Free agency will be extra important for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason. With so many of their players potentially headed for the open market, the front office has the perfect opportunity to implement a lot of changes on the roster. They cannot screw things up this time around, especially after the playoffs gave them a vivid reminder of what their lineup is sorely missing.
One clear weakness of this squad right now is perimeter defense. The 76ers do not have a lot of players out in the perimeter who can turn it up on the defensive end. That makes it imperative for the front office to go out and sign better defenders for the team, and to that effect, one name they could zoom in on is Keon Ellis.
Ellis, who split time with the Sacramento Kings and the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, has sort of become an enigma. His role has fluctuated so much that even fans of other teams have come to wonder what was going on with him. Nevertheless, he brings so much to the table on the defensive end, and that should be more than sufficient for the 76ers to rack up their interest on him.
The 76ers should go out and target Keon Ellis in free agency to bolster their defense
Thanks to Ellis seeing his role change so much this season, his price tag is widely believed to be a modest one. The 76ers do not have much financial ammo to go around free agents this summer, so that makes the guard a good player to target for the front office.
Ellis is a prototypical 3-and-D guard who can assume a heavy load on the defensive end without needing to make up for his increased exposure with more touches on offense. Philly, already loaded with talented shot creators who need the ball in their hands, is in dire need of high-impact players who do not need the rock to be viable enough to stay on the floor.
A lot has been said about Ellis' lack of offensive acuity, but there is some useful utility in his game. He is a career 40.7 percent three-point shooter, which should be attractive for a team like the 76ers which was at the bottom of the league in nearly all three-point shooting metrics this season.
There is some credence to the argument that fans are overestimating Ellis, but the 76ers have a succinct need for his skill set. Hopefully, the stars will align in free agency, and the team would indeed have him on their whiteboard and he comes along for the ride.
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