10 Potential Options for the Sixers to Fill Their Power Forward Spot
MOC goes PF hunting for the Sixers' offseason (officially starting Monday!)
Free agency is set to begin Monday night (June 30) at 6:00 p.m., and while the Sixers don’t have anywhere near the flexibility they had last summer, they still have at least four open roster spots, a $5.7 million taxpayer mid -evel exception, and some tradeable salary and future draft picks if they’re feeling frisky.
As I’ve discussed countless times, acquiring more front court depth – specifically at power forward – should be the Sixers’ biggest priority from here on out. Here are 10 potential options, from premium trade targets to bargain bin free agents, who might make sense for the Sixers.
Before we get into the potential targets, I think it’s important to address the question many of you are probably asking yourselves: why would the Sixers ever trade anything of value for one of these players given the uncertainty around the health of Joel Embiid?
It’s a fair question: If Embiid’s knee is toast, trading a future pick(s) for a player that doesn’t help you escape mediocrity may be looked back on as a mistake.
With that said, I think it’s important to keep in mind the history of both this ownership group and of Daryl Morey. While I don’t know for sure, I highly doubt that ownership, less than a decade removed from The Process, with the league now in a much different place, is happy with the idea of kickstarting another deep, long rebuild. The Sixers just had the third pick in the draft, and Josh Harris is paying an exorbitant amount of money to all three of the roster, front office and coaching staff; I doubt that he wants another season just like last year.
Secondly, when Morey was last faced with similar circumstances in the late 2000s in Houston, as Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming’s careers flamed out due to injuries, he did not bottom out – in fact, the team never even had a losing season. He made a bunch of smart moves on the margins, positioned them to trade for a star player, and eventually cashed in his chips by trading for James Harden. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit — especially with the new lottery rules — if Morey believes that the best path forward is to build through the middle and hit a bunch of singles in order to get this team back into contention.
Lastly, it’s important to keep in mind that trading something of value for a player is never a bad idea if you think the value of that player will go up in the future. If Morey sees a player who costs a first-round pick now who he thinks can develop into a player worth two first-round picks in a year or two, he’d be foolish not to make that trade. If there’s a wing version of the Quentin Grimes trade out there, that’s a no-brainer.
Anyway, let’s get into the players.
Trade Targets
Cameron Johnson, 6’9”, Brooklyn Nets
Johnson is stuck on a rebuilding team in Brooklyn, which has fueled a lot of speculation as to whether he might be available for trade, but for the Sixers’ sake, consider this the most unlikely option of the bunch. Johnson will make $21 million next season, so trading for him would likely have to involve packaging Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre, and Eric Gordon (with each of them opting into player options), as well as probably multiple first round draft picks.
While Johnson would be an awesome fit here, it really just doesn’t make a ton of sense to trade for him at this point, given the issues he would pose from a salary cap perspective, as well as the fact that Johnson is 29, and his contract expires after the 2027 season – so it’s not as if the Sixers could talk themselves into there being untapped potential here that would allow them to turn around in a year or two and flip him for more than they paid.
P.J. Washington, 6’8”, Dallas Mavericks
Washington was a key piece for the Mavs in their 2024 Finals run, but since trading for Anthony Davis (with the intention to play him at the four), as well as drafting Cooper Flagg, it’s worth wondering whether he might be available for trade. There simply aren’t enough minutes to go around in Dallas, and the odd man out is not going to be the No. 1 overall pick or the superstar that they just traded for.
Washington has a few factors working in his favor that make him a more realistic trade target than Johnson – he’s only 26, he makes $14 million instead of $21 million, and he likely carries a lower price tag. I could see the price simply being the 2028 Clippers pick and salary filler.
The fact that he’s on an expiring contract is a bit of a concern, but non-star players don’t seem to change teams in free agency as frequently as they used to. The Sixers would have his Bird rights, so they would be able to re-sign him regardless of what apron they are in.
Washington may have hit his final form as a player, but having him in an offensive system with Maxey and McCain might allow him to showcase some skills as a short roller that he hasn’t yet been able to display so far in his career. If the Sixers do trade for him and re-sign him at a reasonable number, his value isn’t likely to go down any time soon.
Tari Eason, 6’8” or Jabari Smith Jr., 6’11”, Houston Rockets
It’s certainly possible that Houston goes into next season with the roster as-is, but they have sort of the reverse problem that the Sixers have in that they have a glut of power forwards and very few playable guards. Additionally, both Eason and Smith are on the final year of their rookie deals, and it’s unclear if the organization has the stomach to pay both players beyond this season.
If the Sixers could manage to snag either one of these guys – perhaps in a 3-team trade where the Sixers send assets to another team, which sends a guard to Houston – that would go a long way in balancing the fit of both rosters. And of course, the fact that both players are so young, and that Smith in particular may have more dimensions left to add to his game, makes this even more appealing.
Herb Jones, 6’8”, New Orleans Pelicans
It’s very unclear what the Pelicans are hoping to accomplish this off-season. It appeared as though they were eager to jump into a rebuild, but then they traded their unprotected first round pick for next season on draft night to move up to select Derik Queen. Trading Jones wouldn’t make a ton of sense for a team looking to make noise next year, but that being said, if for whatever reason they don’t view him as a key part of their future the Sixers should jump all over it.
Jones makes a ton of sense as a win-now target, and while I don’t see him expanding his game very much, his value isn’t likely to go down as long as he remains healthy and under contract at a reasonable number. He’d be a tremendous fit on the current roster, and would complement the young core of guards extremely well.
Given that he has multiple years left on his current deal, it would likely cost more than just one first round pick, but that’s a price I’d be willing to pay if he’s available.
Jarred Vanderbilt, 6’8”, Los Angeles Lakers
OK, we’re starting to get to the lower tier of players here. I still really like the concept of Vanderbilt, but he’s dealt with lots of injuries over the past two years and has not managed to make a consistent impact since the 2023 playoffs. The Lakers also have a surplus of power forwards, and it would likely behoove them to get off of one of them if they can.
Oubre, Drummond, and a second-round pick or two for Vanderbilt makes a good bit of sense for both rosters, especially considering the Lakers’ dire need for centers.
Maxi Kleber, 6’10”, Los Angeles Lakers
Kleber, like Vanderbilt, is stuck in a logjam of Lakers power forwards and has struggled with health issues in recent years. Entering his mid-30s on an expiring contract, I can’t imagine he has any positive value. This is the type of deal the Sixers could swing as a pure salary swap in hopes that Kleber acts as a short-term stopgap at the four spot. If he’s totally washed, he just becomes filler to be used at the deadline.
Free agent targets
To reiterate: the only tools the Sixers have available to them in free agency are minimum contracts and their $5.7 million mid-level exception. Of course, I would love to see them use that on Guerschon Yabusele, but it’s unclear if he will be available at that price, or if the Sixers even have the appetite to use their full mid-level exception. In some previous years, they have opted not to use their MLE altogether. Here are some other guys who they might consider with their resources available.
Marvin Bagley III
Bagley should be gettable on a minimum, and to restate something I said in my previous article, he absolutely stinks – but unlike most of the Sixers’ stinky signings last summer, he’s big, tall, athletic, and stinks.
In all seriousness, Bagley at least rebounds at an above-average rate for his position, and his ability to be a lob threat in the pick and roll would be a welcomed dynamic in the Sixers’ front court. He’s worth taking a shot on with a minimum deal, and the fact that he’s a former top prospect is something that Morey has consistently valued in buy-low situations throughout his career.
Jake LaRavia
LaRavia has the most perimeter skills of anyone mentioned here – he’s a ready and willing shooter (37 percent for his career) with some real passing juice and a half decent handle. He likely would require the MLE, if he’s even available for that.
At just 23, having yet to solidify his place in the league, the Sixers could offer him a combination of playing time and chance at competing that many other teams could not. If they can come to terms on a 3-year MLE deal, I’d consider that a win for the Sixers.
Trey Lyles
Lyles has quietly played a big role for Sacramento the past few years, including in 2023 when they had the best offense in the entire NBA. His 3-point shooting has stabilized after some struggles early in his career (36 percent over the past three seasons), he rebounds at a decent rate, and he’s an adequate passer.
He’s likely to get something above the minimum, so I’d rather spend the MLE on Yabu, but if the Sixers do lose Yabusele, Lyles is a solid replacement in a 15-20 minutes per game role.
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.