The Philadelphia 76ers are the most active movers of this NBA offseason. After years of struggles, the team was as All-In as can be, and the results are obvious. Since the Joel Embiid drafting, the team has yet to show significant signs of success. Further, their last great playoff remains the one featuring Allen Iverson from over 20 years ago. Last season, when the team gave up James Harden in a trade, there was a clear vision that GM Daryl Morey had. So far, this offseason, it is hard to argue about achieving that vision.
Immediately after free agency opened, Paul George made clear that he wasn’t re-signing with the Los Angeles Clippers. Instead, he was going to have meetings with other teams. A flirtation between the two sides that began with Joel Embiid side-eyeing him as a potential running mate during the NBA Finals broadcast came to a head. George put pen to paper on a four-year, $212 million deal. But, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Immediately after, re-signing MIP and budding superstar Tyrese Maxey became a priority. Once that deal was done, the Sixers had the rest of the rotation in mind. Thanks to a bevy of shrewd signings, the team has grown from strength to strength. Now, when training camp begins, Philadelphia might walk in with one of the best and deepest rosters in basketball.
The depth on offer for the Sixers
In the new parity drive NBA, depth is of the utmost importance. While a 7 or 8-man rotation was the norm in the playoffs, teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder go as far as 11 deep. As a result, building up a roster full of competent role players is becoming more essential by the season. As it turns out, Philadelphia got the memo.
Beyond the new Big 3 in town, the front office has been hard at work building out a roster around them. Their first big win came in the 2024 NBA draft. In Jared McCain, they get a sharpshooting freak who can be a Day1 contributor, at least in a limited role. But, once free agency began, is when the 76ers took it a step further.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Reggie Jackson, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
On Day 1 the signings of Kelly Oubre Jr and Andre Drummond came to the forefront. Both familiar with the city and the team, Oubre and Drummond had arguably the best years of their careers in the City of Brotherly Love. At least in Drummond’s case, after his initial stint in Detroit. However, the team wasn’t stopping there. Apart from Kelly and his two-way excellence, the team even saw Kyle Lowry return to further bolster the backcourt rotation, before signing a Morey favorite in Eric Gordon.
The team isn’t done making moves just yet, though. Their latest acquisition is a bonafide veteran. Reggie Jackson, fresh off back-to-back postseason runs with the Denver Nuggets made his way to the Charlotte Hornets as part of a salary dump. Once waived, the NBA Champion was quickly picked up by the Sixers to add to their core.
Veteran Reggie Jackson gives PG a familiar face
In both Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson, Paul George has a familiar face at work. During the most successful year of the Clippers experiment, it was PG13 and Jackson who led them to a Conference Finals berth. During that run, Reggie was sensational in his shot-making and clutch-time performances. With averages of 17.8 points on 40% from deep, his production was invaluable for LA.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Reggie Jackson, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
While he is far removed from those glory days, he can still be a valuable replacement in sporadic appearances. During the Nuggets’ run to the Championship, Jackson was the lone replacement in the non-Jamal Murray minutes and held up on his end. A career 12.6 ppg scorer, Reggie could function as a veteran leader for Philadelphia, with 87 playoff games under his belt.
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