76ers' Remaining Free Agency Targets After Landing LeBron James

The Philadelphia 76ers should prioritize defense and three-point shooting after LeBron James signed with the team this offseason.

After eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference, James has returned to the East via the 76ers. He announced this decision on Friday through his X account.

James completes the stacked starting five of Philadelphia, with Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. But this team still needs a little more depth to compete.

Philadelphia needs to add decent defenders and three-point shooters to surround their stars, and their targets include Bruce Brown Jr., Nick Richards and Peyton Watson, all of whom are going to be free agents.

Brown Jr. is an experienced player who can be Philadelphia’s 3-and-D guy, much like his role with the Denver Nuggets when they won the 2023 NBA title.

Though his impact on the defensive end doesn’t seem to stand out on the stat sheet, his 6-foot-4 strong frame has the ability to guard multiple positions, disrupt passing lanes and corral boards.

Aside from the defensive contribution, Brown Jr. also shoots a decent 38.5% from downtown, which will greatly help the 76ers’ spacing.

With the departure of Andre Drummond, who signed with the New York Knicks in the offseason, Philadelphia needs a backup center for Embiid. The perfect candidate is Richards.

Richards played for the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls last season and racked up 5.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 48 games. 

These numbers will be good enough to relieve at least 13 to 15 minutes of playing time for Embiid.

Lastly, though a potential long shot, the 76ers should consider Watson. The 30th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft had a breakout season last year.

Watson, an unrestricted free agent, improved his numbers to 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Watson’s most impressive stat is his 41.1% three-point shooting percentage.

Denver is expected to sign him to a long-term deal after last season, but if Philadelphia can snag him, he can be a massive coup for them.