The Philadelphia 76ers have made a couple of really sleek moves in the free agency market as of late after the departure of one of their most vital players, but the front office still has a handful of things they have to address before they commence on-court preparations for the upcoming campaign.
Perhaps the most prominent one is the current impasse between the 76ers and Quentin Grimes. The restricted free agent has yet to agree to terms with the team on a new deal. Yet that is not the only obvious task that remains on the team’s to-do list this summer.
At this very juncture, Philly still does not have a compelling backup center for Joel Embiid. Andre Drummond remains on the roster, while it remains to be seen if Adem Bona can get the ball rolling as an entrenched backup to Embiid next season.
Fortunately, a certain big name might just be available for the franchise. The Bulls are reportedly shopping Nikola Vucevic even harder this offseason, and if they are unable to find a take for him, a buyout could be in the cards for the former All-Star.
The 76ers could pursue Nikola Vucevic if he is bought out by the Bulls to back Joel Embiid up
Vucevic previously has a well-known suitor in Golden State, but the Warriors have seemingly shifted their focus on going after free agent big man Al Horford. As such, Chicago is looking at a dry market for the Montenegrin. That is exactly the reason why a buyout is definitely an option for the Bulls and Vucevic’s camp.
If that buyout transpires, the 76ers should jump at the opportunity to pick Vucevic up. Despite his flaws, the 35-year-old remains a very productive big man. Last season, he averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per outing, shooting 53 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three-point country.
Vucevic has never been a strong rim protector, and his weaknesses have only been exacerbated by the Bulls’ lack of perimeter stoppers. But with a lesser workload and serving of court time if he goes to the 76ers, his deficiencies on that end will be tempered.
Embiid has needed a viable backup for a long time, and the sheer talent of Vucevic would allow him to spend less time on the court without a drastic drop-off in production at center, at least offensively. Even better, if Philly does snag him, the coaching staff will be further incentivized to give Embiid a lighter load and rest him as much as possible.
The Philadelphia 76ers need to stop name-hunting at this point, but given their needs, Nikola Vucevic — as a buyout option — should be an exception.