All eyes are currently on the amazing basketball happening at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Philadelphia 76ers have someone to put the laser on with Joel Embiid suiting up for Team USA in Paris, but circling back to the league, the front office still has some work to do before training camp opens.
As constructed, the 76ers still have a couple of openings to fill in their standard roster. Depth is not a strong suit of this team, and the higher-ups can address that by bringing in a slew of players who could audition during training camp. Luckily for them, while the free agency market is almost dry at this juncture, here are five untapped role players they can still sign.
5. Oshae Brissett can help deepen a thin 76ers forward rotation
The 76ers did well rebounding from the mass exodus of their forwards by signing Paul George and Caleb Martin and re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr., but outside of the nine-time All-Star, the squad will be outsized on a nightly basis at the important position. Neither Martin nor Oubre are defensive liabilities, but they would have to beat getting outmuscled just to survive as stoppers.
Philadelphia will inevitably need to go through Boston, New York, and Milwaukee –– three teams that parade All-Star forwards. And banking on George as the go-to response against their stars would be a dangerous proposition given his injury history and offensive burden. Enter Oshae Brissett, the seldom-used forward for the Celtics last season who still lived up to his billing as a defensive-minded sieve.
The 6'7" Brissett rarely saw the court for Boston. Nevertheless, he looked great defensively in the sparse minutes he was given, often getting deployed as a very capable switch defender who can guard nearly all positions. His three-point shooting needs a lot of work, but he's just a few years removed from being a functional weapon on that end when he played consistent minutes for Indiana.
4. Damian Jones brings vertical spacing and additional insurance at center
Not to sound like a broken record, but Philadelphia has no business settling for whatever cushion they managed to install behind Joel Embiid. The oft-injured superstar is not getting any younger, making it a near-imperative for the coaching staff to soften his load as much as possible during the regular season.
Andre Drummond and Adem Bona make for much better depth pieces at center after last season's mini-disaster with both Paul Reed and Mo Bamba struggling consistency-wise. Having said that, depth is always sapped at the instance of an injury, meaning that when Embiid misses outings, the 76ers would rely solely on that tandem. That can still inspire some fright value.
To double down on their depth at center, the 76ers should take a look at Damian Jones, a journeyman center who has bounced around the league. Outside of a cameo appearance for a couple of Warriors championship teams, he's become a common target for teams in need of bolstering at center,a dn with the vertical spacing and high-percentage finishing ability he provides, he's basically a harmless addition on the margins.
3. Davis Bertans is a one-trick pony the 76ers can get behind
Offense is not something the 76ers desperately need augmenting at, but addressing every weak spot is never a bad idea. For Philly, that is three-point shooting frequency –– an area they lagged behind most of their contemporaries last season due to their lack of high-volume shooters outside of Tyrese Maxey and a quarter-season of Buddy Hield.
If the rumors are to be believed, the 76ers seem to be eyeing just that. According to a recent spill, the front office is interested in signing Davis Bertans. The veteran sharpshooter is yet to find a new home after getting axed by the Hornets, and his pre-Olympic duties have also prevented hhimi from being more proactive on the transaction table.
While Bertans has been an afterthought since his one-year wonder in Washington, one cannot deny his pure three-point shooting prowess. Despite his mind-boggling volume, even in limited minutes and with meager heating time, he's a career 39.6 percent shooter and is great at relocating around the perimeter to make drive-and-kick actions easier. His shooting would give Nick Nurse another toy to play with off the bench when the team needs a spark or an emergency three-point shot.
2. A reunion with Thaddeus Young will bolster the locker room even more
Contenders often fill the final roster spots by taking on veterans with tons of mileage who may not necessarily play much, if at all. The 76ers can afford to be that kind of team at this point, though there are still aged veterans in the market who can play in short spurts when needed and actually contribute while being a positive presence in the locker room.
A name, you say? Look no further than Thaddeus Young, a 17-year veteran who spent the first seven years of his career as a Sixer. He remains untapped after a sporadic appearance last season for both Toronto and Phoenix which makes his flame almost fully extinguished at this point.
While not a priority addition by any means, the 76ers would be a snug fit for Young. He won't be counted on to play a lot of minutes, if at all, but he is a reliable hand who can score in the post, defend with his great instincts, and act as a playmaking hub out of the post. For a third fiddle who can still be a great mentor to anyone on the team, those are nice add-ons to have.
1. Cedi Osman would be a perfect vet minimum addition to the 76ers
No matter what happens, Philadelphia should burden itself with adding another forward to the roster before opening night. They cannot approach the season with a thin deck on that board and force natural swingmen to play as switchable tweeners in the front court.
One of the better-quality players still available for plucking, Cedi Osman would be a very savvy addition for the 76ers at the veteran's minimum. He's coming off a season in San Antonio where he was a rotation staple all year long and a productive second-fiddle for the most part, finishing the year as one of the Spurs' most reliable three-point shooters and connectors for a team that sheerly lacked both.
Osman brings little to the table defensively, but a better cast with a win-now disposition could help him become a positive on that end once again. And perhaps more importantly, he's only 29 years old, something an aging roster like the 76ers would –– and should –– embrace to strengthen the pillars for an injury-prone squad in need of functional depth.