Six MLE Free Agent Targets For The Sixers
Six MLE Free Agent Targets For The Sixers
What should the Sixers do with their limited cap flexibility?
Mike O’Connor is the best O’Connor in basketball writing. Previously of The Athletic, you can find Mike on Twitter @MOConnor_NBA. Mike’s writing is brought to you by Body Bio, supplements based on science, focusing on your gut and brain health. Get 20% off E-Lyte and all Body Bio products with promo code RTRS20 at Body Bio’s website.
Barring an unexpected series of moves, the Sixers will in all likelihood only be able to sign new free agents to either minimum contracts or to the taxpayer mid-level exception. In the case of the latter, they only get one player to use it on, so they’d better choose wisely. Below, I’ve listed out a handful of pending free agents who could be good options to acquire at the mid-level exception (worth around $5.9 million).
Otto Porter, Jr., 27, Small Forward
Porter, Jr. has had a rough couple of seasons, having played just 42 games combined since 2019. When he has played, his per-possession numbers have been on par with previous years, though his efficiency has indeed dipped.
Despite his major injury concerns, though, I still might be willing to take a swing on Porter with the mid-level exception. If the Sixers trade Simmons for a guard, they will be in desperate need of bodies on the wing, and Porter would be a high-risk, high-reward candidate to help fill in with some of those minutes.
Back in 2018-19, Porter shot 7.3 3s per 100 possessions and made 40 percent of them, while also playing sound and versatile defense. If the Sixers can get that type of player with their MLE, that’s an enormous win. If the medical staff gave it the green light, I would take a risk on Porter.
P.J. Tucker, 36, Power Forward
With Tucker, you know you’re getting a whole lot of hustle, IQ, and defense. While many people had thought he was cooked in Houston, his performance in these playoffs for Milwaukee has proven that he has a bit left in the tank -- on a team with Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, he was the best option to defend Kevin Durant.
With Simmons presumably out of the picture, Tucker’s iffy shooting becomes less of a problem. Having the ability to replace Simmons’ defense with another high quality wing defender, at a fraction of the price, would be a nice haul from the MLE. Perhaps with Daryl Morey’s prior relationship with Tucker, he can recruit him to Philadelphia.
Gorgui Dieng, 31, Center
It’s unclear what Dieng has left in the tank after a disappointing couple of years in Memphis, but he at least has the tools of a stretch five with the ability to move around a bit on the perimeter. Without Simmons, the need for a stretch five option becomes less dire, but the ability to drag opposing centers out to the perimeter is a useful tool nonetheless.
If Simmons is traded for a guard, having a center with the ability to run pick and pops in the playoffs will be key. This move would also allow the Sixers to move on from Dwight Howard, who was serviceable in the regular season, but a disaster in the postseason. Backup centers are always going to face challenges in the playoffs, but I think I would prefer to have an option with a bit more lateral mobility and range out to the 3-point line over a bruiser like Howard.
Wayne Ellington, 33, Shooting Guard
Ellington had looked to be cooked the past two seasons before rebounding with a rock solid year in Detroit. He shot 42 percent from deep on six attempts per game, performing his usual routine of flying around off-ball screens at 100 miles per hour. Having that type of player off of the bench to presumably fill the role of Furkan Korkmaz would be invaluable. I would argue that Ellington has even more gravity as a shooter than Korkmaz, and opens up the possibility for even more off-screen plays -- Korkmaz was always capable of filling only about 70ish percent of the JJ Redick portion of the Sixers’ playbook, whereas Ellington would be capable of 80-90 percent.
Justise Winslow, 25, Shooting Guard
This type of signing would be in exactly the same vein as an Otto Porter signing. Two years ago, it would’ve seemed unthinkable that Winslow would be a candidate for the taxpayer mid-level exception, but he has played in just 37 total games over the past two seasons, and was extremely underwhelming in the games that he did play for Memphis this year.
Before the injuries, however, Winslow was making major improvements in his game. He shot 38 percent from deep on 3.9 attempts per game in his last year in Miami, and also showed some chops as a playmaker, averaging 4.3 assists per game. The Heat used him as a point guard at times during that strange 2018-19 season they had.
Winslow, of course, is also a stout defender who can guard up and down any lineup. As with Porter, it’s completely unclear to me what Winslow’s medical looks like, but if the doctors gave me the thumbs up, I’d be thrilled to take a flyer on a player who is just 25 with untapped upside and a proven defensive history.
Reggie Bullock, 30, Shooting Guard
This one feels like a bit of a pipe dream. Bullock probably played himself out of mid-level exception range this year on the Knicks. He shot 41 percent from deep on six attempts per game and often guarded the lead shot creator on opposing teams. I see almost no way that he doesn’t get $10+ million, but if he does, or if he simply wants to play for a contender, the Sixers could offer him a significant role as well as the chance to be among the Eastern Conference’s elite.