10 options for Sixers in free agency with veteran minimum contracts
Like every NBA team, the Sixers will be able to sign players to veteran minimum contracts this offseason. It’s one way they can add depth — or at least players with a shot to help in case of injuries or unforeseen circumstances — despite being set to pay the luxury tax.Some of the players below are wild cards; some are past their prime; none are All-Stars or automatic inclusions in a team’s playoff rotation. With that said, we look at 10 options for the Sixers to sign to veteran minimum deals in free agency.
One of the Sixers’ offensive problems last season was a relative reluctance to shoot from long range; 36.0 percent of their field goal attempts were from three-point territory, 21st in the NBA. Belinelli has no such issue. He’s never been a defensive stalwart and is 34 years old, but perhaps Belinelli could have a fraction of the impact he did during the 2017-18 season, when he was part of the Sixers’ rotation during their regular season-ending 16-game winning streak.
Biyombo did not live up to the four-year, $72 million contract he signed in 2016. He appears viable as a backup center on a decent team, though, and the Sixers might be looking for a player who fits that description. Biyombo averaged 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 2019-20 for the young Hornets.
Broekhoff, a 30-year-old Australian wing, was excited about signing a substitute contract with the Sixers but never traveled with the team to Disney World after his wife tested positive for COVID-19. A lot has changed since Broekhoff first agreed to join the team, including the fact that Brett Brown is no longer the head coach of the Sixers or the Australian Boomers. Still, if the Sixers seek shooting, Broekhoff is a name that might be in the mix. He shot 40.3 percent from three-point range over the past two seasons with the Mavericks.
It wasn’t that long ago that Carroll was starting playoff games against the Sixers. After his stint with the Nets ended in 2019, he had stops in San Antonio and Houston, though he didn’t receive regular minutes for either team. Carroll does have a track record of providing competent, veteran wing depth, even if last season was forgettable for him.
Hill was dealt from the Grizzlies to the Heat in the Andre Iguodala trade. He’s a low-usage, defensively oriented wing who will take open threes, though he historically hasn’t made them at a very high rate. Like with Biyombo, his excessive 2016 contract doesn’t negate the notion of him having some value in the present.
As a reminder, Korver “labored over a decision” between the Sixers and Bucks last offseason, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. If Korver opts to keep playing, then, it seems the 39-year-old might consider returning to where his NBA career began. He’s never come close to fitting a “3-and-D” label, of course, but Korver’s shooting still merits serious respect from opposing defenses whenever he’s on the floor.
Napier didn’t experience much winning during the 2019-20 season, starting 32 games between the Timberwolves and Wizards and averaging 10.3 points and 4.7 assists overall. He’d likely provide something similar to Trey Burke as an undersized point guard who can create his own offense. (Burke, by the way, will again be a free agent.)
Rivers has always been to take defenders off the dribble and score. He posted a career-high 41 points against the Kings on Aug. 9 and was again a key piece of the Rockets’ small rotation. While he has a player option to stay with Houston, it wouldn’t be stunning if there’s some level of mutual interest with the Sixers should he hit the open market. The Sixers’ new head coach happens to be his father.
An embodiment of the Process, Sampson has bounced around to Denver, Sacramento, Chicago and Indiana since leaving the Sixers. He’s also had multiple stints in the G League and played in the Chinese Basketball Association. Because of injuries, Sampson stepped into important minutes with the Pacers this past season and remains one of those players who can do a bit of everything besides shoot threes, though little of it at an especially high level. As a speedy, high-energy, small-ball center in occasional lineups with Ben Simmons, perhaps Sampson could have a role in Philadelphia.
Following various off-court exploits that the Heat did not look kindly upon and multiple team suspensions, Waiters ended up signing with the Lakers in March and winning a championship. The Philadelphia native might, in the right situation, still have the ability to score in bunches. His confidence won’t waver regardless.
