The Philadelphia 76ers already triggered the entire city of Boston after they managed to pull off a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown, much to their bitter rival's prejudice. Well, the front office actually has another chance to further irk the Celtics fanbase if they try to poach another one of their former players who is still available in the free agent market, Kelly Olynyk.
The 76ers may have had a stellar offseason, but they still have one roster spot open for occupancy. Now, they are more likely to be able to fill that up in the middle of the season, but they are not in a rush anyway, especially if it is for Olynyk. The big man remains unsigned with only minimal hoopla in the rumor mill, but he simply makes a lot of sense as a possible late addition to Philly.
The 76ers can take a flier on another former Celtics player in Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk has bounced around the league in recent years, but his best years came when he was still part of the Celtics roster. From 2013 to 2017, he was a key part of Boston's resurgence as a perennial playoff team, fueling their second unit and serving as then-head coach Brad Stevens' go-to option off the bench when he needed more production from their big men.
Last season, the 13-year vet spent the year with the San Antonio Spurs, but he simply did not have a clear path to playing time with Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet already manning the center position. An early injury likewise did not help his case for more time on the court, but with a full summer behind him, he should be more prepared in the upcoming campaign.
Olynyk may be 35 years old and a complete liability on defense with his lack of foot speed and athleticism, but he is still a highly skilled big man who offers a lot of optionality on the offensive end. Right now, the 76ers have multiple big men of the same traditional mold, so having a different option in Olynyk would be welcome.
The Canadian big man can hit open threes as a career 37 percent three-point shooter. He is a nifty passer for a center and does not cough the ball up often. He is a smooth operator in the high and low post and is especially comfortable serving as a playmaking hub who can find open cutters and shooters. Those are intriguing qualities to have from someone standing at 7'0".
While he is not a real necessity at all, Kelly Olynyk would give the 76ers coaching staff more options when it comes to crafting lineups. As such, he would be a great addition to the roster, so long as the front office finds a way –– or successfully waits –– to finally use their final roster spot.
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