The Philadelphia 76ers have a long list of need to address in free agency. After the kind of season they had, expecting them to jump right back into the championship loop would be incredibly unrealistic, especially since this teeam has much more pressing concerns that even having a lot of talent cannot solve.
Playmaking is one of them. Ever since James Harden skipped town, the 76ers have had a complete dearth of bona fide table-setters. As currently constructed, the team will be relying heavily on Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain to generate shots for others — a bold burden to place on two natural score-first backcourt assassins.
That is is precisely the reason why the 76ers should zoom in on someone like Chis Paul in free agency. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer appears to still be interested in playing, and given that his price tag is not expected to be lucrative, he definitely has the makings of a perfect target for the front office.
Chris Paul spurns 76ers after demanding the impossible
Unfortunately, it seems like the 76ers have no more shot at signing Paul in free agency. The 40-year-old recently bared what would dictate his next move this summer after a one-year stint with the San Antonio Spurs, effectively ruling out the team from contention for his services.
Paul said that his family will primarily dictate his next landing spot, and that easily rules out any possibility of him going to Philadelphia. A Los Angeles native, that that would mean that he will only be considering teams in close proximity to his home city, and that is certainly not Philly.
The 76ers could have used Paul as the perfect mentor and on-court stabilizer. Despite his age, he still proved himself as a top-notch playmaker this season, leading the Spurs despite numerous unfortunate incidents that dawned on the team.
Now, the front office will have to be on the lookout for the next proven playmaker on the market. While Daryl Morey and his crew has made a pledge to go younger, the point guard position, especially off the bench, is a role that could be best fulfilled by a more proven commodity.
With Chris Paul off the table, the Philadelphia 76ers will have to shift their focus to some of the more understated, yet realistic options for them in the market. They already have some in-house options they can proceed with, which is exactly what they need at present.