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Sixers hire Bryan Colangelo as President of Basketball Operations

Philadelphia 76ers Managing General Partner Josh Harris announced today that the team has named Bryan Colangelo as President of Basketball Operations.

As part of the transition, Jerry Colangelo will relinquish the role of Chairman of Basketball Operations and remains as a special advisor to Harris.

Colangelo most recently served as President and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors from 2006 to 2013. In his first full season at the helm of the Raptors (2006-07), the team saw a 20-win improvement from the previous year and tied a then franchise-high with 47 wins. Colangelo was named 2007 NBA Executive of the Year.

One of only three executives to win the award with two different franchises, Colangelo was also named NBA Executive of the Year in 2005 with the Phoenix Suns. After Colangelo’s offseason acquisition of point guard Steve Nash, who would go on to win back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player awards in 2005 and 2006, the Suns notched a 62-20 regular season record and an appearance in the Western Conference Finals.

During his tenure with Toronto, Colangelo drafted current Raptors DeMar DeRozan (ninth overall, 2009), Jonas Valanciunas (fifth overall, 2011) and Terrence Ross (eighth overall, 2012). During the 2012 offseason, Colangelo dealt for point guard Kyle Lowry, who would be named an NBA All-Star in 2015 and 2016.

Over the span of 15 years with the Suns organization, Colangelo drafted NBA All-Stars Michael Finley (21st overall, 1995), Steve Nash (15th overall, 1996), Shawn Marion (ninth overall, 1999) and Amar’e Stoudemire (ninth overall, 2002).

All told, his teams have appeared in the NBA Playoffs 11 times and have captured four division championships in his 18 seasons as a general manager.

Sixers sign Christian Wood for rest of season

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed forward Christian Wood to a contract for the rest of the season, which for the league ends this coming Wednesday, April 13.

Wood, who went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, signed with the 76ers last September 14. He has appeared in 16 career NBA games with the Sixers, averaging three points and two rebounds per game. Wood registered career-highs of 15 points and eight rebounds on November 13 at Oklahoma City.

Wood appeared in 32 games with the NBA Development League Delaware 87ers this season, averaging a team-high nine rebounds, as well as 17 points on 53% shooting in 29 minutes per game.

Sixers waive Sonny Weems, sign Christian Wood to 10-day contract

The Philadelphia 76ers have “called up” forward Christian Wood from the Delaware 87ers and signed him to a 10-day contract.

Wood has appeared in 32 games with the Sevens this season, averaging a team-high nine rebounds, as well as 17 points on 53% shooting in 29 minutes per game.

Wood, who went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, signed with the 76ers last September 14. He has appeared in 14 career NBA games with the Sixers, averaging four points and two rebounds per game. Wood registered career-highs of 15 points and eight rebounds on November 13 at Oklahoma City.

In a related move, the team has waived guard-forward Sonny Weems.

Jahlil Okafor undergoes knee surgery

Philadelphia 76ers rookie center Jahlil Okafor, the team’s best building block for the future, underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure today to fix a slight meniscus tear in his right knee. He won’t play again this season.

The team describes the procedure as minor.

Okafor will begin his rehabilitation program tomorrow under the guidance of Sixers Director Of Performance Research & Development Dr. David T. Martin.

The Sixers are a league-worst 9-62 this season. Okafor has been their leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, averaging 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Suns sign Chase Budinger

The Phoenix Suns today signed forward Chase Budinger.

Budinger (pronounced BUD-in-grr), a 6-7, 215-pound veteran, is in his seventh NBA season. He played in 49 games with Indiana this season, averaging 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.9 minutes and scoring in double-digits eight times, including a season-high 15 points at Philadelphia on Nov. 18.

The 27-year-old has averaged 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 20.0 minutes in 390 career games (50 starts) with Houston (2009-12), Minnesota (2012-15) and Indiana (2015-16). Budinger has recorded 152 career double-digit scoring games, 14 with 20-plus points and two with 30-plus, including a career-high 35 points while with the Rockets at Minnesota on April 13, 2011.

Originally the 44th overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, Budinger averaged a career-best 9.8 points in 78 games with Houston in the 2010-11 season, also averaging just shy of that mark with 9.6 points while shooting 40.2 percent from three-point territory in 2011-12. The former prep volleyball star put his athleticism and leaping ability on display with a runner-up finish in the 2012 Slam Dunk contest at NBA All-Star in Orlando.

A native of Encinitas, Calif., Budinger played three years collegiately at the University of Arizona from 2006-09, earning induction into the Wildcats’ Ring of Honor in 2011. Budinger averaged 17.0 points and 5.8 rebounds over his three seasons in Tucson, including 18.0 points as a junior in 2008-09 when he was named to the All-Pac 10 First Team. With 1,697 career points, Budinger remains 11th on Arizona’s all-time scoring leaderboard and first among those to play fewer than four seasons.

Budinger will wear uniform number 10.

Sixers add Sonny Weems, release Christian Wood

The Philadelphia 76ers have claimed guard-forward Sonny Weems off of waivers.

Weems has appeared in 176 career games in four NBA seasons and has posted averages of seven points and two rebounds in 19 minutes per game. He was originally selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 39th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft after two seasons at the University of Arkansas.

Weems played overseas from 2011-2015, before returning the NBA this season with Phoenix where he appeared in 36 games and averaged three points in 12 minutes per game.

In a related move, the team has released Christian Wood.

Sixers coach expects Dario Saric next season

Brett Brown remains confident that Dario Saric will be a member of the Sixers next season.

“Obviously, decisions are going to have to be made on his part,” the Sixers head coach said today. “But we like what we see and we believe he likes what he sees.”

Sixers player-development assistant Chris Babcock returned Friday after spending eight days with the 6-foot-10 power forward in Turkey. Saric plays for Anadolus Efes of the Turkish Basketball League.

The 76ers acquired the rights to Saric’s in the 2014 NBA draft. They traded their first-round pick, Elfrid Payton (selected 10th overall), to the Orlando Magic for Saric, who was picked 12th, plus they landed a 2017 top-11-protected pick and a 2015 second-rounder. Payton made the NBA’s all-rookie team this season.

— Philadelphia Inquirer

Sixers sign Christian Wood to 10-day contract

The Philadelphia 76ers called up forward Christian Wood from the Delaware 87ers and signed him to a 10-day contract.

Wood has appeared in 26 games with the Sevens this season, averaging a team-high nine rebounds, as well as 16 points on 52% shooting in 27 minutes per game.

Wood, who went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, signed with the 76ers last September 14. He appeared in 14 career NBA games with the Sixers, averaging four points and two rebounds per game. Wood registered career-highs of 15 points and eight rebounds on November 13 at Oklahoma City.

Jerami Grant fined for throwing water bottle into stands

Philadelphia 76ers forward Jerami Grant has been fined $10,000 for throwing a water bottle into the spectator stands, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 8:44 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Sixers’ 116-108 loss to the Washington Wizards on Feb. 29 at Verizon Center.

In 26.1 minutes per game, Grant is averaging 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

The Sixers are a league-worst 8-53 this season. Their rebuilding process continues.

Sixers reportedly tried to trade for Dennis Schroder

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on what the 76ers had hoped to accomplish as last Thursday’s NBA trade deadline passed:

The 76ers were prepared to make major changes to their roster to get a coveted point guard at Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

The team offered packages that included some combination of shooting guard Nik Stauskas, point guard Ish Smith, a player with an expiring guaranteed contract and a 2016 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for point guard Dennis Schroder, according to multiple league sources.

Former Sixer JaKarr Sampson was said to be player with the expiring contract in the deal. According to NBA rules, Smith could not have been part of a multi-player deal since he had been acquired by the Sixers fewer than 60 days before. But he could have been traded alone in a second deal.