Philadelphia 76ers Blog – Page 26 – NBA Blog

Sergio Rodriguez hopes to return to Sixers

Is there a place for a veteran guard like Sergio Rodriguez on the young Sixers next season? Too soon to tell. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting:

Rodriguez will become a free agent on July 1. He wants to return to the Sixers. He is averaging 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 22.3 minutes this season. He was playing his best basketball before he got hurt.

Rodriguez had 12 points and seven assists against the Chicago Bulls on March 24. Two days later, he finished with 16 points while making 4 of 7 three-pointers against the Indiana Pacers.

“Let’s see how it goes,” he said of his future. “It’s going to take a long time, because [free agency] is in July. You are not going to know anything. I don’t want to rush myself.”

Sixers sign Alex Poythress

The Philadelphia 76ers today signed forward Alex Poythress from the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League. Pursuant to the NBA’s roster hardship exception, the Sixers roster now stands at 16.

Poythress has appeared in 46 games (45 starts) for Ft. Wayne this season, posting averages of 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 31 minutes per game. He is shooting 57% from the field and 40% from beyond the three-point line. Poythress, a 2017 NBA D-League All Star selection, ranks in the Top 15 in the D-League in points, field goals made and attempted, offensive rebounds and blocks per game.

Poythress appeared in 112 career games at the University of Kentucky, finishing his four-year career averaging nine points, five rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes per game, while shooting 55% from the field. He helped lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament National Finals in 2014.

Joel Embiid health update

Here is the Philadelphia Daily News with an update on the Joel Embiid health saga. Embiid remains out for the year, but his recovery is worth tracking:

When the 76ers recently embarked on a four-game West Coast trip, injured center Joel Embiid joined them in Los Angeles after a loss in Portland. Embiid made the trip, the team said, to see some of the team of doctors that is overseeing his recovery from a slight meniscus tear in his left knee.

The team returned to practice Thursday, but Embiid remained on the West Coast. It was announced that he is in San Diego with Dr. David Martin to see more specialists about the knee. Apparently, a convention of orthopedic surgeons is happening this week in San Diego and the team decided it would be beneficial for Embiid and Martin to be there.

Sixers sign Shawn Long

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that the team has signed forward-center Shawn Long.

Long first signed a 10-day contract with the Sixers on March 6 after being called up from the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers’ NBA Development League affiliate. He has appeared in four NBA games, averaging five points and three rebounds in eight minutes per game.

In 39 games with Delaware, he led the team with averages of 20 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes per game, while shooting 54 percent from the field. He was named a 2017 NBA D-League All-Star. Long originally signed with the Sixers on July 8, 2016 before being waived on October 24 and joining the Sevens.

Long played four collegiate seasons (2013-16) at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, posting 17 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes per game. As a senior, he was named 2016 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year.

Sixers sign Shawn Long to 10-day contract

The Philadelphia 76ers today “called up” forward-center Shawn Long from the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League and signed him to a 10-day contact. Pursuant to the NBA’s roster hardship exception, the Sixers roster now stands at 16.

Long originally signed with the Sixers on July 8, 2016 before being waived on October 24 and joining the Sevens. In 39 games with Delaware, he leads the team with averages of 20 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes per game, while shooting 54 percent from the field. He was named a 2017 NBA D-League All-Star.

Long will wear number 36 for the Sixers.

Sixers sign Justin Harper to 10-day contract

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed forward Justin Harper to a 10-day contract.

Harper, a two-time NBA D-League All-Star, most recently saw action with the Los Angeles D-Fenders, where he appeared in 37 games (all starts) and posted averages of 16 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes per game, while shooting 40 percent from three-point range.

A season ago, Harper played in 42 games (26 starts) with L.A. and averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game as he shot 39 percent from beyond the arc. On February 24, 2016, he signed the first of two 10-day contracts with the Detroit Pistons.

A veteran of two NBA seasons and three D-League campaigns, Harper has also played internationally in Italy, Israel and France.

Harper was originally selected with the 32nd overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers before being traded to the Orlando Magic on draft night. He played in 14 games as rookie, averaging six minutes per contest.

Harper started all 37 games during his senior season at Richmond, averaging 18 points and seven rebounds, as he was named 2011 First Team All-Atlantic 10. That year, he helped lead the Spiders to 29-8 record and an Atlantic 10 title. Richmond, as a No. 12-seed, reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in school history.

Harper will wear number 30 for the Sixers.

Joel Embiid has season-ending injury, again

The Sixers were very careful with super-talented center Joel Embiid this season, playing him limited minutes, giving him plenty of rest during busy parts of the schedule, and trying to keep the big guy healthy.

But it didn’t work.

The team announced today that Embiid will miss the rest of the season. “The Process” is delayed once again.

The team recently announced that their other talented rookie, Ben Simmons, who hasn’t played this season, won’t be active until 2017-18.

Once again, the Sixers are about the future, not the present.

More on this: Joel Embiid injury update: out for season

Sixers waive Andrew Bogut

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team has waived center Andrew Bogut.

Bogut was acquired as part of a trade with the Dallas Mavericks on February 23, 2017. He was never really going to be a part of the Sixers, so today’s news isn’t a huge surprise.

Bogut doesn’t score much, but he’s an excellent defender.

Joel Embiid bothered by knee

Well, this isn’t good. Sixers center Joel “The Process” Embiid is dealing with a lingering knee issue. Hoping for the best. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:

Joel Embiid on Monday will have an MRI on his injured left knee and is now listed as out indefinitely.

Embiid has been experiencing swelling and soreness in the left knee injury that has caused him to miss 16 out of the last 17 games. Bryan Colangelo announced back on Feb. 11 that Embiid has a minor meniscal tear. In his most recent press conference last Friday, Colangelo had targeted this Friday’s home game against the Knicks as a possibility for Embiid’s return. Now, that isn’t the case.

Sixers trade Nerlens Noel to Mavericks for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, pick

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired forward-center Nerlens Noel from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for guard Justin Anderson, center Andrew Bogut and a 2017 protected first-round pick.

Noel (6-11, 220) holds career averages of 10.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.6 blocks and 28.3 minutes per game in 171 games (140 starts) with Philadelphia.

The third-year man out of Kentucky is averaging 8.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks and 19.4 minutes per game in 29 games (seven starts) this season. He is shooting 61.1 percent (107-of-175) from the field this year.

A native of Malden, Mass., Noel was originally selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. His rights were later traded to Philadelphia along with a future first-round pick in exchange for Jrue Holiday and Pierre Jackson.

In his lone season at Kentucky (2012-13), Noel averaged 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.1 steals, 4.4 blocks and 31.9 minutes per game en route to earning First Team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and SEC Rookie of the Year honors. On Jan. 29, 2013, Noel set the UK single-game record with 12 blocked shots in a victory over No. 16 Ole Miss.

Noel suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Florida Gators on Feb. 12, 2013, ending his 2012-13 season. Despite the injury, Noel declared for the 2013 NBA Draft following his freshman year. He missed the entire 2013-14 NBA season recovering from knee surgery.

As a rookie in 2014-15, Noel averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.9 blocks and 30.8 minutes per game in 75 games (71 starts) while garnering NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.

The 22-year-old Noel was the top-rated player by both ESPNU recruiting and Scout.com coming out of high school and was rated the second-best prospect by Rivals.com. He will wear No. 3 with the Mavericks.

Anderson (6-6, 228) was drafted by Dallas with the 21st overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. In 106 games (11 starts) with the Mavericks, he averaged 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game.

Bogut (7-0, 260) was acquired by Dallas along with a future second-round pick from the Golden State Warriors on July 7, 2016 in exchange for a future conditional second-round pick. He averaged 3.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 block and 22.4 minutes per game in 26 games (21 starts) with the Mavericks this season.