3 Biggest needs the Philadelphia 76ers must address in the 2021 NBA offseason

The Philadelphia 76ers endured a topsy-turvy season in which they were forced to compete against the Atlanta Hawks with their stars out. Injuries to Joel Embiid and an out-of-sorts Ben Simmons in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals crippled the side. The Sixers were knocked out following some of Trae Young's top performances. The Philadelphia 76ers paid for a lack of offensive scorers in Joel Embiid's absence. Ben Simmons’ performances have led to Embiid being the prime candidate to be used in a potential high-profile trade.

Toronto Raptors v Philadelphia 76ers - Game Four

Regardless, the Philadelphia 76ers will still fancy their chances of being considered championship contenders in the 2021-22 NBA season. But they will need to make some moves in the coming offseason. In this article, we look at the three biggest needs that they need to fulfill in the coming offseason.

2021 NBA offseason: 3 things the Philadelphia 76ers need to address

The Philadelphia 76ers saw Joel Embiid produce arguably his best ever season, and were considered favorites for the conference finals. However, Embiid’ untimely injury troubles meant Ben Simmons needed to deliver offensively. That was something he simply failed to do despite living up to his reputation as one of the best one-on-one defenders in the NBA. On that note, let's take look at three things the Philadelphia 76ers need to address in the coming offseason.

.@sixers president Daryl Morey tiptoed around most Ben Simmons questions, though he said he still believed the Australian could be part of a championship nucleus with Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris. The door, though, is always open for a deal https://t.co/RFvt3WC9lw

— The Age Sport (@theagesport) June 23, 2021

#3 Deciding Ben Simmons’ future

Ben Simmons has been linked to multiple potential moves, including being used as a trade piece in potential CJ McCollum or Bradley Beal deals. The Philadelphia 76ers need to find a better supporting cast for Joel Embiid. The biggest need appears to be an elite point-guard who can take up offensive responsibility in important situations.

Ben Simmons and his agent engaged the Philadelphia 76ers to open dialog about his future with the franchise, ESPN reported Thursday. https://t.co/sQi1hJT6Hc

— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) June 25, 2021

Both CJ McCollum and Bradley Beal are more than capable of playing that role, with the 76ers already boasting of decent scorers in the form of Seth Curry and Tobias Harris to support a “big two.” Simmons’ recent performances have surely led to a decline in his overall trade value, but the 76ers might as well still look to offload him in order to make way for a more offensively adept point-guard in the coming offseason.

#2 Sorting out future of free agents

The Philadelphia 76ers have the likes of Dwight Howard and Danny Green both entering free agency in the 2021 offseason. Both proved to be capable role players and should be re-signed, although the same cannot be said about the likes of Mike Scott and Gary Clark, who might as well be on their way out.

While by his own admission it won't happen, Nick Wright has a wonderful trade idea involving the Philadelphia #76ers, Ben Simmons, and the enigmatic Kyrie Irving.[@MattyBreisch]https://t.co/BTHxyNbxXa

— Section 215 (@Sec215) June 26, 2021

Regardless, the Philadelphia 76ers also have Shake Milton, Tyrese Maxey and the impressive Matisse Thybulle, who are all capable role players the Philadelphia 76ers will want to hold on to. However, they might enter the free agency market for potential frontcourt options. One pressing need that proved to be a difference maker was the lack of backup for Joel Embiid, another area that they might be able to improve on via free agency.

#1 Adding shooters

The Philadelphia 76ers have also been linked to multiple shooters, and do have enough assets along with a $6 million taxpayer exemption that they can use to add secondary scorers around Joel Embiid. Of course, a potential Ben Simmons trade might negate the need to add an elite shooter.

Minnesota Timberwolves v Philadelphia 76ers

While the recent acquisitions of Seth Curry and George Hill have been useful, the Philadelphia 76ers might go in for the likes of DeMar DeRozan or Victor Oladipo. That will be especially the case if Ben Simmons is given another year to prove his part in the process. Regardless, the Philadelphia 76ers have in Joel Embiid an MVP-calibre player and require only a handful of moves in order to potentially contend for the championship.