The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be one of the more active teams in the offseason market. President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey set the Sixers up in a great position to upgrade the roster this offseason, and he will look into any avenue he can find to add around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Morey stated the obvious at his end-of-season presser: The team needs a wing player who can produce on both ends of the floor in the playoffs and be a consistent option. Here are six wing options that make sense for the Sixers:
Caleb Martin
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Martin should absolutely not be a No. 1 priority for Morey, but in terms of a depth piece, he would be perfect for this group. He can defend ballhandlers and opposing swingmen, and he can score in the midrange and from deep. He was a key piece of the Miami Heat’s run to the finals in 2023. Once Morey makes the big moves, Martin makes a great deal of sense in free agency should he decline his player option.
Mikal Bridges
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Bridges would have to be acquired via trade. Considering the Brooklyn Nets are likely headed toward a rebuild, the price could just be draft picks and cap relief. The Nets have to take care of Nic Claxton in free agency. Shedding Bridges’ salary while receiving draft picks to bring in young talent could be what Brooklyn is looking for.
Brandon Ingram
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Ingram would be trickier to acquire via trade. The New Orleans Pelicans are not in the same position as the Nets and would likely not accept only draft picks and cap relief. They will want a player who can help them move up in the Western Conference standings. A third team would have to get involved so New Orleans can get what its looking for, but Ingram would be a nice get for Philadelphia if a trade materializes.
Bruce Brown
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Thrown in the same group as Martin, the Sixers shouldn’t make Brown their No. 1 priority, but he should definitely be an option in the summer. He was a key piece of the Denver Nuggets making their title run in 2023, and he would do all of the little things for Philadelphia off the bench. He can defend perimeter guards and has taken steps as a 3-point shooter.
Paul George
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George will be one of the bigger names on the free agent market unless he and the Los Angeles Clippers can come to an agreement on an extension. He is still playing at an All-Star level and can produce on either end of the floor. He has injury concerns, but he played in 74 games in the 2023-24 season after playing only 48 games in 2019-20, 54 in 2020-21, 31 in 2021-22, and 56 in 2022-23.
DeMar DeRozan
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DeRozan could be an awkward fit due to his lack of a 3-point shot and his reluctance to shoot them much. However, he averaged 24 points per game in 2023-24 and his mastery in the midrange could be what the doctor ordered. Maxey can take care of the long-range shooting to space the floor while DeRozan works his way into the midrange and adds high-level scoring to this group.
