Isaiah Thomas: 5 potential landing spots in 2018 free agency
By Derek Hryn
3. Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are “star hunting” in free agency, but they could possibly find themselves coming away empty-handed. The Sixers are currently after LeBron, Kawhi and possible George in a battle with the Lakers.
Marc Stein of the New York Times reports that both the Sixers and Lakers hold the belief if they can acquire Kawhi via trade, then LeBron will follow. The Lakers currently have the upper hand in either scenario.
Updated odds on which team Kawhi Leonard will be on for the first game of the 2018-19 NBA season (Bovada):
— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) June 27, 2018
Spurs -105
Lakers +295
Celtics +300
76ers +650
Cavaliers +800
Clippers +2000
With uncertainty in the Sixers’ backcourt, Thomas could provide a shooting role that they desperately need, and a solid fit as a pick-and-roll ball handler alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
The Sixers are trying to reconstruct former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz‘s shooting form, but there is no guarantee that he can revert to the scorer he was in college.
If they strike out in free agency this summer, it is possible that they could offer Thomas a similar one-year contract to what J.J. Redick had last season, albeit much cheaper.