As of writing, the Philadelphia 76ers still have a total of seven roster spots to fill, a considerable number for a team that has already made a barrage of signings in free agency. While most, if not all them have been favorable moves, the quantity falls short of what it needs to be, giving the front office a tall task for the coming weeks.
Luckily, the 76ers still have some cap space to work with, though splitting that up to seven players at the maximum would be a tedious trek financially. But no matter what happens, the team must avoid these five free agents who are still available for taking.
5. The 76ers must resist the Gordon Hayward temptation
Even after adding Paul George and re-upping Kelly Oubre Jr., Philly remains lacking depth-wise in the forward position. While their options in the market remain attractive, most players linked to the team are not expected to come cheap, which is a pretty sizeable risk to swallow.
One player who stands out in the books, at least when viewing it from last season’s vantage point, is Gordon Hayward. He’s definitely not going to command a handsome offer at this point, making the former All-Star an intriguing prospect for teams like the 76ers who need more juice at the tweener role.
Not so fast. As tempting as Hayward is, there’s little reason to believe that he can still be a productive player on a nightly basis. His Oklahoma City stint, one where he became virtually unplayable, is a testament to that. Couple that with his perennially nagging injuries, and you’ve got for yourself a name to avoid moving forward.