While it’s still too early to predict how the Philadelphia 76ers will maneuver around in the offseason, their sheer spending power has raked in big expectations as they attempt to retool the roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Touted as the team with the most cap space approaching the summer, the 76ers will have an ample selection of free agents to choose from. But having said that, this franchise is all too familiar with signing that eventually fail to pan out, so it might be in their best interests to avoid these five players at all costs.
5 Free agents the Philadelphia 76ers should avoid at all costs this offseason
1. Gordon Hayward — SF/PF
The 76ers were previously linked to Gordon Hayward before the season began (and its early juncture), and while the Hornets eventually moved him, it was the Thunder that ultimately acquired the former All-Star’s services.
Hayward will enter free agency this summer, but Philadelphia should once again let destiny lapse them on this front. The veteran remains a serviceable role player, but he’s far from a game-changer at this point in his career — something Oklahoma City is aware of given the way they’re utilizing him since the trade.
The soon-to-be 34-year-old can still function as an offensive fastener, scoring on the tertiary and facilitating on the secondary, and his basketball wits and length veer him away from being a defensive liability. Unfortunately, this is a player who has routinely missed huge chunks of seasons due to injury, and considering that his price tag will remain considerable, the 76ers shouldn’t be the haven for him to end his career.