Aside from signing a superstar player this summer, the Philadelphia 76ers will have to push on creating a core that can win a championship around their stars. Any NBA team with a real chance on the title needs veteran leadership, and Philly lacked it in instances from their veteran players. This summer, with a lot of cap space in place, the Sixers will have the chance to fix the issue
NBA has been star-ridden league, but, creating a mix of talented and experience players is the key in today's roster building. It is clear that Philadelphia remains an attractive project despite their shortcomings in the playoffs and bringing in veterans that can lift the team in the postseason is a major goal for the franchise.
For now, Daryl Morey and the rest of the front office is focused on bringing in a third-string star alongside Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. However, they will have to start to look in the market on ways they can present a team that is ready to win big next season. Thus, here three veteran free agents the Sixers should look into this summer.
1.Tyus Jones
Tyus Jones has been one of the best back-up point guards in the league alongside former 76er TJ McConnell. The Duke product made his name during his time with the Memphis Grizzlies backing up superstar guard Ja Morant. Though, his size has been a limiting factor in what he can offer especially in defense, Jones is one of the most turnover-free players in the league.
He has more than 601 games under his belt playing for Minnesota, Memphis and Washington through his nine years in the league. More importantly, he put up averages of 7.4 points and 4.3 assists, shooting 36.7% from deep and 44.5% from the field. He averages less than 1.0 turnovers in his NBA career even last season when he played for the Wizards he only had 1.0 turnover per game.
Tyus Jones is 2nd in the NBA in floaters per game (3.4) and is shooting a career-best 54% on them
— Yashwant (Yash) Sathish Kumar (@Mathketball1) December 16, 2023
He'll hit 'em off one/both feet from anywhere in the paint & drifting any direction. Gets these exclusively out of PNR but has mastered setting up screens to create space to shoot pic.twitter.com/OvamHwvW8B
Considering that those numbers came in a bad team and the Sixers' turnover issues especially late in the game, Jones might be the answer to their problems. Jones played a lot alongside Morant during his time with the Grizzlies and he can be perfect in the same role alongside Tyrese Maxey. The former Minnesota guard wasn't able to save the Wizards from a poor year, but he's capable to fit perfectly in Philadelphia.
Despite his team's poor season, Jones did his part by putting up a career-high 12.0 points and 7.3 assists in 29.3 minutes through 66 appearances. He also shot a career-high 48.9% from the field in a career-most 10.1 attempts, and made 41.4% of his threes.