With the 2023-24 regular season almost on its final leg, the Philadelphia 76ers appear to be set with their current roster, especially following the addition of veteran guard Kyle Lowry. However, the team actually still has the means to open a roster spot if needed, giving the front office some legroom to make an upgrade as they prepare for the postseason.
In fact, the latest intel points to the 76ers being one of the favorites to sign this veteran from the buyout market, which will continue to be an active train as the deadline for players to sign with teams expected to be in the playoffs comes near.
NBA Rumors: 76ers are favorites to sign veteran from the buyout market
Veteran big Mike Muscala, who started the season with the Washington Wizards before getting traded to the Pistons prior to the deadline, has agreed to a buyout with Detroit, making him eligible for the playoffs with his next club. He is expected to command heavy interest from teams in the playoff picture.
Having said that, the 76ers are being touted as one of the favorites to land Muscala as a buyout signee.
Keep an eye on the 76ers, Thunder, and Suns as three potential landing spots for Mike Muscala.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) February 28, 2024
All three teams have an open roster spot and would benefit from adding a big man who can space the floor. A reunion in OKC would be poetic for Muscala.
Muscala, an 11-year journeyman, notably played in Philadelphia for the first half of the 2018-19 season before being shipped before that year’s trade deadline. Since then, he’s hopped from team-to-team, but has managed to carve a consistent role as a stretch four.
The 32-year-old may not be the 76ers’ ideal solution for their thin depth at the big man position with Joel Embiid sidelined, but he’s a more tenable option than anyone on the roster not named Paul Reed or Mo Bamba. A career 37.6 percent three-point shooter, he is a very effective floor spacer who offers some physicality at the 4 spot and mobility at the 5 in spurts.
Philly has a handful of rangy forwards they can theoretically surround Muscala with to abate his defensive shortcomings, and he would be a nice depth piece for a team that has often looked directionless on the scoring end without Embiid.
Ultimately, Mike Muscala’s fate this season should be finalized in the coming days, and the Philadelphia 76ers can be counted on as a realistic destination for the longtime role player.