The Philadelphia 76ers were expected to be one of the biggest players during the 2024 NBA free agency period, and they delivered the goods. In need of a third star to complement Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, they managed to snag Paul George from the Los Angeles Clippers. George has been one of the premier two-way wings in the association over the past decade, and he will be representing a huge upgrade over Tobias Harris, the man the 76ers fanbase couldn't wait to see don another jersey.

But beyond the addition of George, the 76ers have also added a few helpful pieces to bolster their depth. They brought back Andre Drummond to give Embiid a credible backup and a more than capable fill-in starter for when Embiid needs to rest. Moreover, they also re-signed Kelly Oubre Jr. after he impressed this past season with Philly, and Daryl Morey brought in a former Houston Rocket in Eric Gordon, the 35-year-old sniper who showed last season that he still has a lot of gas left in the tank.

Even then, the 76ers still have a few pressing needs to fill even as the dust has mostly settled on free agency. The Sixers are surely working around the clock to fill the team's most apparent weakness to this point in free agency.

The 76ers need a power forward badly

One underrated subplot of the 76ers' offseason has been the loss of the two power forwards they relied on mostly during the 2023-24 season in Tobias Harris and Nicolas Batum. Harris was never going to return given how much Sixers fans have soured on him especially in light of a scoreless performance in his swan song for the team. Batum's loss stings; he gave the 76ers some multi-positional defensive versatility as well as someone who wasn't afraid to take big shots.

At present, the 76ers do not have a player one would think is a solid fit for the team at power forward. They could always slide Paul George or Kelly Oubre at the four and, perhaps, start Eric Gordon at the two. But is trusting a 34-year-old George to put up heavy minutes at power forward the wisest decision? Perhaps not. Meanwhile, Oubre may not have the physicality to deal with opposing fours night-in, night-out.

There are still a few free agents on the market who could be of interest to the 76ers. While finding a power forward with size and athleticism will be difficult at this stage of the offseason, acquiring someone with a ton of experience playing the position should still be a priority for the Sixers. With that said, the likes of Caleb Martin and Miles Bridges could be legitimate targets for them.

Martin, in particular, could be headed to the 76ers if social media activity is any indication. George recently followed the 28-year-old forward on Instagram, which Sixers fans interpreted as a potential foreshadowing of what is to come.

Despite being just 6'5, Martin has been lining up at the four for the Miami Heat for the majority of the past three seasons. He endured a bit of a down year last season, but no one will forget his 2023 postseason heroics anytime soon. He would give the 76ers some defensive switchability, floor-spacing, and someone who shows up in big games.

The 76ers, per Spotrac, are currently sitting around $10.3 million below the first tax apron. They could potentially dangle Paul Reed to the Heat in a sign-and-trade to bring Caleb Martin in to be their starting four. Reed has been made expendable by the arrival of Drummond, so perhaps there is a deal to be made between the two teams.

Miles Bridges is the more ambitious target; he might have to take a significant pay cut just for the 76ers to have a shot at bringing him aboard. Bridges, however, may not be in the business of giving money away. After missing out on a huge contract following his breakout 2021-22 season, it's likely that he maximizes his earning potential. But he would be an incredible fit in Philly as an athletic scorer who moves well without the basketball.

Other options for the 76ers include Dorian Finney-Smith, Grant Williams, and Brandon Clarke, although those three have wildly different games. The player they would go for depends on what kind of production the 76ers want from their power forward.

Finney-Smith is the most appealing target; he is a relentless crasher of the boards and he has a ton of experience guarding the opposing team's best perimeter player. He is also an okay three-point shooter, but his defense is what makes him such a desirable player to have for any contending team. Meanwhile, Williams is not as good of a rebounder. His defense is a bit overrated as well. But he can shoot at a 37.3 percent clip from beyond the arc — solid enough.

Brandon Clarke does not provide any shooting whatsoever; but he is a physical forward with a soft touch on his floater. He will feast alongside Joel Embiid on easy buckets in the paint around the dunker's spot.

The 76ers may also need to bring in another guard or two, preferably a 3-and-D wing. But Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, and Eric Gordon can all rotate at the wing spots. There is a glaring lack of a power forward on the roster, which the 76ers must rectify quickly.