After losing Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, the Philadelphia 76ers are left with a major void to fill. After all, the Frenchman was a huge part of the team last season thanks to his sheer versatility on both ends of the floor. Unfortunately, the money led him to New York this offseason, prematurely cutting off his stint in Philly.
The 76ers immediately responded after losing Yabusele to a fierce rival in the Knicks by signing the likes of Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, and Dominick Barlow, but two of those players are on two-way deals. In all honesty, the team does not have anyone of the same ilk as Yabusele, which spells trouble for the team’s front court rotation next season.
Fortunately for the 76ers, the offseason is technically still alive and kicking. And even if the free agency market had dried up completely, the front office can always bring some more players in excess of the maximum ahead of training camp.
And in that case, what better way to utilize that roster spot than to sign someone who can actually help the team directly by being a potential replacement for Yabusele, right? Enter Trey Lyles.
76ers could look at signing Trey Lyles in free agency to replace Guerschon Yabusele
One of the many players who are surprisingly still available for plucking in the open market is Trey Lyles. The 10-year journeyman, who spent the last four years of his career in Sacramento, still does not have a home next season thanks to the market for more conventional power forwards drying up pretty quickly.
However, the 76ers are one of the few teams that can offer a sensible fit for Lyles. A stretch-four with solid rebounding skills and good court vision, Lyles can most certainly man the role played by Yabusele last season, albeit in spurts.
The team’s power forward rotation is a bit crowded at the moment, but training camp will be a very useful platform to allow them to realize which players would be in their best interests to keep on the roster. That should make Lyles a worthwhile cog to take a flier on, especially in an audition-like setting.
Even better, Trey Lyles will not cost an arm and a leg for the Philadelphia 76ers, making him one of the best possible additions to the roster at this very juncture of the offseason with training camp also coming up.