Realistic Low-Cost Free Agent Options for Sixers

There is no doubt that there are needs for the Sixers before heading into next season. However, Elton Brand and the front office will need to get creative due to the small amount of money that will be available to the team. Since they will be handcuffed by the salary cap, they likely will have one decent contract to offer (or a few small deals) due to the taxpayer mid-level exception that will give them just under $6 million to work with.

Names like Joe Harris and Davis Bertans jump off the page as great fits for the Sixers, but these dreams are not meant to be filled due to the lack of available funds. This changes the conversation to searching for a quality role player that can make an immediate impact rather than a long-term solution to the glaring spacing issues. So Elton Brand and the rest of the team should head into free agency with his sights set on the bargain bin and here are some names to watch:

Wing options for the Sixers

This is the most glaring and obvious target for free agency. Adding a volume shooter or a legitimate role player that can be relied on would go a long way to strengthening up the bench. While guys like Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, and Zhaire Smith certainly are guys to be excited about, the team lacks a legitimate veteran presence that could stabilize the reserves.

Jeff Green

A lot has been said about Jeff Green throughout his career. After being the 5th overall pick in the draft in 2007, Green was largely viewed as a disappointment for never living up to the potential he undoubtedly showed. His stats have been up and down throughout consistently, but Green has settled into his role as a bench contributor over the past few seasons.

He is not a lights-out shooter but knocks down 3's at a respectable 33.4% and pairs this with impressive athleticism. While it seems like the concept of modeling the Sixers after the Rockets organization has thankfully been put to a halt, Green would be a nice piece to pick up from the team. He primarily played the small-ball big-man role with the Rockets, but Green has also proven to be solid in a wing role and also has upside as a stretch 4 that could give Tobias Harris a rest and compliment Joel Embiid.

The biggest appeal to Jeff Green comes with the contract that it will likely take to attain him. Last season saw Green play under the veterans minimum with the Rockets which equates to about $695,000 on the season. At 34-years-old, it is likely his days of raking up high-value contracts are over, but there is impressive value with getting a guy who averaged 12.2 points per game last year on such a cheap deal.

Marco Belinelli

When Marco Belinelli last wore a Sixers jersey, times were better. There were thousands of Sixers fans packed into the Wells Fargo Center to watch a lineup of Embiid, Simmons, Robert Covington, JJ Redick, and Dario Saric win 52 games on the season. This was the best built Sixers roster in recent years and the team looked great until the Celtics knocked them from the playoffs in the Conference Semi-Finals. While Belinelli only played 28 games for the Sixers, he made a significant impact by coming off the bench and adding a great shooting touch. He shot 38.5% from 3 and averaged 13.6 points per game in his time with the team.

Marco will likely take up the entire money from the taxpayer exception so the Sixers must be confident this is the right decision. If a proper trade is found it is possible this is the missing piece as Belinelli is a potential piece that could take a team over the edge. Marco is coming off a year in which his minutes were cut which soured the talks of him wanting to stay with the Spurs long-term. He may be 34-years-old, but Belinelli is an exact fit for what the Sixers roster was missing by being a willing shooter who converts at a high rate. Last season, Belinelli shot 52.9% of his field-goal attempts on the catch-and-shoot, which was seemingly an unknown concept to most of the Sixers roster.

Allonzo Trier

With one of the more interesting backstories out of the free-agent options, Allonzo Trier should also be considered a major question mark going into free agency. Trier was undrafted in 2018 and bounced back and forth from the Knicks and their G-League affiliate so far throughout his short career. Trier has always flashed the talent, with accolades like leading his side in scoring at the high-school McDonalds All-American game and being named Co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic. Allonzo also shined in college during his time at Arizona before being ruled ineligible due to testing positive for a banned substance.

On the court, Trier is an extremely talented isolation scorer. While the defensive side of his game needs some work, Trier's scoring ability is enough to earn him a legitimate NBA contract offer. He runs the fast-break well, can finish through contact around the rim, and has a smooth jumper that he shoots confidently. His 3 point percentage has been 38.4% in the NBA so far in his career and he has the potential to develop into an elite level bench scorer. Trier could be a nice rotational piece that could provide the Sixers with a nice scoring burst.

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Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire

Guard options for the Sixers

One issue in last year's roster that has not been talked about enough is the failure to put a true point guard on the team. While Ben Simmons will no-doubt handle the ball a great deal, having another guy with the ability to run the offense could open things up a great deal for the entire team. The attempts to play Shake at point guard were worth a shot, but Shake is much better at creating for himself than others and it would be best served to keep him in a more scoring-based role.

The only true point guard that the Sixers did have on the roster was the 4th year Brazilian, Raul Neto. While Neto had a fairly impressive bubble performance and receives far more hate than he deserves, he still should not be viewed as a viable long-term option for the team. Adding a legitimate back-up point guard could help the offense run more efficiently when Simmons is off the court and also open up the potential for Simmons to move off the ball on a more regular basis, which could go a long way in his overall development.

DJ Augustin

DJ Augustin is the ultimate professional and has played for 8 teams throughout his 11-year career. He has been in and out of starting lineups and played on teams that were legitimate contenders (like the 2012-2013 Pacers who went toe-to-toe with the LeBron led Heat) down to lottery teams focused on developing younger players. There are few situations that DJ has not faced and there is still some tread on his 32-year-old legs.

Augustin is coming off the biggest contract of his career which brought him $7.25 million per year. It is possible the Magic want to make sure DJ is back in an Orlando jersey next year after an 8th place finish in which the team even beat the Bucks in one game of the playoffs. Augustin was one of the biggest leaders on the team and was reportedly the "most universally respected player in Magic's locker room."

Over his career, Augustin has averaged 9.9 points and 4 assists. He is consistent on a nightly basis and flashes spurts of brilliance, such as his 25 points including a game-winning 3 to upset the Raptors in the 2019 playoffs. The addition of Augustin to the Sixers would provide a stable backcourt piece that could provide minutes down the stretch.

Jordan McLaughlin

This option would be much more of a question mark. While Augustin has the body of work to prove his worth, Jordan McLaughlin has played just 30 games in the NBA. After going undrafted in the 2018 draft, McLaughlin spent a season in the G-League before earning a 10-day contract with the Timberwolves. McLaughlin has scratched and clawed his way to each opportunity he has gotten and has made the most of his chances.

In his 30 games with the T-Wolves, he established himself as a worthy member of the roster and even scored a career-high 24 points and 11 assists in a game against the Clippers. McLaughlin was heavily praised for his leadership and also managed to rank 8th in the league in assist/turnover ratio. McLaughlin would likely be available for a decent price and he may prove to greatly outplay this price based on the early flashes he has shown.

Bigs

Whether the need for a new big man to be signed or not largely depends on what is done with Al Horford. Aside from the overpaid and underperforming Big Al, the Sixers also have the option to pick up Norvel Pelle's $1.5 million option. Joel Embiid is the best center in the league when healthy and having legitimate depth behind him for games he cannot play must continue to be a focus. If Al Horford is dealt to another team it may be wise to see if an upgrade on the bench is possible.

Nerlens Noel

As shocking as this may be, Nerlens Noel is younger than Norvel Pelle. The similarities between those two quickly add up as both guys are rim-running big men with a focus on blocking shots on D and catching lobs on offense. There is no big-man on the market who can replace Embiid's role in the offense so a focus must be put on finding the right players to surround Simmons and the rest of the starters. Nerlens could play well in the pick-and-roll with Simmons and be impactful on a faster-paced offense.

While Noel is mostly thought of as a bust and his first stint with the Sixers was largely a failure, he is another guy who has settled into his job as a role player. After turning down a massive $70 million offer from the Mavericks, Noel played under just a $2 million contract last season. Noel will never be the potential star he was once hoped to be, but he is still a guy who can help the team and play minutes on a competitor.

Markieff Morris

After growing up in Philadelphia and still being active in the community, it would be a nice homecoming for Markieff Morris. While he is largely considered the lesser of the two Morris twins, Markieff still could fill a great role on the team. He brings a toughness on the boards along with a solid outside stroke and opens up the potential for the team to have a small-ball big.

Markieff played last season with the Pistons and the Lakers with a contract of $1.75 million. There has been an interest between the Sixers and Morris before as he was once targeted to be a Rober Covington replacement, and he could still serve a great role for the team. Despite the horrible pass at the end of game 5 in the finals, Morris should be looked at as a guy who can handle the big moments when needed and could prove to be much more effective than his contract would indicate.

Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire