76ers Could Solve Key Problem by Signing Bucks Guard With Notable Drawbacks

The Philadelphia 76ers need shooting.

That has been true for years, but it becomes even more important when thinking about how this roster should be built around Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. Maxey needs space to attack downhill. Edgecombe needs driving lanes to use his athleticism. Embiid, if he remains the centerpiece, needs shooters around him to punish help defenders and make double teams more costly.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. could help with that. He is set to hit free agency this offseason.

Trent is not a perfect player, but his shooting gives him a clear path to usefulness.

Trent averaged 8.1 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists this season while shooting 36 percent from three. Those numbers are not eye-popping, but they reflect the kind of role he would likely play in Philadelphia. He would not be asked to run the offense or become a featured scorer. He would be asked to space the floor, fire when open, and provide enough scoring punch to swing stretches of a game.

The concern is everything else.

Trent is not the same defender he once appeared capable of becoming. He is in the lower percentile of just about every relevant defensive metric; he no longer has the footspeed, strength, or motor to stay in front of defenders and was routinely attacked this season due to those deficiencies. He can still generate steals, but he is not someone Philadelphia should view as a major defensive solution. For a team that already needs more point-of-attack defenders and size on the wing, that could dissuade the team from wanting a player like Trent. 

His shot diet is also limited. Trent rarely pressures the rim, with 0.3 rim attempts per game, which lands him in the 2nd percentile among active players. This utter lack of rim pressure makes him easier to scheme against when his jumper is not falling. He is more of a jump-shooting guard than a complete offensive weapon. That can work in the right role, but it means his value is tied heavily to whether the three-ball is dropping.

Still, that does not make the idea pointless.

If the price is reasonable, Trent could be a sensible rotation addition. Philadelphia should not overpay for a streaky shooter with defensive limitations, but it also cannot ignore the importance of spacing. Around Maxey, Edgecombe, and Embiid, shooting is not optional. It is one of the best ways to improve the entire roster's performance.

Trent would not solve all of the Sixers’ problems.

But in the right role, his shooting could solve a few possessions, and sometimes, that is enough to swing a game.

Join The 76ersRoundtable

Head over to the 76ersRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button under the featured story... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other 76ers fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.

Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].