NBA free agency begins on Sunday, July 1 at 12:01 a.m. and while all the attention is on where LeBron James will go (rightfully so), there is still an entire class of players looking for new homes.
The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the teams, who are in the running for both James and Paul George. The Sixers are a young on the rise team with potential superstars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and have the money to spend on big time free agents.
However, they are not the only team competing for the services for James and George. The Los Angeles Lakers have the cap space to offer two max contracts, which makes them a more appealing option in some people’s eyes.
If that is the case and the Sixers fail to win the King James sweepstakes, there are other free agents that can help them continue their upward trend next season.
Who are these players you might ask? Good question. Here are four free agents that the Sixers should consider signing.
1. J.J. Redick
Last offseason, the Sixers made a big-time splash in free agency, signing sharpshooter J.J. Redick to an exorbitant one-year deal worth $23 million. On the surface, the deal caught many people off guard, but it paid huge dividends this past season for the Sixers.
Redick gave Philadelphia something they lacked over the last few seasons and that was a consistent three-point threat. The veteran shooter averaged a career-high 17.1 points per game, shot 46 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range.
He also had an offensive rating of 119 in the 2017-18 season, which was the second highest ORtg of his career.
If the Sixers don’t get James or even if they do by chance, they have to bring back the 34-year-old Redick possibly on a two or three-year deal.
2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Speaking of shooters, if the Lakers somehow get both James and George, it could squeeze Kentavious Caldwell-Pope out of Los Angeles. Just like Redick, the Lakers signed Caldwell-Pope to a one-year contract worth $18 million last offseason.
The one-year deal paid off for both sides as the Lakers got their starting two-guard to pair next to Lonzo Ball and KCP gave them solid production in return.
This past season, the 25-year-old Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 33.2 minutes per game.
While his shooting prowess doesn’t match Redick’s, KCP would be a nice secondary option for the Sixers if they can’t come to an agreement with Redick.
3. Jamal Crawford
Crawford would cost less than both Redick and KCP and be a nice veteran to go along with the young core. Two years ago, the Sixers reportedly made a significant offer to former the Sixth Man of the Year winner.
Would the Sixers go back down that road again with Crawford, who is now 38 years-old? Maybe. But it would not be a huge deal as the Sixers could opt to go after Marco Belinelli, who is six years younger.
4. Will Barton
This could be the offseason that Will “The Thrill” Barton finally gets paid. The 27-year-old Barton had a career-year this past season with the Denver Nuggets.
He averaged 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 33.1 minutes per game. Barton also shot 45.2 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range on 5.2 attempts per game.
If the Sixers are looking for a young player with upside and willing to shell out the cash, then Barton might be worth the addition.
