5 Unpopular free agents who could become game-changers for the 76ers

4. Keita Bates-Diop is a highly underrated option for the 76ers

Speaking of players wasted on the directionless Nets, Keita Bates-Diop was another victim of circumstance this season. After puzzlingly playing sparsely for the Suns early on, he was traded to Brooklyn only to find himself surrounded with players of the same archetype.

While the 76ers fan beside you probably have the faintest idea of who Bates-Diop is, the 28-year-old is a serviceable, low-usage role player who can effectively fill in the 3-and-D role in short spurts. He was particularly effective as a plug-and-play piece for Gregg Popovich in 2022-23, and with more court time, there’s no reason to believe that he can’t replicate that kind of solid and controlled production.

As someone who can switch on defense and play the role of connector offensively, KBD could be a good, inexpensive replacement to the oft-injured and less effective Robert Covington. Unlike the latter, Bates-Diop knows how to pick his spots, cut through open lanes, and read the defense instead of standing idly as a trigger man beyond the arc.