The Philadelphia 76ers enter the offseason with the roster touting way too many holes. As usual, free agency will be the best avenue for the new-look front office to address those needs. One area in particular that must be resolved is the team's lack of scoring off the bench, and to that effect, they could take a look at Jordan Clarkson as a potential target in the open market.
Fresh off winning a championship with the Knicks, the 34-year-old will probably not be a priority for New York's brain trust this offseason. Aside from the fact that he was far from an indispensable part of their title run, they can only offer him a limited amount in free agency. That leaves room for teams in dire need of bench scoring like the 76ers to swoop in and get him for cheap.
Clarkson, who won the Sixth Man of the Year award just five years ago, has made a long career out of being a flamethrower off the bench. He has averaged 15.3 points per game in his career, and while his numbers went down for the Knicks this season, he remained a threat to score from anywhere when he was deployed in the hardwood. That should be attractive enough for a 76ers squad strapped for scoring in their second unit.
The 76ers should target Jordan Clarkson as a cheap solution to their bench scoring woes
The 12-year veteran averaged a career-low 8.6 points a game this season, but that can be tossed up to him playing just 17.8 minutes per contest, which is nearly six minutes fewer than his previous low mark. The Knicks simply has way too many options in the backcourt which prevented Clarkson from getting significant playing time.
Be that as it may, that does not change the fact that Clarkson can help the 76ers out as a scorer off the bench. This season, Philadelphia's bench averaged just 32.4 markers a night, which was the fourth-worst mark among all teams.
Even better, Clarkson is not really expected to command a lucrative figure in free agency. With his career slowly coming to its final stages, he and his camp will most likely be content with anything close to the veteran's minimum as long as it assures him of a consistent role. Alas, Philly can definitely give him considerable court time next season.
The Philadelphia 76ers will have some money to spend this summer, but cannot exactly afford a largesse in the open market. As such, less costly options like Jordan Clarkson should be high on their radar, especially given how their bench doomed them in the playoffs.
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