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The Philadelphia 76ers have made another move in free agency. According to Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice, the Sixers and Kyle O’Quinn have agreed on a one-year minimum deal.
The Sixers are signing Kyle O'Quinn, I'm told.
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) July 2, 2019
Neubeck followed up with the above tweet reporting that the deal is a one-year minimum contract.
The Sixers have also renounced their rights to Anzejs Pasceniks, per Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Sixers have renounced rights to Anzejs Pasecniks, a source tells @TheAthletic. The 23-year-old center who played overseas last
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 2, 2019
season was 25th pick in the 2017 draft (pre-Sixers GM Elton Brand).
Source says Anzejs Pasecniks had expressed an interest in coming to the NBA this season, and that potential cost was prohibitive for Philly’s books. They decided it was best to give him a shot elsewhere.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 2, 2019
Kyle O’Quinn on a veteran minimum deal is great value. There’s nothing sexy about his game, but O’Quinn, a 6’10, 250 lb center, is an effective, hard-working big who can provide stability in a 2nd unit defense. O’Quinn played this past season for the Indiana Pacers, averaging 15.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.4 blocks per-36 minutes.
Some interesting questions do arise from this signing. The Sixers have already agreed to bring in Al Horford. He’ll play a lot at the four, but he also figures to get minutes at center as Joel Embiid could miss a decent chunk of games due to rest. So what does this signing mean for Jonah Bolden? It could mean the Sixers see Jonah Bolden as a four rather than a five, as Bolden initially figured to garner some consideration for the center rotation. It also makes Boban Marjanovic’s situation murkier. He seemed like an obvious option as a veteran minimum big, especially given his connection to the newly extended Tobias Harris. But the Sixers’ frontcourt is getting crowded, and there could be yet another casualty from team Run It Back.
In any event, O’Quinn is a solid option as a 2nd or 3rd-string center. I certainly would trust him anchoring a defense more than Jonah Bolden. Boban and O’Quinn is a closer race as far as soaking up regular season minutes, but O’Quinn is the more likely to carry his effectiveness into the post-season.
Now, Elton Brand and the front office need to focus on adding wing or backcourt depth.