With the Philadelphia 76ers starting off pretty slow to kickstart the new calendar year, changes are starting to become more pressing. The playoff race is starting to become pretty tight out East thanks to some unexpected competitors while the team remains couched outside the play-in tournament picture — hardly an encouraging standing at this juncture.
To make matters worse, an unfortunate news just struck the team. Jared McCain, who successfully underwent surgery for his torn meniscus, is now officially out for the remainder of the season, although he had previously unofficially confirmed the same weeks ago. This leaves the 76ers thin at the backcourt, especially behind Tyrese Maxey.
Philly has some great options looking for them to get the backcourt more help, although some of the prime ones may not be ideal for them at the moment. There is still one name they could eye though, one that could raise the team’s floor on both ends of the court.
The 76ers may not be able to target Marcus Smart
If they are willing to push their cap to the limit, the 76ers could realistically target Marcus Smart, who is currently playing for the Grizzlies. While it may be ironic for Philly to get associated with one of their longtime nemeses, Smart is a veteran who can badly help them in the backcourt thanks to his skill set.
The former Defensive Player of the Year is easily one of the best defenders in the league even accounting for his recent decline on that end. And despite his routinely erratic shooting, he is a legitimate secondary playmaker who can make a lot of things happen in the halfcourt. His playoff experience — one that is pretty ample — also cannot be denied.
Unfortunately, the Grizzlies seem to be holding him in such high regard as to pull him away from the trade market. Memphis is reportedly not making him available for taking alongside Brandon Clarke, who is another one of their prized bench players.
With these players falling out of the whiteboard for the 76ers, the front office will have to perhaps settle for less sterling targets to fill the void McCain left. There is still plenty of time to do just that, although it would take them more creativity and strategy to land some of the better targets available.
With Maxey not performing up to par this season, the Philadelphia 76ers have to give him more cushion on the backcourt. Otherwise, they could risk not having consistent guard play come playoff time.