3 Teams that could give the 76ers a run for their money in free agency

Fans and pundits alike expect the Philadelphia 76ers to be on top of the free agency leaderboard this offseason. As repeatedly mentioned before, only one team stands to have more spending power than them — the main reason behind their many linkages with expensive commodities in the rumor mill for the past few months.

Touting a mammtoh cap space doesn’t necessarily mean a monopoly in the market, though. There are also those under win-now edicts who could throw the 76ers a curveball. Here are three teams that could ultimately give them a run for their money in free agency.

1. The Thunder could be the biggest obstacle to the 76ers

Oklahoma City wowed everyone this season by finishing as the No. 1 seed in an extremely tough and deep Western Conference. Powered by a young core that should ensure they remain perennial contenders from here on out, the scarier thing is that they could open up to $35 million in cap space this summer that they can use to get significant roster upgrades.

The Thunder bowed down to the fifth-seeded and eventual West champs, with the Mavericks exploiting their biggest weakness: their lack of frontcourt size and rebounding. Despite OKC’s rabid defense and efficient shot-making, Dallas’ big men simply outmuscled them up front, making it one of their biggest priorities heading into the offseason.

Having said that, addressing that need wouldn’t require them to break the bank. What could prompt that, however, is if they try to consolidate some of their flippable assets, which include their league-leading war chest of draft picks and Josh Giddey, in addition to their cap space, to absorb a third star who could be on the 76ers’ radar. It’s pretty feasible.