The Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers finally agreed on the blockbuster James Harden trade late Monday night and early Tuesday morning that had been rumored since late June. The deal moved Harden once again, this time to the Clippers for a package that included Harden, PJ Tucker, and Filip Petrusev. The Sixers were able to fetch a return that includes Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, a protected first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2026, and an unprotected first-round pick from the Clippers in 2028.

Though the Sixers didn't land the Clippers' precious Terance Mann, receiving expiring contracts and two future first-round picks is an excellent prize for a Harden trade.

The expiring contracts are important because they allow the Sixers an exorbitant amount of flexibility between now and 2024 free agency.

The Sixers now have $100 million in expiring contracts. With the salary cap for next season being projected for roughly $142 million, the Sixers can have around $55,672,666 in cap space at their disposal in free agency next offseason. That is already baking in the $13 million cap hold for Tyrese Maxey, who the Sixers didn't agree to an extension with for the sole purpose of keeping that cap space for next season.

The question is, what do the Sixers do with it?

Do they use those picks and expiring contracts to trade for a star, or do they keep the money and go sign some free agents? The free agency class of 2024 isn't super strong, but there are some interesting players who could fit well with the Sixers. Here are a few they could look at.

Pascal Siakam

Toronto Raptors big man Pascal Siakam might not be the cleanest fit with the way he likes to slash to the rim. His career 32.7% clip from long distance doesn't exactly provide the spacing a team would want next to Joel Embiid. But he's probably the best player who is currently suited to become a free agent next summer.

Siakam has averaged at least 21.4 points per game in each of the last four seasons and has done so with pretty solid efficiency. He adds versatility defensively being able to switch all across the floor. Siakam and Maxey could take turns running pick and rolls and have skillsets that could mesh together and amplify each other. The basketball fit, though tricky, with Embiid, could absolutely work.

What could help the Sixers is the fact that Nick Nurse, the Sixers' new head coach, coached Pascal Siakam for the entirety of Siakam's career before this season. If anybody knows how to maximize Siakam's skillset, it would be Nurse. Siakam has yet to sign an extension with the Raptors. Maybe a trade or Siakam signing with the Sixers seems very much in the cards.

DeMar DeRozan

Chicago Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan is a bit redundant next to Tyrese Maxey. He very much would not help Philadelphia's perimeter defense, which already relied a lot on Joel Embiid cleaning up their messes. DeRozan still hasn't fully stretched his range beyond the 3-point line either. But he can still score with the best of them.

DeRozan averaged at least 20 points per game in every season since the 2013-14 season. His efficiency hasn't always been there, which can happen when feasting on a shot diet primarily consisting of midrange jumpers, but he's hovered at or above league average in effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage in each of the last four seasons.

The fit isn't as clean as Siakam because of his redundancy next to Maxey and his lack of reliable 3-point shooting. But DeRozan provides another scoring option and would become the best playmaker on the Sixers. He'd be a nice addition.

Klay Thompson

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors remain “far apart” in talks regarding a contract extension.

It seems impossible to imagine Thompson anywhere but the Warriors, but the Sixers could be a nice spot for him as an upgrade over Tobias Harris.

Thompson's days as a perimeter stopper defensively are gone, but he holds his own against bigger wings and forwards. He still can shoot the lights out of the ball. The sharpshooter shot at least 40% from three in every season of his career except for the 2021-22 season, the first season he returned to play after his consecutive ACL and Achilles tears.

Thompson spacing for Embiid would be terrifying. He'd be a great fit in Philadelphia should the Sixers pursue him.