The Philadelphia 76ers have one more roster spot open at this juncture, but right now, they do not have the means to fill it up. As such, they are left powerless, watching teams snag role players who can actually help their cause and bolster their depth. Case in point? Look no further than John Konchar, an underrated veteran guard and defender who now heads to a major rival in the Knicks to the tune of a bargain-bin deal.
After bringing in free agents like LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the 76ers only have around $1.8 million left to spend in the open market to fill up their last roster spot, barring any additional move. Given that the front office has not discarded anyone on the current roster, that figure is not even enough for a veteran's minimum deal, taking them out of the race for someone like Konchar right from the get-go.
The 76ers missed out on an underrated defender in John Konchar
New York had been contemplating bringing Konchar into the fold over the last few days, and they finally pulled the trigger, signing the veteran to a one-year deal. Now, the reigning NBA champions add to their armory of guards with the 30-year-old, who brings intangibles and hard-nosed defense to a Knicks team that thrived as a rugged unit in the postseason en route to the title. Meanwhile, the 76ers saw another underrated defender slip past them.
Make no mistake –– the 76ers not having the opportunity to sign Konchar, who is admittedly an NBA journeyman, is not a real tide-shifter. That being said, Philly does not really need any more ground-breaking additions at this point. If anything, the front office should be in the business of pursuing low-usage players who can affect the game beyond the box score. Konchar is a good example of someone of that ilk.
Konchar is not a scorer by any means. He is also just a league-average shooter from beyond the arc. Heck, even his playmaking falls short of someone who can be pegged as a table-setter. Be that as it may, his defensive acuity is something that cannot be denied. He is also a very physical wing who has no problems sacrificing his body on the floor to grab loose balls and corrall rebounds.
With a roster teeming with score-first catalysts, the 76ers would have savored having a low-maintenance player off the bench in Konchar. While Kentavious Caldwell-Pope brings roughly the same things on a more proven and secure package, Philly is not exactly a known evader from the injury bug. A depth insurance piece like Konchar, whom the coaching staff can plug into different lineup combinations, would have been well worth it for their final roster spot.
Unfortunately, given the 76ers' cap situation, they will most likely have to accept that ideal end-of-the-bench players like John Konchar will keep slipping past them. Sure, that will not be controlling in their title bid, but if the push comes to shove due to injuries and whatnot, the team could regret not having enough flexibility to make such additions.
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