The Philadelphia 76ers are heading for an offseason of uncertainty after the New York Knicks busted out the brooms in Game 4 of their second-round matchup with a 144-114 win in the closeout contest. The Los Angeles Lakers should be watching what comes next.
After a stunning 3-1 comeback against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the 76ers completely ran out of fuel in the tank for their tilt against the Knicks. It showed everyone just how much more work they still have to hit that next level of teams in the Eastern Conference.
The problem for the 76ers is wondering how they set themselves up for upgrades at this stage. Joel Embiid and Paul George own two of the most unflattering deals in the NBA. It would be tough to imagine many, if any, teams lining up to help them get out of that mess during the offseason.
This puts them in a position where they are both in need of upgrades and fighting to retain their own key free agents. Three major names — Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Andre Drummond — will all be available. At least two of them should have Rob Pelinka considering what outpricing the 76ers could look like.
76ers can set up the Lakers for an upgrade on the wings in free agency
Drummond might invite some curiosity for the backup center role in Los Angeles during the offseason. However, that is not where the real interest lies here for the Lakers.
It should be no secret that Pelinka and the front office will be pursuing a boost on the wings in free agency. Grimes and Oubre represent two of the more intriguing names and fits for the Lakers to explore.
Both players will be unrestricted free agents, allowing the Lakers to make their free agency push without heavy restrictions. The 76ers do hold bird rights on Grimes and Oubre, but Los Angeles can flex some of their cap space if they need to.
The more natural fit should be obvious. That would be Grimes. Despite a down year shooting the basketball, the 26-year-old should be the type of 3-and-D player who can play his best hoops on a team that has Luka Doncic setting up easy opportunities on one end, and calling for the defensive help on the other.
The Dallas Mavericks even tried to pair up the two before they giftwrapped Doncic for the Lakers. Say what you will about the Mavericks, but they had a great feel for what works around Luka toward the end of his stay in Dallas.
Oubre is tricky. The 76ers forward has been an underwhelming floor spacer for most of his career, but he did enjoy shooting 36.0 percent from beyond the arc in 2025-26. Meanwhile, the veteran wing is an excellent switchable defender who would boost that end mightily for the Lakers.
There should be things to like about both Grimes and Oubre when it comes to identifying free agents who could fit well in a looming retool around Doncic. It should not be all too surprising if one of the two does end up in Los Angeles when the dust settles on the offseason.
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