The Philadelphia 76ers are only spectators right now in the playoffs, but it bears credence that the front office will be active watchers, their sights fully set on finding possible players for the squad next season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, who were recently eliminated from the playoffs, have enjoyed a terrific season owing to their frightening young core. However, one of their few veterans, who may be on the 76ers’ radar during free agency, does not have the same excellent branding.
Gordon Hayward, whom the Thunder acquired around the trade deadline to help mitigate their lack of postseason experience, complained about his decreased role with his new team this season, much to the displeasure of OKC supporters. “Obviously disappointed with how things turned out. This was not what I expected. Certainly frustrating. But that’s kind of how it is.”
The former All-Star forward’s perplexing refusal to shoot when given the opportunity contributed to his inconsistent appearances. Hayward scored zero points in the postseason and appeared in only seven games. However, he appeared unwilling to admit it. “I think that’s credit to kind of the role that I was placed in and just lack of touches.”
Yikes. Hayward must adjust to a smaller position at this stage of his career, as he is unlikely to reclaim the captaincy he formerly enjoyed. Instead, it appears like Hayward is still hoping that a team, such as the 76ers, will elevate him.
Unfortunately for the veteran, his days of winning a large contract are finished, as are his days of moving from primary to secondary option. And unless he can persuade a front office that he can still be a valuable contributor with fewer shots and minutes, he’s unlikely to stay much longer. Once speculated to be a trade or free agent target, the Philadelphia 76ers would be wise to pass on Hayward this offseason and allow another team to try the bleaker waters.
This offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers will primarily compete in free agency. With a whopping $55.5 million in available cap space, the front staff will do everything in its ability to keep the roster as clean as possible for their championship runs in the future seasons. For the 76ers’ ever-ambitious brass, the only option is to go big. After all, this isn’t the year to be frugal – aside from their tremendous spending power, the East is pretty open, and certain players have already been connected to the organization heading into the offseason.
However, acquiring that third star will not be their sole goal; finding the ideal backup big man behind Joel Embiid will also be high on their list of priorities.
Sources: The 76ers could pursue Jonas Valanciunas in free agency after attempting to trade for him this season. After a year of struggling to find a viable filler for when Embiid is not on the court, the 76ers may have already identified their next target. According to PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck, the front staff attempted to trade for Jonas Valanciunas prior to the deadline. The bruising big man is about to enter free agency.
With the Pelicans reportedly going in a different route, it is reasonable to assume that the 76ers would be quite interested in signing Valanciunas. The question is, would the 32-year-old be willing to come off the bench after starting practically every game since his rookie year? Would he be willing to sign at a lower pricing as well?
Valanciunas has been a low-minute starter in New Orleans for the last two seasons. He is a powerful presence in the middle who can score and rebound effortlessly. His lack of mobility and dependable outside game, however, have been the key reasons for his declining position in recent years.
Still, Valanciunas would be the best solution to Philadelphia’s problem of not having a viable backup for Embiid. Even better, he’s skilled and experienced enough to start whenever the 2023 MVP is out due to injury or load management. Having him on the roster could also encourage the team to give Embiid fewer minutes.
As long as the price isn’t so high that it jeopardizes their free agency plans, the Philadelphia 76ers should focus on Jonas Valanciunas as their top center target. He simply makes too much sense to be dismissed as a what-if from the recent past.
