The Philadelphia 76ers definitely infuriated a huge chunk of their fanbase and perplexed nearly all pundits after their most recent move in free agency. By signing Kyle Lowry to another one-year deal, Daryl Morey and his crew went wayward from their prior commitment to prioritize getting younger this offseason after a meager campaign that saw the team limp to the finish line.
Lowry, who is entering his 20th season, has nothing more left in the tank. Last season, he somehow stuck in the rotation, but turned in grim career-lows across the board. He was widely believed by fans to be contemplating retirement, but the 76ers seemingly had different plans after bringing him back for another go-round.
A collateral impact of the Lowry addition is that Philadelphia has already committed guaranteed deals for 14 players, which does not include Quentin Grimes, whose camp is still negotiating with the 76ers. The team’s depth chart has gotten even more imbalanced, making the move a real brow-raiser, if not downright foolish.
But if the front office wanted to shore up their backcourt anyway (even if they didn’t need to), they could have gone after a more productive player. Instead, they chose Lowry — a decision that looks even worse if you consider this obvious option in the open market.
The 76ers could have chose De’Anthony Melton over Kyle Lowry in free agency
A name making the rounds as of late is former 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton. Last season, he played just six games for the Golden State Warriors before an ACL tear ended his campaign prematurely. Now, he profiles as one of the better gets in the free agency market without costing much.
The Warriors are reportedly eyeing him once more given his expectedly cheap price tag. Heck, the 76ers could have gotten him back as well, only if they did not settle with Lowry.
Melton played two productive seasons in Philly and also had some experience playing under Nick Nurse. He has some familiarity with the team’s current nucleus, and offers much more than the six-time All-Star at this point in their careers.
Injury concerns aside (which is more tolerable given that he wouldn’t have played much minutes anyway), Melton is a way better defender than Lowry while also being a more consistent three-point shooter at this juncture.
Instead, the Philadelphia 76ers were enamored by the thought of Kyle Lowry helping to organize the troops — which pales in comparison to what De’Anthony Melton could have given them off the bench as a depth piece.