Will Sixers Utilize Willie Cauley-Stein More in Upcoming Games?

When the Philadelphia 76ers engaged in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets, they created a significant hole on the depth chart. By landing James Harden

When the Philadelphia 76ers engaged in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets, they created a significant hole on the depth chart. By landing James Harden and Paul Millsap, the Sixers had to give up Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond.

Simmons wasn't a big loss considering he missed every game this season and didn't plan to play for the Sixers again. While Curry was a stellar sharpshooter for Philadelphia, he'll be replaced by one of the best guards in the game in Philadelphia's starting lineup.

Meanwhile, Andre Drummond, who played backup to Joel Embiid all season long, became quite a considerable loss for the Sixers in the trade with Brooklyn.

While the Sixers were right to make that trade, it still caused a question mark on the bench, which couldn't be ignored.

Philadelphia received some more depth at the big man position by landing Millsap, but it's unclear what the former All-Star still has left in the tank. And while the Sixers have two young talents with upside in Charles Bassey and Paul Reed, it's difficult to imagine they can contribute to a winning basketball team right now.

Therefore, the Sixers are currently offering a veteran big man a tryout right now. Last week, the Sixers signed Willie Cauley-Stein to a ten-day deal. Cauley-Stein, a former first-round pick in 2015, made his Sixers debut last Friday in Minnesota.

Had it not been for a blowout against the Timberwolves, it's unclear if Cauley-Stein would've gotten any burn for the 76ers. However, the veteran big man appeared on the court in the fourth quarter of last Friday's game for four minutes. 

When the Sixers returned to the floor a couple of days later, Cauley-Stein rode the pine and didn't register a single minute on the court. Nearly a week into his ten-day deal, Cauley-Stein hasn't received many opportunities to showcase what he can bring to the table for Philadelphia.

But Sixers coach Doc Rivers mentioned on Tuesday that's about to change.

"We didn't do enough in practice to see anything, honestly, but we do anticipate using him quickly," Rivers said, according to Ky Carlin of USA Today's Sixers Wire. "We just gotta see what he can do for us. We need a rim protector, and he can do that. He can supply that."

The Sixers return to the court on Wednesday night to face the New York Knicks once again. Although Cauley-Stein didn't play in New York this past weekend, perhaps he'll get an opportunity to do something when the Sixers host the Knicks in South Philly.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.