The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to bring on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope after parting ways with the veteran center, Johni Broome. After cutting ties with a big man when the center depth already looked thin, it's clear the Sixers' next order of business will have to be figuring out the backup center spot.
If Adem Bona or Ariel Hukporti prove they can take the next step and convince the Sixers they don't have to add extra bodies at the position, that would be great. In the event they can't, it's obvious the Sixers will have to look for a big to take on that 15th spot later in the year.
Philadelphia's rival out in New York had their eyes on the New Orleans Pelicans big man Yves Missi before they made the pivot to Andre Drummond. That could end up being a path the Sixers can copy, as the Knicks' early arrival to Missi's market led to being denied.
Yves Missi is a name to keep an eye on
The 22-year-old center doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. That gives the Sixers an opportunity to truly try out Bona and Hukporti without pulling the plug in a panic. All they can do is keep their eye on Missi's progress, since the Pelicans are playing stubborn with every player not named Jordan Hawkins.
After one season at Baylor in 2023-2024, where Missi played 34 games and averaged 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds, he was getting some lottery love during his pre-draft process. Missi was a player the Sixers showed a notable level of interest in at the time. The Sixers ultimately passed on him and acquired Jared McCain out of Duke with the No. 16 pick.
Now, there's more than pre-draft workouts in Camden on tape for the Sixers to see. As a rookie, Missi started 67 out of 73 games for the Pelicans. He put up 9.1 points per game on 54.7% shooting from the field, while coming down with 8.2 rebounds per game and blocking 1.3 shots per game.
During his sophomore effort, Missi was placed in a reserve role. He saw the court for 19.7 minutes and produced averages of 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. He had a taste of roles as a starter and a bench player, and samples were intriguing enough to have the champions looking at him. The Sixers should be waiting in that line as well.
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