The Philadelphia 76ers made a massive splash by convincing Paul George to join the franchise in free agency. It is not often a superstar changes team on the open market. George wanted a fourth year on his contract, and the Sixers were more than happy to offer a max deal to land a third star. Philly believes they can contend for a title, but every move has ripple effects.
The 76ers virtually cleared their books to create room. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were the only two players guaranteed to return. Landing PG-13 was massive, and Philadelphia has already convinced a few veterans to join him. Things are shaping up, but there depth is a serious question mark.
The 76ers have already lost multiple key rotation pieces in free agency. Will Daryl Morey be able to put enough talent around his star trio? There are more doubts after the latest news.
76ers depth took massive blow as Melton, Harris, and Batum depart in free agency
The Sixers lost De'Anthony Melton to the Warriors, Nic Batum to the Clippers, and Tobias Harris to the Pistons on July 1. All three played at least 25.9 minutes per game last season and had key moments helping Philly win. It is a significant setback for a franchise with their sights set on title contention.
The 76ers did re-sign Kelly Oubre Jr. to go with their additions of Paul George, Eric Gordon, and Andre Drummond. It gives them a solid top six, but Philadelphia needs more depth. They hope to bring back Kyle Lowry as their backup point guard and would love to add more talent in free agency.
The Sixers need perimeter defense, which made Melton's departure to Golden State hurt that much worse. He was limited to just 38 games last season by injury, but the 6'2 guard helped cover for Maxey's defensive woes in the backcourt. Melton is off to the Bay Area where he replaces Klay Thompson.
The Philadelphia 76ers have more work to do in free agency. They need seven more players to fill their roster and want, at minimum, two more nightly rotation options. The minimum market can move slow, so do not count out Daryl Morey yet. The signings may be on the horizon.
The Sixers will be a feared team in the Eastern Conference when healthy. Embiid and George have significant injury histories, but watch out if things break correctly. Philadelphia could make a deep playoff run and finally get over the hump.
Their depth will be a question. Hopefully, Morey and the front office have a couple more tricks up their sleeves to round things out. If not, the 76ers may face a similar fate to the 2024 Suns, and they will have nobody to blame but themselves.