Most signings have become official by now with the Philadelphia 76ers already having inked Paul George and company to new deals. One might think that the 2024 free agency is basically over with most top-end free agents now plucked off the market, but there are still a bunch of available players still looking to find a home for next season.
The 76ers front office have to stretch hard in the financial gymnastics side of things to fill out the roster, and while their main entries in their whiteboard are now off the board, here are five sleeper free agencts who make a ton of sense for the team.
5. Philadelphia’s own Marcus Morris would be a great minimum signing for the 76ers
Philadelphia native Marcus Morris Sr. played the first half of last season with the 76ers before getting shipped at the trade deadline. But despite playing a more meager role than before, he was an active part of Nick Nurse’s rotation, playing as a backup forward and a small-ball center in spurts.
Still unsigned, the 76ers should explore the possibility of bringing the 13-year veteran in as a minimum signing, which they will have to fully utilize moving forward. While not a starting caliber forward anymore, he still brings reliable spot-up three-point shooting (40.3 percent last season), size at a position of need, and a gritty presence in the locker room.
Outside of Paul George, the team only have undersized wings masquerading as forwards. Morris may not be an ideal key rotation piece for a team that wants to contend for a championship, but his skill set is pretty easy to integrate anyway, and fans would definitely love to root for another hometown hero.
4. Dennis Smith Jr. provides nice insurance at PG
The backup point guard role remains a hazy proposition for Philadelphia. Ricky Council IV seems like the man for the job as of speaking, a culmination of Jared McCain being more of an off-guard and the 76ers still not re-upping Kyle Lowry and Cameron Payne, their two main guards off the bench last season.
Philly is still likely to go after either of those two, so they cannot afford to get all expensive for a depth insurance. One player they can put the laser on in this regard is Dennis Smith Jr., a former lottery pick who has managed to carve out a nice niche role for himself after stagnating for quite a while.
As a member of the Nets last season, the 26-year-old guard supplied a nightly dose of terrific on-ball defense. The 76ers would definitely love any semblance of perimeter defense to complement their offense-oriented stars, and while his scoring skills still haven’t panned out, he wouldn’t need to be an offensive savant anyway for a team hoarded with scorers.
3. Jae Crowder is a harmless option for the 76ers at forward
To piggyback their need for depth at the forward positions, the 76ers face an open market that’s literally riddled with inexpensive options to man the role. Another veteran to watch out for is Jae Crowder, who played a major role for the Milwaukee Bucks last season as their resident 3-and-D forward.
At 34, Crowder is no longer the uber-switchable defensive piece he was, but he remains more than a serviceable stopper, especially against rangier wings. His three-point shot declined last season, but he’s just a year away from canning 43.6 percent of his treys. Him regaining his shot at least at a league-average clip isn’t vain hope.
It remains to be seen whether or not Crowder will be amenable to settling for less money than he’s used to, but at this point in his career, a steady role for a title contender on a fast rise could entice him to come over to Philadelphia.
2. Lonnie Walker IV could help abate the team’s lack of backcourt size
While not a pressing need, the 76ers have so few financial legroom remaining that taking on possible reclamation projects shouldn’t be a cause for derision. Nick Nurse isn’t exactly a development guru, but there’s a good chance that taking a flier on some lesserknown commodities could pay off as long as they operate in an ideal environment.
Take Lonnie Walker IV for example. While being obviously talented, he’s struggle carving out a consistent role. Last season for the struggling Nets, he played just 17.4 minutes per outing, his lowest mark as a professional since his sophomore year with the Spurs.
The 76ers should arguably take a flier on the uber-athletic guard. While he’s had problems efficiency-wise, his shot is far from broken. Even in a repressed role, Walker registered a career-high in three-pointers made per game, and that could incentivize a team to take him as a bench piece, especially those in need of inexpensive options like Philadelphia.
1. Cedi Osman could be the Batum replacement the 76ers need
While not necessarily an intolerable exit, Nicolas Batum’s shocking departure takes away a cerebral connector for the 76ers. His numbers suggest pretty replaceable production, but in practice, the Frenchman was such a perfect glue guy on both ends for a team that lacked composure in the half-court for the most part.
Batum’s basketball IQ, connective passing, and three-point shooting will be missed, but a nice pivot for Philly would be Cedi Osman, who is now likely to find a new home this summer after spending the previous campaign as a key bench piece for Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs.
While the Spurs were terrible last season, Osman actually played well all year long. His defensive miscues aside, he’s a terrific off-ball operator who’s particularly adept at finding holes to exploit against opposing defenses with his precise cutting and above-average three-point shooting. He’s also a good passer, and should fit within a 76ers team dynamic that needs smoothening at the edges.