Thanks to LeBron James choosing the 76ers as his next and final landing spot, Philly is now reckoned as one of, if not the definitive favorite, to win the championship next season. Getting the superstar, however, goes deeper than that, as his arrival might have actually saved the front office from having to settle for a shiny yet ill-fitting alternative –– DeMar DeRozan.
While there has not been a clear nexus between the 76ers and the former All-Star, DeRozan and LeBron were in the same boat, in that both players were big names who were expected to be available for cheap. That definitely was the case for James, who agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal to play for Philly. That should certainly be the same for DeRozan, who is already in the twilight of his career.
The 76ers just got saved by LeBron from having to consider going after DeMar DeRozan
After landing Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade early this offseason, the 76ers remained ambitious and were looking to double down on their suddenly sterling shot at contending for the title. That was the main premise for their intense pursuit of LeBron.
Had they failed on that front, the 76ers might've considered going after DeRozan, who remains one of the best players available in the open market despite his advanced age. Last season, he averaged 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per outing while still shooting nearly 50 percent from the field for the struggling Kings.
Having said that, DeRozan is quite an iffy player to fit next to what the 76ers already had on deck. While he is an above-average playmaker, he is nowhere near the caliber of James as a table-setter. He is clearly not a three-point shooter, either. Unlike LeBron, he is not someone who turns it up on the defensive end of the floor whenever he has to.
Scoring is DeRozan's lone bread and butter at this point in his career, but the problem is that the 76ers are already oozing with talented scorers. The way he does it, which is mainly from the mid-range, would only clog up the lane for the likes of Brown, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey.
At that point, the 76ers would have only gone after DeRozan for his name value, with actual fit being secondary. Fortunately, the team ended up with James, who simply offers way more even in his current form at 41 years old.
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