The Philadelphia 76ers face a slew of pressing needs they can no longer afford to ignore as they slowly creep into the coming offseason. One particular area they have to reinforce is their depth at the center position, especially with Joel Embiid under a pretty stern and conservative preservation program at this point in his career.
To that end, one player the 76ers could quietly laser in on is one all too familiar to the franchise –– Nikola Vucevic. Unbeknownst to the younger fans, the veteran big man was actually drafted by the team in the 2011 draft as the 16th overall pick. He spent just one season in Philly, but he went on to have a very impressive career.
Vucevic had just wrapped up his 15th season in the league, and most signals point to him going for at least one more year. He started the year off playing relatively well for the Bulls, but he was eventually traded to the Celtics at the deadline. Unfortunately, Boston ended up giving him a very minor role he is not accustomed to, and his production dipped big time.
The 76ers could reunite with Nikola Vucevic to shore up their depth at center
The two-time All-Star did not put up great numbers in Boston, but his role was way too limiting for him to be able to fully showcase his skills. A change of scenery will definitely benefit him, and with him already in the twilight of his career, a return to the team that drafted him could pique his interest.
It is not sentimental value that it at stake here, though. The 76ers badly need another playable body at center who can fill some of the void that Embiid leaves when he is sidelined or resting, especially on the scoring end. Vucevic, who has averaged 17.1 points in his career, is certainly someone who fits the bill.
The Montenegrin big man can be a focal point of the offense off the bench with his post-up scoring and outside shooting. More importantly, he can slide into the starting unit when Embiid is not present. While not a lot can be expected of him on the defensive end, one can argue that the 76ers need more sources of scoring at this juncture, especially off the bench.
Vucevic will be an unrestricted free agent, and having already made a ton of money in his career, he is most likely going to be amenable to a cheaper agreement. For those reasons, the 76ers should want to seek a reunion with him, and given the fit, the feeling should be mutual.
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