This summer, ten free agents will be available to the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly has more players than any other NBA team, even when player options that might let them to enter unrestricted free agency are taken into consideration. The Sixers’ roster is expected to undergo significant changes throughout this offseason, as noted by Daryl Morey.
In his end-of-season press conference, Morey named Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul Reed and Ricky Council IV as the only players expected to return next season. Maxey, a restricted free agent, is going to get a new contract eventually and both Reed and Council are on deals that are not fully guaranteed. With Embiid having the only guaranteed contract on the books right now, the Sixers have a lot of cap space to upgrade their roster.
But as much as Philly needs to get more 16-game players, particularly on the wing, it doesn’t mean getting an entirely new supporting cast. There are plenty of solid players to retain in similar or scaled-down roles on fresh contracts. But at the same time, there are some they shouldn’t sweat losing.
While the 76ers do have more than three free agents that would be nice to bring back, there are three they should prioritize.
76ers should try to re-sign Nico Batum, Cam Payne and Kelly Oubre Jr.
Batum
The primary factor contributing to the James Harden trade’s immediate value was Batum, who was a veritable blessing for the 76ers. The Sixers should make sure he plays for them again if he decides to play in the NBA, which is uncertain given his wife’s statement from the previous offseason that he intends to retire following this summer’s Olympics.
In crucial situations, such as the play-in game against the Miami Heat, the seasoned wing guarded the team’s best perimeter player (and occasionally its star centers). He was frequently complimented for having the greatest passing on the team and his ability to shoot threes, even when moving and with little dip in his release, made him the ideal supporting player for the two stars.
While Batum should be brought back, he should also play fewer minutes than he did last year. He turns 36 years old in December and dealt with numerous injuries this past season, missing as many as nine games in a row at one point. Pushing his minutes into the low 20s or high teens and making him one of the first subs off the bench will help keep him fresher while still tapping into his brilliant talent.
Batum can still play a key role on the Sixers but he cannot be as dependent on him as they were this past season. For what would be a one-year deal if he decides to play one more season, Philly should try its hardest to keep him around.
Payne
When Payne first arrived in Philly, it looked like he was just used as the contract-matching vehicle to allow Patrick Beverley to go to the Milwaukee Bucks and net the Sixers a future second-round draft pick. But when he got the chance to play, including in the playoffs, Payne was really solid.
Although he’s small, Payne can be impactful in big moments and handle playing 15 to 20 minutes per game. His quickness, floater game and ability to shoot off of movement make him a very nice backup option for Maxey. As a team defender, he does the most he can do with his slight frame, fighting hard to make plays off the ball and making good rotations. He’s even got a similarly positive, upbeat vibe that makes him a fantastic presence in the locker room.
After signing a minimum contract last offseason, Payne is probably in for a raise, even if it’s not a multi-year deal. The Sixers have other priorities but should try to retain Payne if the price is right. They’ll need another perimeter ball-handler besides Maxey, so why not keep the guy who already showed he can be a dependable backup?
Oubre Jr.
Oubre gave the Sixers way more than anyone expected from a minimum-contract signing. His athleticism made him useful in a variety of contexts, especially in the playoffs, and he played well both as a starter and bench player. His scoring was uneven but when he got hot, he lit up the scoreboard.
While Oubre can still be helpful for Philly, it’s best to make him a reserve/emergency starter. His three-point shooting is rough without Embiid on the court but he still offers some rim pressure and solid defense on and off the ball. With Embiid on the court, he shot a decent 37.6 percent from deep. He showed flashes of playmaking off of his drives, bringing his assists per game up as the season went on, though his decision-making can still be an inhibitor to the offense at times.
It will be interesting to see how much Oubre’s next contract is worth. He undoubtedly raised his stock back up but the question remains as to how much a team believes he can replicate what he did for the Sixers. Keeping Oubre on the bench on a two- or three-year deal somewhere around $8 million per year would be good business.
Which other free agents should 76ers pass on or let go?
Morey said that the Sixers are not going to be able to keep all their free agents, which is just the way it goes in the NBA. Players will get offered more money and/or a larger role and sign elsewhere.
KJ Martin, for example, would be nice for Philly to keep around for depth. However, the possibility that another team offers him more money and a bigger role seems to be in play for the uber-athletic 23-year-old. If such an opportunity presents itself, Martin is probably not going to pass it up. His heads-up passing and versatile defense make him a valuable contributor, especially if he gets back to shooting three-pointers the way he did with the Houston Rockets.
Robert Covington’s knee issue is worrisome after missing the entire 2024 portion of the season. He’s also getting up there in age, as he’ll turn 34 during next season. But if he’s okay with being on the fringes of the rotation, he would be fantastic to have for his willingness to shoot threes and impeccable defensive playmaking. His 3.9 steal percentage from last season was a career-high and would have led the NBA if he didn’t miss so much time. There’s still some gas left in the tank there.
De’Anthony Melton also dealt with injury problems that derailed most of his season. Since he’s still just 25 years old and was able to return from several setbacks, his market is bound to feature multiple suitors. The Sixers losing him after trading a first-rounder to get him would be tough to swallow but they shouldn’t throw a sizable contract his way just for that reason. Losing an undersized wing — especially one who has back problems and struggles to finish at the rim — wouldn’t be an unforgivable sin.
Buddy Hield would be a nice bench player for the regular season simply because he’s durable and a great three-point shooter. But as the Sixers saw, his playoff production craters if he isn’t draining shots. Exacerbating the problem is that he’s not a consistent shot creator, either. He should be further down the list of free agents to prioritize bringing back, though not off of the list entirely.
The case for Kyle Lowry is similar to Batum; he’s a very smart, tough veteran with great passing acumen. But at age 38, guards of his size are rarely impactful rotation players, let alone getting consistent minutes. If he decides to keep playing — which appears to be his intention — he’s best suited to be a deeper bench piece. He might be able to find a different team offering a larger role, though it would probably be on a team worse than Philly.
Jeff Dowtin Jr. has a team option for next season and, in a limited sample size, proved to be a more-than-capable player on both ends of the floor. He’s a very nice option to have on the bench, especially on a cheap contract, but the Sixers will most likely wait to see how much wiggle room they need before deciding to take his option. The deadline for that decision is June 29.
Terquavion Smith looked solid as a rookie on a two-way contract and is going to be a restricted free agent this summer. Investing another year of growth into the 21-year-old’s game could allow him to become a nice backup option in the near future. The Sixers should absolutely keep Smith around and let him grow more in the G League.
Mo Bamba and Tobias Harris are two players the Sixers should not look to bring back, as each position needs upgrading.
76ers have a lot of changes to make
The wings around Embiid and Maxey have to be some combination of big, highly mobile, unafraid to let threes fly, able to defend multiple positions or able to be a consistently impactful playmaker. Harris certainly has impressive size for a wing but the rest of those abilities only came in fleeting moments, if they even came at all. Any changes Harris has made in terms of his skill set or ability to perform in the playoffs were not big enough to justify making him a part of the rotation again. It’s in both sides’ best interests to move on.
As for Bamba, the Sixers should try to find a better third-string center. As was made clear this past season, an injury to Embiid could make a minor position much more important. Although Reed showed some improvements last season and is still a solid backup option, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring in more competition (though at a smaller expense).
The 76ers have a lot of roster upgrades to make, namely getting more athleticism on the wings and playmaking around Embiid and Maxey. But they can accomplish some of that by retaining a few of their free agents.
