With Ricky Council IV waived, the Philadelphia 76ers have two open roster spots. One will obviously go to Quentin Grimes, but the last slot is completely up for grabs. It would be a wise decision for Philadelphia to add another power forward on a veteran minimum. However, something must be said about keeping that extra slot for a rainy day. Considering all the talented two-way players the 76ers’ have, that may be the best course.
The 76ers’ four depth is shaky
Aside from Trendon Watford, Philadelphia didn’t directly address its power forward void with a substantial addition. Instead, it cleverly improved within the margins by adding Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow on two-way contracts. Both of whom could end up becoming productive rotational players since the 76ers’ four depth is so shallow.
As of now, Philadelphia is projected to start Kelly Oubre Jr. at power forward. For all his flaws, he’s always been willing to crash the glass and do the dirty work during his 76ers tenure. Still, Oubre is only 6’ 8 and has averaged 4.6 rebounds per game throughout his 10-year career. While those numbers are solid for a three, it’s not feasible for him to be Philadelphia’s full-time starting four.
I liked the Trendon Watford pickup a lot, but for all his versatility, he’s only notched 3.6 boards per game through four seasons as someone who is 6’ 9. The 76ers’ lack of rebounding in their front-court is worrisome considering they’ve ranked in the bottom 10 throughout the league in total rebounds per game since the 2021-22 season. Currently, Philadelphia has no clear way to address this as Johni Broome’s NBA translation in year one is unpredictable.
Walker and/or Barlow could be critical
That’s where Walker and Barlow come in. Last season, Walker’s minutes per game were nearly cut in half compared to 2023-24 since the Portland Trail Blazers boosted their front-court depth. However, in the 2023-24 campaign, Walker played in 77 games where he logged 23.5 minutes a night. As a mainstay in Portland’s rotation, he produced 7.1 rebounds per game as a 6’ 9 power forward.
In his first three seasons, Barlow hasn’t averaged more than 15 minutes per game with the San Antonio Spurs or the Atlanta Hawks. Nonetheless, throughout his young career, he contributed nine rebounds per game per 36 minutes. Needless to say, the 76ers have a variety of forwards who could theoretically make an impact off the glass. Since an Oubre-Watford power forward tandem isn’t the safest bet in the world, Walker and Barlow could get a real opportunity.
If either of them pans out into a reliable rotation piece, Philadelphia could use its final roster spot to convert Walker or Barlow to a standardized NBA contract. Daryl Morey has tended to keep an open roster spot or two for this very reason. The latest example was Ricky Council IV and Kyle Lowry, who were both signed to standard deals in the latter half of the 2023-24 season.
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