Eastern Conference contender is loading up on centers

Philadelphia signed 6'11" Serbian center Filip Petrušev to a partially-guaranteed two-year contract, giving them a fourth center on the roster to back up MVP Joel Embiid. At Gonzaga, Petrušev won the West Coast Conference Player of the Year award in 2020, before playing in Europe for three years.

Petrusev was the No. 50 overall selection in 2021, and spent the last three Julys playing for the 76ers' Summer League team in Las Vegas. This year, he averaged 12.5 points and 2.5 blocks in his two games, which was enough for Philadelphia to add him to their crowded frontcourt.

The Sixers matched a three-year $23 million offer to restricted free agent Paul Reed in order to keep their backup center. They also signed seven-footer Mo Bamba, and brought back reserve center Montrezl Harrell on a one-year deal.

That's three backup centers even before Petrušev, without even considering power forward P.J. Tucker, who periodically plays as a small-ball center. Meanwhile, the Sixers have lost guard Shake Milton and wings Georges Niang and Jalen McDaniels in free agency.

It all makes for a rather top-heavy roster. It likely means that Embiid will get more rest, after playing a career-high 34.6 minutes per game last year in his push for his first MVP trophy. It also may mean that new coach Nick Nurse is planning to play some big-ball lineups, with Embiid playing alongside Bamba (a career 36 percent three-point shooter) or Reed, who says he's taking "like 700" jumpers every day.

Considering the Sixers also play 6'8", 225-pound Tobias Harris at small forward, this has the potential to be one of the biggest teams in the NBA. Or they're already preparing for Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets to return to the Finals, and they want to have as many bodies to throw at him as possible.