6. Signing Al Horford
The 76ers gave out some baffling contracts in the 2019 offseason. It was not just drastically overpaying to keep Tobias Harris or signing Ben Simmons to a massive five-year deal. They were also active in free agency to land Horford to a four-year $109 million contract.
Two key pieces of their 2019 run departed. J.J. Redick joined the Pelicans, and Jimmy Butler went to Miami in a sign-and-trade. The Sixers used that space to land Horford, but they made a stunning miscalculation on his fit next to Joel Embiid.
The 6’9 big man lasted just one season in Philly. His production dipped as the 76ers struggled to play their two big men together. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the only time from 2018 to 2023, and the Sixers gave up a first-rounder to dump Horford’s contract in the 2020 offseason.
The Sixers needed a wing shooter
Philadelphia needed shooting around Embiid and Simmons. They were stuck using Josh Richardson, Furkan Korkmaz, Alec Burks, Shake Milton, and Matisse Thybulle on the wings. Not exactly a star-studded group for a team with championship hopes.
The Sixers needed a Redick replacement. They were not landing a star, but adding a Bojan Bogdanovic or Terrence Ross would have saved Philadelphia some money and given them more floor balance. The 76ers went after the best possible talent, but Al Horford just did not fit.