Heading into the upcoming campaign, the Philadelphia 76ers largely face the same set of personnel problems they encountered last season, yet the front office was not proactive enough in countering these issues to the end that the team will finally rid itself of their frustrating bouts with roster imbalance and lack of functional depth.
Frontcourt depth remains a problem for this team, just how it has been for quite some time now. Last season, the 76ers were constantly undersized thanks to their guard-heavy roster, and losing their most versatile piece from last season in Guerschon Yabusele, whom they lowballed in free agency, definitely did not help.
Now, the 76ers did well in signing the likes of Trendon Watford and Jabari Walker to quick, inexpensive contracts, but given how injury-prone the team’s stars can be, those moves are simply not enough. Philly still needs another big body who can help them size up better against teams deploying more physical and imposing personnel.
Unfortunately for them, one player they should have zoomed in on just slipped past them rather easily, making him an omission the team could very well regret later down the road.
The 76ers have officially missed out on veteran forward Trey Lyles
Trey Lyles, who was a free agent this offseason, failed to find a taker in the open market, culminating in him leaving the NBA for now in order to sign with Real Madrid and compete in the Euroleague.
The 29-year-old spent the least three-and-a-half seasons with the Sacramento Kings, where he was consistently deployed as a vital bench player. There, he was a staple in their rotation as their primary backup big man.
Given his skill set, Lyles would have been perfect in Philadelphia. After all, he is a good rebounder and a respectable three-point shooter — the two exact traits the 76ers desperately need from their frontcourt players right now.
Also, thanks to his great court vision, he would have easily slid into the role previously occupied by Guerschon Yabusele. He is probably not as proficient as the Frenchman when it comes to scoring around the basket, but he has finesse and basketball smarts going for him.
Instead, the 76ers front office never really tried to seriously chase Lyles in the open market. Now, the team is staring at yet another role player who could have helped them resolve two of their most pressing weaknesses, which undeniably sucks.