It is a new season, yet the same issue persists for the 76ers. Just a dozen games into the season, their longstanding issue with the center position off the bench has persisted, leaving them gasping for more depth even at this juncture. That being said, the front office should be judicious in looking for answers despite their limited options in the free agency market. For that reason, they should probably be thankful to the Kings for taking Mason Plumlee off the market.
As reported, Sacramento has signed Plumlee to a non-guaranteed contract. However, the addition of the 13-year veteran to the struggling Kings squad easily raises a lot of eyebrows due to his clear misfit with the group. And given his age and waning effectiveness, the 76ers should probably feel fortunate that he is no longer an option for them in the open market.
76ers just dodged a potential Mason Plumlee mistake thanks to the Kings
Plumlee has made a living in the NBA as one of the more serviceable big men out there, but it has been a couple of years since he was a rotation-caliber player. Last season, he split time between the Hornets and the Spurs, seeing just 172 minutes of court time for the entire campaign.
At 36 years of age and with a considerably long track record of injuries, it would be quite counterintuitive for the 76ers to settle on Plumlee as their depth insurance at center. Soon enough, the front office will be able to bring in a reinforcement at the position, but the veteran is simply not an ideal option for them for obvious reasons.
Plumlee is a solid defender and rebounder with a court sense better than most big men, but the 76ers need some more variance in skill sets if they are adding a different center anyway. He is no longer durable enough to be counted on as a board-crasher, and he has never really been a scorer, something the team would love to have on a bench big man.
Given the urgency of the situation despite the dearth of options, there is a world out there where Mason Plumlee remains available for taking and the 76ers bite into him as their newest addition. Thankfully, the Kings –– as sound and astute as they are –– had already taken the veteran off the market and ultimately, out of the question for Philadelphia.
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