The buyout market is relatively scant, and many of the useful pieces — Marvin Williams, Markieff Morris, Reggie Jackson — have already committed to sign with teams other than the Sixers.
Some interesting names remain, though, and Brett Brown’s team has clear areas of need. Especially given the back injury to Ben Simmons, the 76ers should be looking for help in every place possible. With that in mind, these are six names they might consider, along with what each player would add to the roster.
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(A quick reminder of how the buyout market works: The following players have either already been bought out or could be bought out of their contracts by their respective teams, and they have/would become free agents, able to sign with any team after clearing waivers. A player has to be bought out before March 1 in order to be playoff-eligible after he signs with another team. As long as he’s bought out by that date, the now-free agent can sign with a team before the end of the regular season, and still be eligible for the postseason. Since the Sixers do not have an open roster spot, they would have to cut someone in order to add one of these names.)
Tyler Johnson, 27, combo guard
Season per game stats: 16.6 minutes, 5.7 points, 1.6 assists, 38.0 FG%, 28.9 3PT%
The past year of Johnson’s career has been a rough one. After being traded in February 2019 to Phoenix from Miami, where he’d spent his entire career, Johnson struggled in limited action before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery that sidelined him for the last month of the season. Since returning this season, Johnson has looked like a shell of his former self.
He’s shooting 38 percent from the floor, including 29 percent from 3. Johnson is also getting to the free-throw line at career-low rates, and looks slower physically than in previous years. If the Sixers were to bring him in, they’d be placing a bet on Johnson making a massive turnaround.
But for the price of a minimum contract and the roster spot of say, Kyle O’Quinn, the idea of adding Johnson is intriguing enough to take a flyer. He fits the prototype of a combo guard who can play with or without Simmons, and it seems smart to have alternatives at backup point guard aside from Raul Neto or Shake Milton.
Johnson is tough, crafty and strong. And while he’s struggled from deep this year, he’s a career 35.8 percent 3-point shooter who can shoot with defenders close by. Johnson also takes care of the ball, even if he lacks the passing upside that lead ballhandlers should have. The days of Johnson being a key bench player on a quality team are likely over, but it’s never bad to have too many players who can shoot, handle the ball and attack close-outs. If Johnson, who was waived by Phoenix this month and is now a free agent, is open to signing with the Sixers, he should be their first priority.
Isaiah Thomas has improved his shooting from deep. (Brad Mills / USA Today)
Isaiah Thomas, 31, point guard
23.1 minutes, 12.2 points, 3.7 assists, 40.8 FG%, 41.3 3PT%
Speaking of potentially betting on a player hoping for a massive turnaround of his career …
Thomas was waived by the Clippers after he was sent there in a trade on deadline day earlier this month, but the now ex-Wizards guard was actually having a respectable year in Washington. While his offensive game resembles nothing like it was a few years ago, Thomas provided a scoring jolt by becoming a lights out 3-point shooter, knocking down 41.3 percent on 9.5 attempts per 100 possessions.
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But Thomas’ athleticism has deteriorated, and it shows in the numbers. Only 7 percent of his shots came at the rim this season, per Basketball-Reference, by far the lowest percentage of his career, and he was shooting the second-worst percentage of his career (54 percent) on those shots. Essentially, Thomas has become a 5-foot-9 3-point shooter, which has limited value in today’s league.
Thomas is still a capable ballhandler, but his creation abilities have dissipated quite a bit. Given that he’s also one of the NBA’s worst defensive players, I wouldn’t take a chance on him from the Sixers’ perspective.
Dion Waiters, 28, shooting guard
14.0 minutes, 9.3 points, 1.0 assists, 38.5 FG%, 47.1 3PT%
Watching film from the three games the Philadelphia native has played this season, there’s one positive to point out: Waiters doesn’t seem physically washed-up. He’s dealt with lots of injuries over the past few seasons, but it doesn’t seem like he’s lost much of his athleticism. Again, it’s only a few games, but I still see quite a bit of natural scoring ability there. He averaged 9.3 points per game in those contests.
The problem, of course, is Waiters’ mentality and approach, both on and off the court. His history of clashing with coaches and teammates is well-documented, and he’s been suspended three times by his own teamthis season. If Waiters, now a free agent after being waived by the Memphis Grizzlies in February, were to sign with the Sixers, the biggest hurdle would be for him to buy into a likely 10th-man role in the rotation, there only to provide an occasional change-of-pace scoring punch.
I believe the potential in Waiters is still there, and if harnessed, it would help this team. But given the recent acquisition of Alec Burks, signing another player whose best possible outcome is to fill time in that role is not worth the risk.
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Courtney Lee, 34, shooting guard
10.1 minutes, 4.1 points, 0.4 assists, 56.4 FG%, 54.2 3PT%
Like all of these players, Lee’s career appears in decline. After a serious neck injury sidelined him for much of last year, he’s been mostly out of the rotation this season in Dallas, playing in only 14 games. The Mavericks have not bought him out, but given his diminished role, Lee is a name the Sixers should monitor.
A prototypical 3-and-D player for years, Lee was known for defending multiple positions and attacking a close-out on offense. In watching his recent film, many of those abilities are still present, even if he’s past his prime. Durability issues aside, Lee has the framework of a useful player, and it’s surprising that he’s been buried so deep on Dallas’ bench. The lack of playing time is a concern, but perhaps it’s mostly a product of Dallas having an abundance of wing-sized bodies (Luka Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith, Tim Hardaway, Justin Jackson and Delon Wright).
The issues with Lee come primarily on defense. Once a player capable of defending leading scorers each night, Lee’s athleticism has declined to the point that, in many matchups, he needs to be relegated to defending a team’s fifth option. Still, he’s a tough and experienced player with a reliable jump shot (even if it looks strange). If he’s bought out, the Sixers should look into Lee. At worst, he’s another option to soak up wing minutes if Furkan Korkmaz or Matisse Thybulle quake in the playoffs.
Brandon Knight, 28, combo guard
14.8 minutes, 4.6 points, 1.8 assists, 31.2 FG%, 28.2 3PT%
Knight was traded this month to Detroit for salary purposes in the Andre Drummond deal, and it’s possible the Pistons buy him out, given their suddenly crowded backcourt.
In my opinion, the Sixers should have no interest in Knight if that occurs. His numbers are horrendous this season, and he’s been in steady decline for years. He’s considerably worse than Neto and Milton, and there’s virtually no upside to adding Knight.
Traded at the deadline, Evan Turner has to play with Minnesota. (Adam Hunger / USA Today)
Evan Turner, 31, combo guard
13.2 minutes, 3.1 points, 2.0 assists, 37.3 FG%, 0.0 3PT%
As much fun as this potential reunion would be for sentimental purposes, the same logic applies to Turner as did to Knight: There’s no upside. Turner couldn’t break through the rotation with the Hawks, and his longstanding shooting woes would make him untenable on the Sixers. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Turner would make an impact that any of the Sixers’ current guards or wings couldn’t make. Turner, who went from Atlanta to Minnesota in a four-team deal at this season’s trade deadline and has yet to play for the Timberwolves, reportedly worked out with the Clippers earlier this month.
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The verdict
It’s not the most exciting buyout market, folks. Most of the players are not worth the trouble of cutting O’Quinn. For me, the most intriguing names are Johnson and Lee. Waiters is the only other player I’d even consider.
Johnson provides the most potential value as the backup point guard. Neto has not done anything to cement his place as the backup PG (he received a DNP-CD against the Hawks on Monday), and the Josh Richardson experiment at that role has not gone well. Then there’s Burks, an iffy option, and Milton, who may not be prepared for playoff minutes. Johnson might be over the hill, but he has the framework of a player who would fit well on Philadelphia’s roster. And if he regains his form from previous seasons, Johnson would help the 76ers quite a bit.
(Top photo of Tyler Johnson defended by De’Aaron Fox: Jennifer Stewart / USA Today)
