It will not take more than a just a mere glance for anyone –– even the most casual, untrained eye –– to formulate the opinion that the Philadelphia 76ers have one of the most loaded starting fives in the entire association. So, how is it that they are now on the brink of seeing their campaign end in yet another deflating fashion? Well, the answer is easy –– this team does not have much beyond its opening group.
As has been the case for the most part in the Joel Embiid era, the 76ers are held back to a great degree by their lack of depth. Their bench remains a huge liability for them, and their lack of playable personnel in high-stakes settings has once again been on full display in the postseason. That is probably the main reason why the Knicks are now closing in on a clean 4-0 sweep in their semifinals affair.
Unfortunately, there is really no clear way for the 76ers to mitigate this issue and finally put a governor to this longstanding problem. After all, with so much money already earmarked for their core players, they can only spend so much to fill the roster with quality role players. Financially speaking, there is no fixing their bench woes.
The 76ers have an unfixable issue due to their bench
Between Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, the 76ers already have a very muddled and top-heavy pay roll that will severely hamper their ability to bring in high-end role players. All three are on maximum deals, and that will only keep piling up moving forward.
VJ Edgecombe is still in his rookie deal, but with him getting entrenched as a foundational piece for the franchise, the front office will want to secure him the moment he is eligible. That casts away any opportunity for relief when, say, George's deal expires.
Just in the coming offseason, the 76ers will have to pay Kelly Oubre Jr. as well. After all, the veteran forward has become way too important for the team to let him walk away for nothing. Unless he gives the team another discount (which is unlikely, if not unfair), he is bound to cost a considerable lot.
So, really, where do the 76ers even start when it comes to fixing their bench? Well, they can rely on the draft and bank on younger players (as long as they don't pull another Jared McCain situation) to fill the roster or settle with cheap veterans looking for another home. That being said, those are not surefire ways to bolster their bench. They need quality depth pieces, and free agency is the best way to recruit those players.
As such, the 76ers are most likely not going to be able to fix their longstanding issue when it comes to depth, at least for now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google