When the NBA offseason began, the Philadelphia 76ers did not have many players on their active roster due to contracts expiring. In fact, Joel Embiid was one of the only players under contract. Even after re-signing Tyrese Maxey and bringing in several key free agents in order to make a legitimate championship push in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers still have some open roster spots to fill. Could Marcus Morris Sr. and Davis Bertans be the answers for Philadelphia to round out their roster late in free agency?
As things currently stand, a total of 13 players are under contract with the 76ers. Of these 13 players, Ricky Council IV is the only one with non-guaranteed clauses on his deal for the 2024-25 season, as his contract will be fully guaranteed in January. This leaves two open roster spots that could potentially be filled by Morris and Bertans.
The 76ers could really use some extra depth at the power forward position, which is why both players make sense. In fact, the Sixers hold interest in Morris and Bertans, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
After being waived by the Charlotte Hornets earlier this offseason, Bertans has yet to receive serious interest from teams around the NBA in free agency. However, he has shot 39.6 percent from three-point range for his career and can be an elite weapon for a playoff-contending team to have on their bench. If Bertans were to join the 76ers, the 31-year-old would be used as a catch-and-shoot specialist coming off screens on the perimeter.
Morris is a more complete player than Bertans, as his all-around offensive repertoire makes him one of the better free agents remaining. The 14th overall pick from 2011 has 13 years of experience under his belt, and he recently played for the Sixers during the 2023-24 season before finishing the year with the Cleveland Cavaliers. As Pompey notes, Morris has drawn interest from the 76ers, Cavs, Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Dallas Mavericks also showed interest in the veteran forward before they filled out their roster with other names in free agency.
No matter who the 76ers pursue to fill their final roster spots before training camp, they are only able to offer a minimum contract as a result of the signings they have already made this summer.
76ers staying aggressive in NBA free agency
Daryl Morey and the 76ers front office have done their best to flip their roster around into one that has the capability of competing for a title. The Boston Celtics aren't going anywhere at the top of the conference, which is why a drastic move was needed in Philadelphia.
That is why the 76ers ultimately pursued and signed nine-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA wing Paul George. Next to Maxey and Embiid, George finally gives the Sixers the other All-Star talent and reliable scoring option that they haven't had through the years. Known for his two-way play and natural scoring abilities, George is set to take a tremendous amount of pressure off Embiid during the 2024-25 season. George has even gone so far as to claim that he is fine taking a backseat to Embiid and Maxey.
“There's no ego with me,” George said this summer. “It's not about shots for me, it's not about having the ball in my hands the whole game. It's about winning. I wanna make winning plays. I know over the course of a game when I need to be aggressive, when I need to raise the level. But for me, it's about winning. That's all I care about is trying to win, putting everything towards that. And that's really the conversation we three need to have — myself, Joel and Tyrese.
“Whatever it takes, let's go do it, let's get the job done and then we just relay that to the team.”
Along with bringing in George, the 76ers also signed Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Reggie Jackson this offseason. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Lowry agreed to return to Philadelphia on new contracts.
Whether or not Morris or Bertans join the new contingent in Philadelphia, this team is primed to go for it all during the 2024-25 NBA season.
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