The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly lost at least two of their top bench players in the opening hours of free agency. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that Georges Niang is signing a 3-year, $26 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports added that Niang’s contract with Cleveland is fully guaranteed. About an hour later, the bell tolled on Shake Milton’s time in Philadelphia. Milton, according to Wojnarowski, is signing a 2-year, $10 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Milton’s contract comes with a team option for the second season as reported by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
Both players were productive during their stints on the Sixers. Niang back in the summer of 2021 signed a 2-year, $6.7 million contract with the Sixers. The Iowa State product was a consistent sharpshooter off the bench for Philadelphia, shooting 40.1% from 3-point range last season. He was second in the NBA among bench players in made 3-pointers, connecting on 149 of them. While at times struggling defensively, Niang always provided good shooting and a bit of toughness. He became a fan favorite with the Philadelphia crowd, who coined the nickname “The Minivan.”
Milton’s tenure with the Sixers was a bit of an up-and-down affair. Taken with the No. 54 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, Milton worked and eventually turned himself into a useful player off the bench. The 26-year-old produced when given the opportunity, although he was not always given consistent minutes. He was prone to the occasional big game, every Sixers fan remembers his 39-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2019-2020 season. With the Sixers hobbled at certain points last season, Milton stepped into the starting lineup and produced in a major way. In 11 games, he averaged 20.3 points and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc. Despite producing when called upon and playing in a career-high 76 games last season, he did not end up being a part of the team’s postseason rotation.
How will the Sixers replace their production? There are multiple options between free agency, trades and promoting from within. Replacing Niang, a big-bodied forward with a strong outside jumper, is not going to be as easy as it sounds. There are not many of those types of players available in the free agent market. Jae Crowder, coming off a disappointing season, would be a solid addition. He has become a better shooter in recent years, shooting 36.3% from 3-point range over his last four seasons. However, the Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly interested in re-signing him this offseason. Another potential option is Torrey Craig. He averaged 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting a career-high 39.5% from long distance for the Phoenix Suns last season.
If the Sixers want to instead replace Niang via trade, the Utah Jazz’s Kelly Olynyk should warrant heavy consideration. The 32-year-old is coming off a solid season for Utah in which he averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 39.4% from 3-point range. Why then would the Jazz be willing to part ways with him? He has become expendable after Utah traded for John Collins. Olynyk is likely going to lose a lot of minutes to Collins, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler. The Sixers might get outbid by other interested teams, but that should not stop them from giving Utah a call.
There are a mixture of different options for the Sixers to potentially replace Milton’s production with. On the free agent front, Patrick Beverley is an intriguing option. His outside shooting numbers have gone downhill over the past few seasons, but he still provides grit and tenacious defense. Aaron Holiday is more of a project who is in need of some further development. The 26-year-old has shown some promise in recent seasons, especially as an outside shooter. However, the Sixers could be looking for a more proven option given their desire to compete now. In that case, Cory Joseph and Patty Mills are also both solid potential guard options with veteran experience who are available on the free agent market.
There are also some interesting players on the trade market with the potential to adequately replace Milton in the rotation. Delon Wright provides a good blend of length and athleticism. He averaged 7.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.8 steals for the Washington Wizards last season. However, Washington just traded for Jordan Poole and Tyus Jones, leaving open the possibility they are willing to trade Wright if a good offer presents itself. T.J. McConnell is another potential option via trade. He spent a good portion of his career in Philadelphia, making a name for himself as someone capable of successfully operating an offense.
The Sixers could also go the path of splitting Milton’s minutes between signing a player for the veteran minimum and increasing Jaden Springer’s role in the rotation. Springer excelled playing for the Sixers’ G League affiliate over the past two seasons and has earned a chance at getting consistent minutes. The 20-year-old provides a ton of athleticism, defense and solid finishing ability around the rim.
Where does this leave the Sixers for the remainder of free agency? Until a James Harden trade occurs (assuming it does), there will be a lot of uncertainty surrounding how much cap space the Sixers have to use. That uncertainty thus far has cost the Sixers their ability to improve on the margins of the roster. The Sixers still have forwards Jalen McDaniels and Paul Reed on the open market. However, Reed is a restricted free agent, meaning the Sixers are afforded the opportunity to match any incoming offer sheet. The team also reportedly has plans to extend him a qualifying offer. For now, the Sixers are likely not going to make many moves until they get more clarity with their cap situation.
