Just a couple of days following the trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers followed up and went on to pluck Kyle Lowry from the buyout market — an expected, yet a much needed addition as the team gears up for an arduous playoff push.
Lowry landing in Philly has been weeks in the making, as he was immediately linked to the 76ers following his trade out of Miami to Charlotte in the Terry Rozier deal. Now, the former All-Star, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, gets his chance at a homecoming and a reunion with his former GM Daryl Morey and recent club coach in Nick Nurse, whom he shared a championship with in Toronto five years ago.
Updated 76ers roster and depth chart following the Kyle Lowry signing
SF: Nicolas Batum, Kelly Oubre Jr., KJ Martin
PF: Tobias Harris, Robert Covington, Kenneth Lofton Jr. (TW)
C: Joel Embiid, Paul Reed, Mo Bamba
SG: Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, Ricky Council IV (TW)
PG: Tyrese Maxey, Kyle Lowry, Cameron Payne, Terquavion Smith (TW)
The 76ers currently have two of their projected starters out of commission due to injuries, though Batum is day-to-day with a hamstring issue. Embiid remains sidelined until at least a month following a procedure on his left meniscus.
Lowry is expected to man the point for the second unit, though Payne, who was acquired for Patrick Beverley on the deadline, should remain a key player off the bench. The six-time All-Star will bring much-needed playmaking juice to a 76ers backcourt littered with score-first guards and reliable three-point shooting (38.5 percent this season) to a team currently draining the fourth-least triples per game.
In addition, Hield, who has stood out since his acquisition, should remain in the starting unit over Melton even when he’s healthy. Oubre Jr. should reprise his primary role off the bench when Batum returns from his nagging hamstring issue. Meanwhile, in the absence of a big man addition, Reed will continue to start at center on the interim.