It has been a rough offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers fanbase, painfully watching from their sofas as general manager Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse persist with the narrative that last year's roster is the one that could end the franchise's championship drought.
Despite winning just 24 games in the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign, the Sixers will advance with the Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey experiment that is yet to pay dividends. In addition to this, the Philadelphia front office has re-signed the veteran duo Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon on one-year contracts -- even though Morey boasted that this injury-plagued roster was set to become younger and more dynamic.
However, there is still room for optimism among 76ers fans, with the pursuit of the dynamic guard Quentin Grimes still in motion. Not only this, but after the waiving of Ricky Council IV was confirmed, the Sixers have created another space on their roster, allowing them to address an issue that has infuriated fans for an inordinate length of time.
This free agency move could ease several headaches for the 76ers
It is no secret that without their franchise superstar, Joel Embiid, on the floor, Philadelphia is a team that can severely struggle with rebounding, providing the opposition with countless second-chance opportunities. Out of the whole of the NBA, the 'City of Brotherly Love' languished at the bottom of the rebounding rankings during the regular season -- grabbing just 39.8 per game.
Nevertheless, one free agent would enforce a much-needed presence from the bench in the battle of the boards. Former New York Knicks star Precious Achiuwa is still available and has plenty to offer an NBA franchise at just 25 years of age.
This could be perceived as an underwhelming acquisition for a team with championship ambitions, yet the attributes that Achiuwa possesses suggest that this signing is logical and, most importantly, affordable, given his previous contract totalled a reported $6 million over one year.
Due to the lack of depth from the power forward position, Philadelphia must source an impactful option who has a proven track record of positively affecting his teammates off the bench. Standing at 2.03m, the former Knicks man certainly does that. During the previous campaign in New York, Achiuwa averaged 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, exhibiting the exact presence the Sixers crave during the non-Embiid minutes.
Understandably, the 76ers fanbase does not want underwhelming names linked with the franchise, but with the money that has been committed to the contracts of Embiid, Maxey, and George, this is the reality of the market that Philadelphia finds itself browsing in. Precious Achiuwa plugs a lot of the issues that the Sixers continue to face on an annual basis. This must be an option that Morey explores.