The backup center market in the NBA is tight. That's why the San Antonio Spurs are paying Luke Kornet a four-year, $70 million contract.
Other championship-contending teams are building reserve big stables by signing imperfect low-cost players with contrasting skill sets. The 76ers did this with the addition of Ariel Hukporti, but now find themselves in a bind after his season prematurely ended due to a ruptured right Achilles.
Philadelphia will now enter the 2026-27 campaign with Adem Bona as its primary backup center mixed with different small-ball combinations. This approach may work when Joel Embiid plays, but contests without him could be a different story.
The Sixers, in all likelihood, will need to bring in another center at some point this year. Luckily, there are two potentially cheap options in an otherwise dull trade market that could fit their needs.
Jericho Sims may struggle to stand out in the Bucks' revamped frontcourt, making him a viable trade target. Besides Sims, Milwaukee's big rotation includes Myles Turner, Ousmane Dieng, and Kel'el Ware, whom the Bucks acquired from the Heat for Giannis Antetokounmpo on July 6.
Sims is fresh off a career-best season, where he averaged 5.0 points on 78.4% shooting from the field and 5.5 rebounds per game for the Bucks. The 6-foot-10 center uses athleticism and energy when rolling to the rim and rebounding.
He can also defend in space and showed flashes of passing. But Sims has yet to shoot a three in his five-year career and struggles with fouling, averaging four per 36 minutes last year.
Still, the 27-year-old is attainable if Philadelphia wants another option. Sims has an expiring $2.8 million salary and will enter unrestricted free agency this summer. Philadelphia has 10 future second-round picks at its disposal and rosters four players that make less than $3 million that it could offer in a swap.
Micah Potter is projected to be a depth piece for the Trail Blazers, who claimed him off waivers on July 10; the Indiana Pacers waived him to sign Larry Nance Jr. Potter now shares a frontcourt with Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, Branden Carlson and Yang Hansen. So if the 28-year-old doesn't cement himself in the rotation, he could be available.
The 6-foot-9 big spaces the floor and can run pick-and-pops, shooting 42.3% from deep on 3.6 attempts with the Pacers last season. Potter is a capable rebounder, too, corralling 5.0 rebounds to go with 9.7 points per game in 2025-26. However, he doesn't offer much defensively, lacking physicality and mobility to protect the rim or guard multiple positions.
Still, Potter-making $2.8 million- would be a cheap addition for a Sixers frontcourt that may want more optionality. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Would Sims or Potter be pivotal acquisitions? No. But it's unlikely that Philadelphia would spend big on another center, especially when it already has Bona and is confident with Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, or LeBron James situationally playing the five.
Not to mention, the Sixers are $1.8 million below the first tax apron, meaning they cannot exceed that amount in any way. So while fetching Yves Missi or Thomas Sorber in trade would be excellent in theory, the reality is Philadelphia probably wouldn't meet the respective asking price.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/76ers/onsi as 2 Realistic Backup Center Trade Targets 76ers Could Now Pursue .
