On the surface, the acquisition of former Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry appears to be a move of desperation by general manager Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers. However, this could be the mould of player that the franchise requires as they make a tilt towards a place in the postseason.
The 76ers signed Terry to a two-way deal that will occupy the spot Dominick Barlow vacated after being rewarded with a permanent contract for his impressive performances this season. This is a parallel that Philadelphia will be desperately praying they will draw to Terry's situation come the end of the campaign.
After being selected 22nd overall by the Bulls in 2022, the 23-year-old has struggled to establish himself as an integral part of the franchise's rotation. Throughout his career, Terry has averaged 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Yes, the numbers make for pretty grim reading, but as we have seen with the emergence of Barlow, a player's production can be situational rather than being based purely on talent.
Terry's attributes can fill a hole in Philadelphia's roster
Coming out of college, Dalen Terry's versatility was considered one of his most intriguing assets -- creating the perception that his skill set would be perfect for an effective role player. After Barlow's promotion and the unexpected trade that resulted in Jared McCain departing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Sixers are desperate to find an impactful bench player who can inject energy into their secondary unit. Terry is more than capable of making this necessity a reality.
When playing for Arizona, Terry was utilised in both the frontcourt and the backcourt, highlighting that he can slot into head coach Nick Nurse's favoured starting five lineup, including Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Barlow, and Kelly Oubre Jr. Additionally, if Nurse decides to switch to a small ball lineup, depending on the opposition, Terry's attributes suggest this approach would be a seamless transition for him.
His second and final year in the NCAA was far from sensational, but it provided the most evidence that Terry's time in Philadelphia can bode some form of success. Over 37 games, Terry averaged eight points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Most importantly, his defensive enthusiasm was a staple of what made Arizona so effective. His ability to disrupt passing lanes, tie up opponents, and be intelligent enough to fit into a system bigger than himself established him as an attractive prospect for the future.
The main issue Philadelphia has with this acquisition is that Terry's upside is purely hypothetical at this point. Pinning hopes of a player's improvement solely on Dominick Barlow's reinvention is a risk that they now must make due to the pool of free agents they can choose from.
Dalen Terry possesses all of the attributes to become an important rotational piece for the Philadelphia 76ers, and also provides the roster with some much-needed depth after the front office sanctioned some questionable decisions at the trade deadline. As of now, this acquisition makes complete sense for the franchise; whether the same conclusion will be drawn come the end of the NBA season is another matter.