The Philadelphia 76ers seem all set with their current roster with the 2025-26 season slowly inching closer. Sure, there’s the Quentin Grimes free agency standstill which still needs a firm resolution, but that is only a “delaying the inevitable” situation as everyone knows. At this point, fans can be certain that the lineup will stay the same when training camp opens.
Now, whether that is a good or a bad thing is a story for another day, but there will always be room for improvement, especially for this flawed and brittle nucleus that most certainly does not instill a lot of confidence moving forward due to its outright lack of reliable presence from an availability standpoint on a game to game basis.
One notable strength of Philly, however, is its backcourt rotation. The 76ers have one of the deepest and most talented collection of talents at the guard position thanks to Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, VJ Edgecombe, and Grimes manning the backcourt for the team.
But what if I tell you that there is someone out there who could be an even better fit for the 76ers while being realistically obtainable?
Anthony Black could be the perfect Tyrese Maxey partner the 76ers are looking for
There are rumblings out there about the Orlando Magic ducking the tax aprons, and for that reason, they could end up having to phase out Anthony Black, the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Draft guru Sam Vecenie is of the belief that the 76ers should be in hot pursuit if that is the case. During his latest podcast, he penciled Black in as a great fit next to Tyrese Maxey due to his great size and defensive aptitude — traits that the team should be looking for to complement the All-Star.
At first blush, Black would seem like too much of a one-dimensional piece for the 76ers to aggressively try to acquire, but in reality, his skill set could be something who can enhance what the team already touts at the guard positions. McCain, Edgecombe, and Grimes have very similar skill sets, whereas Black is cut from a different cloth.
Even at this juncture, he would be a more sensible fit next to Maxey than, say, Grimes. The latter is only expected to be a short-term additive to the team, and packaging him to get Black from the Magic would be a sleek move if the Magic indeed try dangling him.
It’s still way too early to make such a significant call, but for the Philadelphia 76ers, someone like Anthony Black would definitely help them develop a more balanced team with as least overlaps as possible when it comes to roles and skill sets.