76ers Minimum Contracts to Pursue as Late NBA Free-Agency Steals
The primary plot points of the Philadelphia 76ers' 2022 NBA offseason have all been sketched out and executed.
Still, they may have a few more T's to cross and I's to dot in order to best position this roster for its long-awaited championship breakthrough.
If the Sixers search for a minimum-contract bargain or two, the following three players should be on the radar.
Jeremy Lamb
The Sixers could use more shot-makers and shot-creators on the second unit.
Jeremy Lamb does a relatively decent job of checking both boxes, at least for the price point.
The 30-year-old makes net-shredding look effortlessly smooth. He also doesn't need a ton of floor time to fill it up. He averaged double-digit points in four of the past five seasons despite logging just 24.3 minutes per night over that stretch.
His three-ball is streakier than you'd like, and his defense isn't worth mentioning, but he'd be out of the price range if he didn't have those warts.
Ben McLemore
Who said the old Houston Rockets reunion tour couldn't use another member?
In 2019-20, Ben McLemore suited up alongside James Harden, P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. on a roster assembled by Daryl Morey.
McLemore responded with one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 10.1 points in just 22.8 minutes per game along with 2.5 triples on 40 percent shooting.
The 29-year-old hasn't matched that production since, but maybe he just needs to find that same formula for success.
He's a shooting specialist, but that's all he would need to be to add value in Philadelphia. If he just keeps defenses honest by spreading the floor and making the open shots that come his way, he would more than earn his keep.
Hassan Whiteside
Let's address the elephant in the room first: Yes, Hassan Whiteside did have a beef with Joel Embiid in the past. Should that worry the Sixers? Not at all. Remember, Embiid also had a history with Andre Drummond, who added immense value as Embiid's backup before his inclusion in the Harden-Ben Simmons swap.
Whiteside has the tools and talent to step right into Drummond's vacated role.
Whiteside's numbers sometimes oversell his on-court impact, as he doesn't always set the sturdiest screens or show the greatest defensive awareness. Still, there are only so many ways to sneeze at the production: 8.2 points on 65.2 percent shooting, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in just 17.9 minutes per night this past season.
If the Sixers are at all worried about their backup big rotation—that depends entirely on how they feel about Paul Reed and Charles Bassey—they should give Whiteside a long look.