“Trust the process” has become somewhat of a mocking catchphrase for the Philadelphia 76ers over the past three seasons after former General Manager and President of Basketball Operations Sam Hinkie used it to preach patience in the franchise’s rebuilding process. In the end, Hinkie won’t be around to see the process play out following his dismissal but the reality is that he may have been on to something. Bryan Colangelo inherited a roster that is loaded with young talent, draft picks and salary cap space, which actually puts him in the perfect position as GM to build a championship contender over the next couple of seasons. The next step for Colangelo will be insulating the considerable young talent on his roster with some talented veterans that can help take Philadelphia back to the postseason in the coming years. Here is a look at four realistic free agent options the 76ers should target in 2017.
Kyle Lowry
The weakest position on the 76ers’ roster right now is the point guard position. That could mean throwing some big money out next spring in order to land a veteran that can fill the gap. Lowry could be the ideal fit after thriving as one of the top point guards in the NBA over the past few seasons and considering he played college basketball at nearby Villanova, Philadelphia could be the perfect fit. Lowry is starting to get up there in age, but that could make a move that much more likely if the 76ers are willing to throw more money at the 30-year-old than his current team in the Toronto Raptors.
J.J. Redick
At some point, Colangelo will need to find a veteran sharpshooter that can really stretch the floor as a pure scorer and open up space for his athletic young talent to operate. Redick might very well be the perfect fit. The 76ers are lacking outside shooters and the 32-year-old Redick could be the ideal solution to that problem when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer. Redick averaged 16.3 points including 2.7 three-point shots per game on 48-percent shooting from beyond the arc last season and he could be the perfect fit in Philadelphia. The Clippers look like their window of opportunity is closing, and they may have other priorities rather than dumping a lot of money into Redick’s pockets.
Kyle Korver
While Redick would be the perfect answer at shooting guard, Korver could be another option even though his three-point percentage dipped dramatically last season. Remember that while Korver may get some of the blame for his decline last year, recall that the team went downhill as a whole. Two years ago, they were among the best in the NBA. Last year, they were merely average and the parts around Korver hurt his production. He needs help spacing the floor and he never got that.
Korver is still a quality shooter and even more impressive is that he has developed in to a relatively good defender over the past couple of years with the Atlanta Hawks. Korver actually began his NBA career with the 76ers back in 2003-04 after being traded by the New Jersey Nets and a return to the city of brotherly love could be a realistic outcome for both sides next spring.
Patty Mills
Regardless if they get any of the other players on this list, the 76ers should take a long look at Mills next spring as a veteran guard that can really help solidify their depth coming off the bench. Mills has thrived with the San Antonio Spurs over the past couple of seasons but might want a bigger role and maybe a little bit more money – if Philadelphia is willing to offer those two things. The 76ers need to significantly upgrade their guard positions but it does look like Simmons will fill one of those roles. They also need to upgrade their outside scoring, too, though. While Mills isn’t a star, he would provide those two elements while bringing some leadership to a young franchise that is in need of it.
