As the 2024 NBA free agency period gets underway, the basketball world is staying up late and watching to see whether the Philadelphia 76ers can finally secure Paul George. They're the only horse left in the race but still have plenty of ground to cover before officially forming a new star trio.
But as the Sixers aim to land the plane in the George negotiations, they agreed to terms on cheap contracts with Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon. Philly has nearly a whole roster to remake and added two veterans to give them a different look off the bench than they had last season. Neither move jeopardizes the pursuit of George and gives Philly some actual players on its roster, though it still lacks size on the wings, which should be its main priority after (ostensibly) landing George.
The additions of Drummond and Gordon have significant ramifications for the 76ers roster, even though the massive domino in the room has yet to fall.
Andre Drummond signing adds more uncertainty to Paul Reed's future
Drummond is reuniting with the 76ers on a two-year deal worth $10 million. The 30-year-old was nearly traded to Philly midseason but had to wait a little bit to officially make it back after being included in the Ben Simmons-James Harden blockbuster. He now leaves the Chicago Bulls behind for the Sixers.
As a backup center, Drummond brings elite rebounding on both ends and even a hint of playmaking from the high post. He isn’t a very efficient scorer — all he does is shoot shots from close range and he doesn’t make those at a good rate for a center — but will be good enough for a few dunks and putbacks while inducing cold sweats every time he goes to the foul line. His defense down low isn’t elite nor is he versatile to play in a variety of schemes but he should be serviceable enough for the dozen or so minutes he has to play each night. At the very least, he'll contribute a block or a steal relatively consistently.
Drummond will certainly help the Sixers' rebounding but his signing doesn’t address the lack of rebounding around Embiid, the bigger piece of the puzzle when it comes to the team’s struggles in that area. There’s no chance Drummond and Embiid will play at the same time, so Philly has to find other starters who will help the big man control the boards. At the very least, though, when Embiid rests, one of the league’s best individual rebounders will be taking his place.
The impossible angle to ignore with the Drummond signing is that Paul Reed seems very likely to be on the move. Drafting Adem Bona in the second round was one thing but now with Drummond here for potentially two seasons (he has a player option after his first seasons), Reed has never been more expendable since he became the Sixers' primary backup center. Moving his nearly $8 million salary could unlock more moves and net value for the Sixers in other areas.
Reed, for example, could be traded for Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams or Charlotte Hornets guard Cody Martin, who each make similar salaries. The Thunder, who have to find room for other young wings, and the Hornets, who are looking to sell off veteran talent, could each feasibly take a flyer on Reed. OKC, in particular, would be wise to add some size. If the Sixers attach a draft pick, they could add a defensive-minded role player who either brings some playmaking upside (Martin) or three-point shooting (Williams).
If the Sixers want to acquire more assets, they could trade Reed to the Houston Rockets for Jock Landale and draft capital. Houston would get a player who is better, younger and can be used either in another trade or waived at no penalty. With extensions looming for Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green, moving off Landale's contract might be a goal of theirs, especially now that Steven Adams is preparing to take over the backup center spot. Philly can then turn around and use Landale's contract in a trade later on.
Bball Paul had a lot of good moments for the 76ers but his salary stands out as a trade chip now that the team has other options under center. Unless Bona spends his rookie season on a two-way contract or the team looks to make Reed more of a power forward, it feels inevitable that he'll be used in a trade. Drummond, meanwhile, appears to be the main man behind Embiid until Bona is ready to step up.
Eric Gordon adds more shooting but questions about bench rotation
The Sixers satisfied their hunger for former Rockets by signing the 35-year-old Gordon to a minimum deal. There aren’t any of his former teammates in Philly now but he at least reunites with Daryl Morey and gets the chance to play for another playoff team after spending last season with the Phoenix Suns. Since he's on a minimum deal, it doesn’t cost Philly all that much to see how much he has left in the tank.
Gordon was one of the more prominent three-point-shooting specialists in the NBA for a few years and even as he fades, he remains a very good shooter. Last season, he attempted 5.8 threes per game and cashed in on a 37.8-percent clip, shooting off the catch and the dribble pretty well. Even at his advanced age, Gordon can still score a little bit on his own. His handles are solid and he isn’t afraid to get into the paint, taking it all the way to the rim or stopping to shoot a floater/push shot.
With Gordon aboard, it seems unlikely that Buddy Hield will come back, as EG takes his role as the high-volume-shooting two guard. De'Anthony Melton and Cam Payne, with the Sixers adding two other guards in Gordan and Jared McCain while also seeming likely to re-sign Kyle Lowry, also don’t seem to have a solidified spot anymore. But with McCain coming aboard after being drafted with the 16th overall pick, the addition of Gordon doesn’t make as much sense.
Gordon and McCain may be too similar to play together. The good news is that they are both excellent shooters who use their strength to get inside the arc and score. But neither is a consistent playmaker or defender and both are undersized at the guard spot. Gordon started to get fewer minutes as the 2023-24 season went on and his rebound and assist numbers each declined last season. If he cuts into McCain's minutes, it might be a detriment to the team.
You can never have too much shooting but size still very much matters. Gordon can really only play shooting guard — he isn’t skilled enough on the ball to be a point guard and could maaaaybe play small forward in some instances because he’s strong, but his age will eventually catch up to him to the point where he can’t. While his addition is just for one season, it does make McCain a smidge more expendable if the Sixers can include him in a trade for someone really good like Lauri Markkanen. But a deal of that caliber does not seem easy to pull off, so the overlap with McCain and Gordon will be a subplot to keep an eye on this season.
While the addition of Gordon doesn’t prevent the Sixers from adding more size, he does occupy a roster spot that could have gone to a younger, 3-and-D forward. If his main role is to be insurance in case McCain needs some time to develop, the signing of Gordon makes sense. Having another veteran to mentor him should be good, too. But the upside of this signing — even for a minimum contract — is minimal.
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