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Wizards beat Sixers by 35 points

The Washington Wizards, playing at home, beat the Philadelphia 76ers 111-76 on Monday. In the win, Marcin Gortat shot 9-of-11 for 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. The Wizards shot 55.6% and hit 7-of-14 three-pointers. Nobody on the Sixers scored more than 13 points. Tony Wroten and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute didn’t play. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting:

Henry Sims, who started in place of sidelined power forward Luc Mbah a Moute (left knee contusion), led the Sixers with 13 points. Nerlens Noel scored nine of his 11 points before intermission. He turned into basically a bystander, missing both of his shots in the second half.

The rookie center said he didn’t think his play caused him to score just two points after halftime. Noel said he and a lot of the Sixers’ big men kept their energy all game.

“But we have to be able to reward them,” Noel said. “We have to move the ball. I think we were stagnant. Sustaining energy that long isn’t an easy thing, especially when you’re not getting big guys the ball.”

Perhaps that was one of the problems.

Michael Carter-Williams’ struggles were another problem. The point guard, who was last season’s rookie of the year, had seven points on 2-for-13 shooting. Carter-Williams also had five assists, one rebound, two steals and four turnovers.

Sixers sign Larry Drew II to 10-day contract

Sixers sign Larry Drew II to a 10-day contract

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed guard Larry Drew II to a 10-day contract. Drew is the 17th D-League-to-NBA “Call-Up” of the 2014-15 NBA Development League season.

In 21 starts for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League this season, Drew is averaging a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. At the time of his call-up, Drew ranked second in the D-League in assists. He set a D-League single game record with 23 assists vs. Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 25, which helped earn him NBA Development League Performer of the Week honors for games played from Dec. 22 through Dec. 28. Drew also spent last season with the Skyforce.

Drew finished his collegiate career at UCLA in 2012-13 after playing his first three seasons at North Carolina. He set the Bruins single-season assist record as a senior and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Drew’s father, Larry Drew, Sr., is an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sixers sign Malcolm Thomas, waive Ronny Turiaf

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed free agent power forward Malcolm Thomas. And in a related move, the team waived forward Ronny Turiaf, who is injured and expected to miss the rest of the season.

Thomas was originally signed by the Sixers on October 27, 2014. He appeared in five regular season games and averaged four points and five rebounds in 14 minutes per game.

Last season, Thomas averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 12 combined games for Los Angeles and Austin and was named an NBA Development League All-Star. In 2011-12, Thomas earned All-NBA D-League First Team and All-Defensive First Team honors.

Three-team trade sends Corey Brewer and Alexey Shved to Rockets

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has acquired forward Corey Brewer from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Alexey Shved from the Philadelphia 76ers as a part of a three-team trade.

In the deal, the Rockets will send Troy Daniels to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with the Sacramento Kings 2015 2nd Round Pick (protected for picks 50-60), Houston’s 2016 2nd Round Pick (protected for picks 31-45) and cash considerations. Houston will send its 2nd Round Pick and the rights to Serhiy Lishchuk to Philadelphia. Minnesota will send Corey Brewer to Houston and Ronny Turiaf to Philadelphia. Philadelphia will convey Alexey Shved to Houston.

In order to facilitate the transaction, the Houston Rockets have waived Francisco Garcia and the roster now stands at 15.

The draft picks acquired by the Wolves in the trade are as follows: Houston’s protected second round pick in 2016 and Sacramento’s protected second round pick in 2015 (originally acquired by Houston on Sept. 17, 2014).

Brewer (6-9, 185, Florida) has averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals in 24 appearances (16 starts) with the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. The eighth year veteran’s numbers mark career-highs for rebounds, assists and steals per game. After being drafted seventh overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Brewer has appeared in 491 career games (265 starts) with Minnesota, Dallas and Denver holding career averages of 10.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Brewer also adds 19 games of playoff experience to the Rockets roster, including winning an NBA championship in 2011. In his time at the University of Florida, Brewer won two NCAA championships and was named the 2007 NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Shved (6-6, 187, Russia) has averaged 9.9 points, 2.7 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game in 17 appearances with the Philadelphia 76ers this season. The third year pro went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft and originally signed as free agent with the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 23, 2012. In 157 career appearances (including 16 starts) with the Timberwolves and 76ers, Shved holds career averages of 6.9 points, 2.5 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game.

Troy Daniels, 23, owns career averages of 4.0 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 22 games, one start, in parts of two seasons with the Rockets. In five games in 2013-14, the 6-4 guard averaged 8.4 points on 48.4% shooting, including 48.0% (12-of-25) from beyond the arc. In four postseason contests, Daniels posted averages of 7.8 points on 52.9% shooting, including 53.3% (8-of-15) from deep. Daniels hit the go-ahead 3-point shot with 11.9 seconds left in overtime to propel the Rockets to a 121-116 win over the Blazers on April 25, 2014. Two nights later he scored a new playoff career-high 17 points (5-of-7 FG, 4-of-5 3FG, 3-3 FT) in Game 4 at Portland.

Originally undrafted out of Virginia Commonwealth University, Daniels spent much of the 2013-14 season in the NBA Development League with the Rio Grande Valley where he averaged 21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 48 games (37 starts). He led the D-League in three pointers made with 240 — a league single-season record — and ranked eighth in the D-League in scoring average with 21.5 ppg. Daniels was signed by the Rockets on February 21, 2014.

Garcia (6-7, 195, Louisville) has 3.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 14 appearances with the Houston Rockets during the 2014-15 season. The tenth year player and product of the Dominican Republic was re-signed by the Rockets this past offseason on September 29, 2014.

Sixers coach Brett Brown especially disappointed by latest loss

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on the 2-22 Sixers, who have such a limited roster that there’s no reason to expect them, as a group, to be competitive for all four quarters of a game:

Monday’s 105-87 setback to the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center was one game 76ers coach Brett Brown quickly wants to forget.

“Last night for me was the most disappointing home game that we’ve had in a while,” Brown said after Tuesday’s practice at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. “For the first time, I didn’t recognize us. That’s not this team at all.”

The Sixers (2-22) shot 35.5 percent from the field and 14.3 percent on three-pointers and committed 23 turnovers.

Sixers sign Furkan Aldemir, waive Ronald Roberts

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed power forward/center Furkan Aldemir (Fur-kahn Al-di-meer).

The native of Turkey has been playing professionally in his home country since 2007-08. He joined Galatasaray Liv Hospital in 2011 and helped them earn the Turkish Basketball League (TBL) title in 2012-13 before finishing as runner-up in 2013-14. Aldemir (6’10”, 240) was leading the TBL in rebounding with 11 per game this season, after leading the league in total rebounds in 2013-14 and earning All-Star honors in 2010 and 2012.

During EuroLeague play, Aldemir was part of the Galatasaray team that advanced to the final 16 in 2011-12 and the top eight in 2013-14.

Aldemir is also a member of the Turkish senior national team and competed in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. At the 2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, Aldemir averaged 15 points, a tournament-high 16 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game en route to earning All-Tournament honors.

Aldemir was originally the 53rd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and the Sixers acquired his rights from Houston on July 13, 2013. Prior to his signing, Aldemir was one of five players (Dario Saric, Vasilije Micic, Jordan McRae and Arsalan Kazemi) playing internationally whose rights are held by the Sixers.

In a related move, the Sixers waived Ronald Roberts.

Sixers sign Ronald Roberts, waive Jorge Gutierrez

Sixers sign Ronald Roberts, waive Jorge Gutierrez

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed free agent forward Ronald Roberts from their NBA Development League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers. He is the 11th D-League to NBA “Call-Up” of the 2014-15 NBA Development League season.

In a related move, the Sixers waived Jorge Gutierrez.

Roberts started all eight games for the Sevens so far this season, averaging team-highs of 18 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 67% from the floor. He was also on the Sixers roster during the preseason and the Orlando Pro Summer League.

Nets trade Andrei Kirilenko to 76ers

Nets trade Andrei Kirilenko to 76ers

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired forward Brandon Davies from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forward Andrei Kirilenko, guard Jorge Gutierrez, the Nets’ second round draft pick in 2020 and the right to swap second round picks in 2018, General Manager Billy King announced today. In addition, the Nets created a $3.4 million trade exception and a $916,000 trade exception with the transaction.

According to multiple reports, the Sixers are expected to waive Kirilenko, whose return to the NBA is uncertain.

Davies (6’10”, 240) joins the Nets after spending the last two seasons with the 76ers. He signed as a free agent with Philadelphia after going undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft and appeared in 51 games during his rookie season, averaging 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game. This season, Davies, 23, has seen action in 20 games (six starts), and posted averages of 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.0 minutes per game. A native of Provo, UT, Davies spent four years at Brigham Young University, earning All-Mountain West Conference Third Team honors following his sophomore season and All-West Coast Conference Team recognition following his junior and senior seasons.

Kirilenko was signed as a free agent by the Nets on July 12, 2013. He appeared in 45 games (four starts) during the 2013-14 season, averaging 5.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.0 minutes per game. He also saw action in 10 playoff games, averaging 2.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. This season, Kirilenko has seen action in seven games, totaling three points and eight rebounds in 36 minutes. In 13 NBA seasons, Kirilenko has appeared in 797 games (546 starts) and averaged 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game. He earned his lone All-Star appearance in 2004 as a member of the Utah Jazz and was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team following the 2005-06 season.

Gutierrez was signed to a 10-day contract by the Nets from the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League on March 6, 2014 and made his NBA debut three days later against the Sacramento Kings. He signed a second 10-day contract on March 17 before signing for the remainder of the season on March 28. Gutierrez appeared in 15 games (two starts) with the Nets during the 2013-14 season, averaging 4.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 16.3 minutes per game. He also saw three minutes of action in two playoff games. This season, Gutierrez has appeared in nine games, averaging 1.8 points in 4.3 minutes per game.

Sixers sign Malcolm Lee, waive Drew Gordon

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team has signed free agent guard Malcolm Lee from its NBA Development League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers. He is the ninth D-League to NBA “Call-Up” of the 2014-15 NBA Development League season.

Lee has appeared in four games with three starts for the Sevens this season. He also saw action in three games for the Sixers this preseason.

Lee was originally the 43rd overall pick by Chicago in the 2011 NBA Draft following his junior season at UCLA. He spent both of his NBA seasons (2011-12 and 2012-13) with Minnesota.

In a related move, the Sixers waived Drew Gordon.

Kevin Durant shows respect for Sixers

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer blog reporting some positive words about the 76ers from none other than Kevin Durant:

So how does Kevin Durant, the reigning NBA MVP, feel about the 1-17 Sixers?

They avoided the worst start in NBA history by posting their victory of the season, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves, 85-77, Wednesday night at the Target Center.

“They’ve been playing hard,” said Durant, whose Oklahoma City Thunder face the Sixers Friday night at Wells Fargo Center. “They’re a young team. We’ve been through it where it kind of tough to finish out game.

“But they’ve been in a lot of games. It’s just a matter of them finishing.”