Seven role players who could make sense for Sixers in free agency

The Sixers are again not positioned to be big spenders for external free agents.

Joel Embiid is set to play the first season of his supermax extension, Tobias Harris has an approximately $39.3 million salary for the 2023-24 season, and any team that exceeds the second luxury-tax apron in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement will be heavily restricted.

Along with James Harden, the Sixers’ other significant in-house free agents are Paul Reed, Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels and Shake Milton. 

One way the new CBA seeks to curb major spending disparities between teams is by increasing the value of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (approximately $12.4 million, per Spotrac) and decreasing the taxpayer MLE ($5 million). 

As Bryan Toporek noted for Forbes, “there’s almost no scenario in which Harden returns and (the Sixers) get the $12.4 million non-taxpayer MLE.” The Sixers won’t have access to the bi-annual exception because they used it last summer to sign Danuel House Jr. They’ll be able to sign players to minimum-salary contracts.

With that context in mind and free agency officially opening Friday at 6 p.m. ET, here’s a look at seven external role players who could make sense for the Sixers: 

Torrey Craig

The 6-foot-7 Craig reliably plays very hard, guards big names, and rebounds well. He’s the kind of player who’d passionately do whatever new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse asked on defense. 

Craig also shot a career-best 39.5 percent from three-point range last season with the Suns and had a hot start to the postseason, making 10 of his first 16 triples in Phoenix’s first-round series win over the Clippers. 

Dario Saric

Provided the price is light, Saric seems like a reasonable reunion candidate. 

Since playing his first two-plus NBA seasons in Philadelphia, Saric has had stints with Minnesota, Phoenix and Oklahoma City. For what it’s worth, he told reporters at his exit interview that he’d like to return to the Thunder. Saric is capable at both the four and five spots and possesses the passing skills Nurse has historically liked in his big men.

Damion Lee

Lee set new career highs in three-point percentage (44.5) and games played (74) last year. He made 51 percent of his corner threes. In his first season as a Sun, Lee was nominated for the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award. 

The former Drexel wing certainly wouldn’t be a lock for his next team’s playoff rotation and it’s very possible his numbers will decline a bit. Still, that sort of shooting tends to be useful alongside attention-drawing stars. 

Yuta Watanabe

The same note about a potential shooting drop-off applies to Watanabe, who got off to a scorching start with the Nets and finished the 2022-23 campaign at 44.4 percent from long distance. 

Nurse knows Watanabe well from the Japanese forward’s two seasons in Toronto. In November, he called the 28-year-old a “very, very good team player” who “provides a lot of little things for a team.”

Lonnie Walker IV

Walker had a massive playoff moment this year, scoring 15 fourth-quarter points in the Lakers’ Round 2, Game 4 victory against the Warriors. 

The Reading native’s self-confidence in those high-pressure moments is obviously a plus. Of course, he’s far from a battle-tested veteran at 24 years old. 

Kevin Love

Love reportedly talked with the Sixers in February before deciding to join the Heat. 

If he doesn’t stay in Miami, perhaps the Sixers will again be a possibility for Love. The five-time All-Star's defensive rebounding, tremendous outlet passing, and willingness to fire up jumpers have remained valuable traits. 

Cory Joseph

Jospeh is on this list partly because of his connection with Nurse through both the Raptors and the Canadian men's national team. 

While Joseph likely would not play a large role on the Sixers, he’s long been a solid, steady point guard. He also shot 40.1 percent from three-point range over the past two seasons. If Joseph is interested in playing for a contender and fine taking a minimum deal, he appears to be a decent guard depth option.