Aside from their most recent exits, the Philadelphia 76ers have yet to make any deals, even though free agency has unofficially begun. To be fair, there are still a few weeks until the moratorium is lifted, so teams can only negotiate superficially, and so far the only deals that have been finalized are two free agents who have re-signed with their respective clubs. But this is just a minor point.
The reality is that the 76ers are likely already trying to land contracts from various free agents, and while the search for a third star remains a big question, they need role players either way and have every reason to negotiate with players on the open market for contracts that might interest them.
Multiple media outlets recently reported that the Philadelphia 76ers have expressed strong interest in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is widely expected to decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent.
KCP, a two-time NBA champion who now plays for the Nuggets alongside Jamal Murray in the backcourt, will likely attract plenty of suitors this offseason. He's a prototypical 3-and-D off-guard who is pretty reliable defensively and a good 3-point shooter. Over the past four seasons, he's made 40.6 percent of his attempts from Rainbow Country.
Denver could very well try to keep him, and probably will, but it could be tough as he could demand a bigger contract than Denver is willing to offer.
With both De'Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield expected to become free agents, the 76ers would be a perfect fit for Caldwell-Pope, who could seamlessly slip into the starting shooting guard role and provide Philadelphia with a solid hand protecting the wing position.
If the 76ers are truly willing to give up on the star-buying adventure and instead shift their focus to balancing the squad, KCP would quietly be a nice addition, not only strengthening the team overall, but also weakening a potential Denver opponent if both teams make it to the Finals.
Now, let's discard the trade candidates. Four trade candidates the 76ers should discard and put in the trash.
