grimes on a deal north of $10 million since they’re already close to the first apron.
Philadelphia did improve its depth at the four within the margins by signing Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow to two-way contracts in July. The 76ers have options between Oubre, Watford, Walker, and Barlow, but none of them are exactly an ideal starter on a team with Finals aspirations.
The 76ers should temporarily start Oubre
Philadelphia’s best bet is to start Oubre at the four, alongside Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and Jared McCain or Quentin Grimes to begin the 2025-26 season. Oubre is the third-longest tenured 76ers player, having been around since the 2023-24 campaign. He’s familiar with Nick Nurse’s system and knows what it takes to play off Embiid and Maxey.
Oubre played arguably the best basketball of his 10-year career when he arrived in Philadelphia two years ago because he accepted a scaled-down role in its offense. He embraced playing off the ball and being someone who does the dirty work on both ends of the floor. His newfound ability as a spot-up shooter and aggressive back-cutting built him an effective rapport with Embiid.
Oubre averaged 16.3 points per game on 37.8% shooting from three and 5.1 rebounds per game in the 76ers’ first eight games of the 2023-24 season before missing nine games with a fractured rib. It’s worth noting that he played at small forward during this stretch with Tobias Harris holding down the four position.
Starting Oubre at power forward also comes with drawbacks. While he’s a solid rebounder at the three, he lacks the size to impact the glass as a full-time power forward. Oubre doesn’t have the strength to defend larger forwards. Pairing Embiid with a front-court mate that can’t check either of these boxes isn’t ideal. Embiid’s rebounding has taken a dip in recent years and his days of elite rim protection may be behind us. However, Philadelphia doesn’t have a much better short-term option.
The 76ers should experiment with Watford at some point
If Oubre doesn’t work, I’d like to see the 76ers experiment by starting Trendon Watford instead. His offensive feel could kick Philadelphia's offense up a notch. His ability as a connective passer and pick-and-roll ball-handler would allow the 76ers to run sets that Oubre likely wouldn’t be able to do. Watford could execute hand-off or short-roll actions, which is something Philadelphia hasn’t had at the four spot since P.J. Tucker in 2022-23.
Regardless, Watford has spent all four seasons of his career on sub-.500 teams and it remains to be seen whether his playstyle can translate to winning. He doesn’t alleviate the defensive and rebounding weaknesses Oubre would have. Yes, Watford is more of an instinctive help-side defender, but he can’t defend in space at the rate that Oubre can. Not to mention, Watford has averaged just 3.6 rebounds per game in his career.
The 76ers have alternatives in Walker and Barlow, but it’s unrealistic to believe either could develop into a legitimate starter in one season. So, it all comes down to Oubre and Watford. When deciding between the two, you’re practically trading off strengths and weaknesses. No matter who starts, it wouldn’t make a noticeable difference in Philadelphia’s ceiling.
But, the 76ers are better off starting Oubre at first, and when Watford is comfortable, they must plug him in. The offensive fluidity he’d bring would best complement Philadelphia’s nucleus and Oubre’s bucket-getting habits would thrive most in the second unit.