Sixers ranked among NBA’s deepest teams
This offseason, Daryl Morey had arguably his best offseason as President of Basketball Operations for the Sixers. Along with acquiring De’Anthony Melton in a draft day trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, the team also acquired P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and Montrezl Harrell in free agency.
Led by Joel Embiid and James Harden, the Sixers already had a starting lineup loaded with firepower. Now, they also have one of the top bench units in the league. Part of what made Morey’s moves so great this summer is that he brought in all these new faces without parting ways with any key pieces.
Sixers crack the top five of Bleacher Report’s depth rankings
Before the regular season gets underway, the people over at Bleacher Report decided to rank the top five NBA teams based on their depth. The Sixers came in at the fourth spot, trailing the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and LA Clippers.
Tucker and House were signed using exceptions that only became available thanks to Harden opting out and re-signing on a two-year, $68.6 million contract. They should both help improve a defense that ranked just 12th a season ago, with Tucker almost certainly starting at one of the forward spots while House settles into a rotation role off the bench.
Trading an injured Danny Green in a deal to acquire Melton gives Philly another reliable ball-handler and talented defender who can play next to Harden or Maxey, even if he begins games as the sixth man.
As mentioned above, none of the Sixers’ moves this offseason would have been possible if not for the selflessness of All-Star point guard James Harden. His willingness to take a significant pay cut to improve the roster should pay dividends as the Sixers look to contend for a title in 2023.
The debut of the new-look Sixers is just days away as they kick off their preseason schedule on October 3rd against the Brooklyn Nets.
Mandatory Credit: NBA.com
