NBA free agency is still only four days away, but it is expected that the Philadelphia 76ers will be a big-time player. The Sixers have the chance to land either LeBron James or Paul George or acquire Kawhi Leonard in a trade.
While the idea of adding any of these players is enticing, the Sixers can also use free agency to fill holes on their bench. One area of need for the Sixers will be frontcourt depth as both Amir Johnson and Ersan Ilyasova are unrestricted free agents.
The Sixers could easily bring both of those guys back, but there are other options on the market that could be intriguing as well.
Who are those players you might ask? Good question. Here are three frontcourt options that the Sixers should consider signing in free agency.
1. Kyle O’ Quinn
The former Norfolk State product had an outstanding season in a backup role for the New York Knicks. O’Quinn posted career-highs across the board with 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 18 minutes per game.
Known more his defensive abilities, the 6-foot-10, 250 lbs. center compiled a DRtg (defensive rating) of 105, defensive rebounding percentage of 27.8, and block percentage of 6.1 this past season. Earlier this month, O’Quinn declined his $4.2 million option to become an unrestricted free agent.
The 28-year old O’Quinn would be an upgrade over Johnson, who is three years older and could give the Sixers just a little bit more offensively.
2. Trevor Booker
Booker spent 33 games with the Sixers this past season as he was acquired in the Jahlil Okafor-Brooklyn Nets trade. With the Sixers, Booker made high-energy plays on both ends and gave Philadelphia a boost off the bench.
The undersized forward averaged 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds for the Sixers. Nevertheless, Booker’s time was cut short in Philadelphia as the team waived him in February to make room for the signing of Ilyasova.
He then signed with the Indiana Pacers for the rest of the season, serving as a backup to former Sixer Thaddeus Young. Booker would be a cheap signing for the Sixers and a known commodity.
3. Ed Davis
Along the lines of Booker, Ed Davis would be another potential low-cost signing for the Sixers. The former 13th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft had a solid year with the Portland Trail Blazers.
This past season, Davis averaged 5.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game. He is effective running the pick and roll on offense and does a great job grabbing rebounds on the defensive glass.
Davis had a ridiculous defensive rebounding percentage of 28.8 in 2017-18, which is more than O’Quinn (27.8) and Johnson (18.3). In fact, his defensive rebounding percentage is not too far off from Joel Embiid (29.7) and Kevin Love (29.8).
The former UNC Tar Heel probably won’t have a lot of suitors in free agency due to guys like O’Quinn and Johnson garnering more attention. If that’s the case, the Sixers can swoop in and throw him a nice two-year/$12 million deal for example.
