The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a dreadful 0-10 start this season and things don't look like they will be getting any better this season. The good news for the 76ers is that they have a lot of picks in this upcoming draft and they are likely to be positioned really well. While the 76ers have struggled for a little while now it reportedly hasn't stopped Dion Waiters from wanting to play for his hometown team next season, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Waiters is from South Philadelphia and is set to become a restricted free agent next offseason so playing for his hometown team is something that someone close to him said he really wants.
"He wants to come home. Plus, he knows that he could be the missing shooting guard they need. And he could possibly get a very lucrative contract with the Sixers. He really would like that, to come home. He talked about getting a place downtown not too far from the arena so playing at home would be less of a distraction," said the source.
Waiters is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder and he has had great things to say about his time playing there. He and the Thunder were reportedly close to reaching an extension agreement this offseason but terms could not be met in time. Waiters' interest in Philadelphia could be a ploy to get him more money from the Thunder next summer but in the end Oklahoma City will have the final say on where he plays because they can match any contract offer he receives.
At 0-10 the 76ers have clearly struggled in a lot of different places but shooting guard may be their most glaring weakness. Philadelphia thought they might have solved the problem by bringing in Nik Stauskas this offseason but he has struggled mightily this season as he is shooting just 33 percent from the field and 28 percent from three.
Waiters isn't exactly a guarantee to make the position a strength but he would at least represent a clear upgrade over Stauskas at this point. The 23 year old is a very good scorer but has had his issues with efficiency and defense throughout his career. So far this season Waiters is averaging 10.6 points per game off the Thunder bench while shooting 43 percent from the field and 50 percent from three.
There is still a lot of time between now and when Waiters becomes a free agent but it is interesting that he wants to plays for his hometown team despite their recent struggles. If Stauskas doesn't improve as the year goes along the 76ers might have a lot of interest in him as well but that will all play itself out in the coming months.
