You have to be a flat-out hater or an actual person in coma if you fail or refuse to acknowledge the well-known fact that the Philadelphia 76ers emerged as the biggest winners this offseason. No team has had more impactful additions, and the team easily made a leap in the Eastern Conference, at least on paper.
Now, the 76ers aren’t as spotless as they can be, but they already seem to have an inside track toward usurping last season’s disappointing finish. They still have a couple of open roster spots they may want to exhaust, though, leaving the front office with some more important work to do before training camp opens a couple of months from now.
The front office is doing exactly that, but a new intel out of Philadelphia has them either pulling off a blunder or a masterclass.
76ers pursuing Davis Bertans could be a huge mistake or a genius play
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, a well-known 76ers insider, the team is eyeing Davis Bertans for their 14th roster spot. The team needs functional bodies to deepen an otherwise thin forward rotation, and the veteran sharpshooter has remained unsigned this offseason.
Pursuing Bertans, however, is a big gambit for Philadelphia. On one hand, he’s a pretty lethal, high-volume three-pointer who can put up threes in a hurry. On the other, he’s 100 percent a specialist, a one-tricky pony who is only really willing to hoist up threes without offering anything else on the court.
Highly niche players like Bertans aren’t necessarily bad options for an end-of-the-bench opening, but context is important here. Philadelphia still has a pretty glaring issue with regard to its depth at forward, and going after a player who’s only playable for a singular skill could be too much of a luxury move that doesn’t really address a pressing need.
The 76ers are also rumored to be zooming in on Marcus Morris Sr., but that the team intends to keep the 15th roster spot open means they can only sign one. Bertans nabbing that opening could either be a mistake if he proves to be a rather unplayable bench piece or a brilliant move if he thrives as an emergency hitman for Nick Nurse.
Either way, the Philadelphia 76ers still have some semblance of flexibility despite only having the veteran’s minimum to fill out the team, but they must make sure not to be hasty and go after players who can actually address their holes on both ends.