The Philadelphia 76ers' 2024-25 rotation is mostly assembled. With Reggie Jackson reportedly on the way and Daryl Morey stating that they will keep a roster spot open going into the season, the Sixers have just one more addition to make.
Among the best free agents left are Lonnie Walker IV, Tyus Jones and Luke Kennard, all of whom had big roles with their teams and have been starters at some point in their careers. The Sixers adding the athletic scoring/shooting from Walker, the strong playmaking of Jones or the elite marksmanship of Kennard on a minimum deal would be great, but each of them could make more and have a bigger role on teams that have yet to use their mid-level exception, so seeing them join Philly feels unlikely. Plus, Philly already has plenty of guards.
The Sixers would be best off finding a wing to round out their initial roster for the 2024-25 season. Having another backup forward will make them less reliant on an unproven Ricky Council IV and an old, out-of-position Eric Gordon to provide minutes at forward off the bench. Even if Council is ready to go, Philly could use someone, preferably a forward with more NBA experience, to shore up the depth.
The pickings are slim this late in the offseason, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still talent out there. Here are five options for the 76ers.
Cedi Osman
A strong scorer and passer on the wing, the 29-year-old Cedi Osman might be the best type of player the 76ers can add this late in the offseason. Perhaps he may also look to find a place that can pay him a little more and offer him a clearer path to playing time. If not, Philly should be all over him.
Osman has always been known as a three-point shooter and has made impressive strides in that skill over the past few seasons, shooting them on a higher volume and greater efficiency over a multi-year stretch than ever before. Over his last two seasons, he shot well over half his attempts from deep and cashed in at a 37.9 percent rate. He's a very smart passer, swinging the rock to find open teammates and making the occasional dish off the drive. Since defenders have to honor his shot, he always has a chance to create for others. His shooting numbers at the rim are on the up and up, too.
Defensively, Osman is perfectly fine. He has the size to match up with various opponents and can be decent on the ball when he applies himself. He doesn’t create a lot of turnovers but, at the very least, he isn’t bad enough on that end to overshadow what he can do on the other end.
The 76ers need to add another tall forward to their roster before the season. Even if the ideal midseason trade is for a high-end player who can slot in at the 4-spot, they simply need to have more semblance of size around their bigs and many undersized guards. Osman fits in very well and could be a legitimately impactful reserve.
Robert Covington
It’s unfortunate that Robert Covington's reunion with the 76ers was cut so short by a left knee injury. He was thrilled to be back and played pretty well in his short window of good health. His NBA future hinges solely on whether his body can hold up, as he still has enough left in the tank to play. If the Sixers feel comfortable with his recovery, why not make another re-signing?
Covington has lost a step or two but remains a brilliant defender. Few players have hand quickness like he does, which makes him one of the best at generating steals, a key ingredient in playing at a faster pace. He's not the versatile on-ball stopper he used to be but is also no slouch, either.
Three-point shooting is another of Covington's key talents. He shot 35.4 percent from deep with Philly last season. Catch-and-shoot threes are pretty much the only shots he takes nowadays, but with all the scoring threats at guard, that’s not too much of a worry. For whatever it's worth, he got to the foul line more frequently last season than he did in years past.
Covington's injury from last season was a major bummer and something that will greatly impact his market. He would be a great addition for a minimum contract if the injury bug leaves him alone.
Jordan Nwora
Stocking a big, three-point shooting wing at the end of the bench would give the 76ers a third-stringer with moderately high upside. The 25-year-old Jordan Nwora, who stands roughly 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, is worth taking a swing on.
Nwora shoots threes often (.471 three-point attempt rate for his career) and shoots decently well on those threes (37.6 percent shooting in his career). Historically, he has shot better from above the break than he does from the corners. Furthering the proof of his shooting touch is his free-throw percentage sitting in the ballpark of 80 percent. Off the catch, he's capable of putting the ball on the deck and hunting for a shot in the paint.
In order to get a better shot at putting those shooting skills to good use on the court, Nwora will have to commit to being impactful on defense. Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic noted his potential on defense and the room he has to grow. Nick Nurse would have a nice test at hand, seeing how much he can unlock from a lackluster defender. If he becomes passable on that end — a big if, admittedly — the Sixers might be able to play Nwora real minutes.
Some of the underlying numbers from last season — his two-point percentage, shooting percentage on shots at the rim, defensive rebound percentage and assist percentage — were career highs. Excluding his rookie year, when he played much less, his percentages in steals and blocks were the best of his career. This progress is more indicative of a young fringe NBA player becoming more accustomed to the professional game than it is of a potential breakout in the making. But for the purpose of a third-stringer, that’s still some nice progress to see.
Micah Potter
If the 76ers want to add a fourth big man to their roster and address wing help later in the season, it makes the most sense to add one who can serve as a stretch big, an archetype they don’t have. Micah Potter is just that.
Potter has been a part of the Select Team for Team USA this summer, exposing him to some of the highest levels of basketball in the world. The 6-foot-9 big man played just 186 NBA minutes last season with the Utah Jazz but shot 9-21 (42.9 percent) from deep. In 78 games in the G League over the previous three seasons, he shot 40.4 percent from deep on 4.1 attempts per game.
Balancing the interior bruising style of Andre Drummond with the five-out looks Potter can provide would give Nurse some flexibility with his bench. Potter doesn’t make up for his lack of size on defense very well, though, and investing in a big with such a glaring weakness is probably not what the 76ers want out of a plug-and-play option. If they believe he has more to show on that end, he could be someone they use in two-big lineups.
Another Jazz big man, former first-round pick Luka Samanic, is also a big guy who shoots a high volume of threes. He's a little bigger and younger but hasn’t been as efficient as Potter over his NBA career. Samanic is the Sixers' guy if they’re feeling like trying to unlock more potential. But as far as deep bench pieces go, playing it safer makes more sense for an established team.
Lamar Stevens
Contrasted to Covington's wizardry in off-ball defense, Lamar Stevens has made a name for himself as a physical defender on the ball. If the 76ers want to call on someone off the bench to spend every ounce of energy getting under the skin of an opposing star — finding the spiritual successor to Corey Brewer, but this time for a full season — they should look to bring in Stevens.
Stevens, a Philly native, stands roughly 6-foot-6 tall and weighs 230 pounds. He's a big, tough wing who has taken on assignments as tough as Giannis Antetokounmpo. Being undersized height-wise for a wing doesn’t slow Stevens down. He plays bigger than his height and can easily be a worthwhile defensive specialist.
The issue with Stevens is his production on offense has been lacking over his career. His shooting on above-the-break threes has been very efficient in his last two seasons, making 19 of his 41 looks. But on such minimal volume, it will hardly register with opposing defenses. Stevens' best shot is to gobble up offensive rebounds and do his best to score at the rim while trying to reconfigure his jumper.
Other big wings Philly might consider are Chuma Okeke and JT Thor. Okeke once had pedigree as a decent shooter and has a solid blend of size and playmaking from the wing, while Thor has a unique blend of mobility and length, so his upside and positional versatility could be the most intriguing. But Stevens is the most polished and proven of the bunch, making him the more obvious fit for a win-now squad.
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