The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t waste any time addressing two significant needs that plagued them this season — a backup big man and three-point shooting — to start NBA free agency on Sunday.
The Sixers reportedly signed veteran center Andre Drummond to a two-year, $10 million contract and veteran guard Eric Gordon to a one-year, $3.3 million deal (veteran minimum, h/t Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). The second year of Drummond’s deal is a player option, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Drummond is back with the Sixers for the second time in as many years after spending the previous season and a half with the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets. Philadelphia was reportedly interested in acquiring Drummond from the Bulls at the trade deadline in February, but Chicago decided to keep the big man for the rest of the 2023-24 season.
The 30-year-old center was one of the most coveted backup big men entering free agency after averaging 8.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game off the bench for the Bulls this season. After the Mo Bamba and Paul Reed experiment failed this season, the Sixers realized they needed a reliable option behind All-Star Joel Embiid.
When Drummond was with the Sixers in the 2021-22 season, he averaged 6.1 points and 8.8 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game before being sent to the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden trade.
Philadelphia hopes for similar production next season from the veteran center, especially when they face teams like the New York Knicks, who gave them issues on the boards in the playoffs.
As for Gordon, he will give the Sixers some more three-point shooting, which was a big issue this season. The Sixers tried to fix the issue midseason with Buddy Hield, who shot 38.9 percent from deep and averaged 6.6 attempts per game. However, Philly was still ranked 18th in three-point percentage (36.3) and 19th in attempts per game (33.3).
The 35-year-old Gordon should help in the three-point volume category, as he averaged 5.8 attempts per game with the Phoenix Suns this season. The veteran shooting guard scored 11 points per game on 44.3 percent shooting from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Some Sixers fans aren’t fans of the team signing Gordon due to his age (35) but on a veteran’s minimum deal, which won’t become official until they use all their cap space. It’s a low-risk, high-reward signing.
The former first-round pick won’t play a ton of minutes off the bench for Nick Nurse because it could give them a spark with his three-point shooting prowess. The Sixers’ bench was ranked 16th in three-point percentage (35.0) and 26th in attempts (10.3 per game).
Therefore, one can infer that Gordon, first-round pick Jared McCain, and whoever else the Sixers add to the bench will help boost the team’s three-point shooting drastically.
With the first night of NBA free agency almost in the books, it’s been a solid start for Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office. But there’s still more work to be done this offseason, as the Sixers must continue to bolster the bench and lockdown that third star player for next season (Paul George).
[Photo courtesy of Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports]