NBA Free Agency 2019: 5 offseason targets for the Philadelphia 76ers

DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 23: Rudy Gay #22 of the San Antonio Spurs puts up a shot over Torrey Craig #3 of the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter during Game Five of the first round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 23, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

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DENVER, COLORADO – APRIL 23: Rudy Gay #22 of the San Antonio Spurs puts up a shot over Torrey Craig #3 of the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter during Game Five of the first round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 23, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

5. Rudy Gay, SF

Rudy Gay may not be the most flashy name on the free-agent market, but he’d provide a steadying force in the Sixers’ second unit.

Two seasons removed from tearing his Achilles tendon, Gay averaged 13.7 points while shooting a career-best 50.4 percent overall and 40.2 percent from deep in 26.7 minutes per game with the San Antonio Spurs this past year. He wasn’t a high-volume 3-point shooter — he averaged only 2.7 triples per game, in fact — but his efficiency and low turnover rate (1.7 per game) would make him an appetizing fit on the Sixers nevertheless.

At his end-of-season press conference, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich expressed his hope that Gay would return next season, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.

“He’s a great teammate, has a great personality, great sense of humor,” Popovich said. “He’s a very outgoing individual. He’s an easy teammate to be with, so he makes people feel comfortable.”

Standing 6-foot-8 with a massive 7-foot-3 wingspan, Gay could switch between both forward spots and add more length to the Sixers’ supersized rotation. If he’s open to leaving San Antonio and taking a slight discount — he earned $10.1 million this past season — the Sixers may give him a look with all or part of their mid-level exception.

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