As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for the 2017 NBA Summer League, the projected roster shows significant changes.
The 2017 NBA Summer League is a significant event for the Philadelphia 76ers. As discussed recently, the team is not only solidifying playing roster spots, but has the new opportunity to sign two players to the new “Two-Way Contract” roster spots.
And while the team prepares for summer league play, there are some changes to the originally projected roster. In fact, don’t look now folks, but the roster appears to have changed significantly. As of today, the finalized summer league roster is not yet available.
Sixers mini-camp roster. The finalized summer league roster has not been announced yet. pic.twitter.com/Krf7qpFDaR
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) June 29, 2017
Roster changed
That appears to be quite different from an earlier roster available just five days ago. Compare the latest version to the previous roster.
Obviously most excited to see MF, but Muhao Li is a close 2nd pic.twitter.com/WvehWWNiby
— Bored Covington (@AnotherDraftGuy) June 24, 2017
And so, let’s see what changes occured:
Who remains on roster?
As you may recall, we originally looked at the roster at that time, and these are the players who remain from that original list:
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James Blackmon Jr., Guard
Isaiah Briscoe, Guard
Larry Drew II, Guard
Markelle Fultz, Guard
Aaron Harrison, Guard
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Guard/Forward
Alex Poythress, Forward
Melo Trimble, Guard
Who are gone?
Shawn Long, power forward. He was traded to the Houston Rockets.
On one hand, many saw Shawn Long merely as a roster body. They may be correct. On the other hand, his short duration with the team last year fared pretty well. In fact, he appeared in 18 games, averaged 13 minutes. During that time, he scored a fairly impressive 8.2 points per game and pulled down 4.7 rebounds. He even shot 56 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from three-point range. Undrafted, his return of a second round pick is pretty good. .
Li Muhao, center
The absence of center Li Muhao is diappointing. He would have been a box office draw for certain, and his play on the 76ers had potential to open paths to sign Chinese players to the team in the future.
Guo Ailun, guard
Another disappointment. Guo Ailun is reportedly a sensational basketball player. (I have not seen him play).
Who are new?
So lets examine the new names in the NBA Summer League for the Philadelphia 76ers? Let’s take a moment to and run some background on each?
Brandon Austin, Guard
A 6-foot-7 point guard, Brandon Austin offers some intriguing possibilities for the Philadelphia 76ers. He performed well in private workouts with the 76ers, which led to his appearance on the summer league roster. Austin will need to bulk up his slender frame, but his path to the NBA needs a strong showing this summer.
Jonah Bolden, Forward
Jonah Bolden is the 6-foot-10 215 pound 7-foot-4 wingspanned forward from Austrailia. As the 2017 NBA Draft neared, Bolden’s name shot up the boards of several NBA teams. Some projected his versatile skillset as a late first round pick. He intends to play for the Philadelphia 76ers this year, and he is a natural for both head coach Brett Brown and teammate Ben Simmons. He will definitely be worth watching, particularly since his arrival preceded the team’s decision to deal Long.
More Players
Charles Jackson, Forward
Power forward Charles Jackson is a 6-foot-10, 255 pound forward who played on the 2015 76ers summer league team where he averaged 7.5 points and 6.0 rebounds at 15 minutes per game. He has the versatility to play either center or power forward. His is currently linked to Sakarya BB, a Turkish basketball team.
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Isaiah Mills, Forward
Power forward Isaiah Mills is a 6-foot-7 220 pound prospect who reportedly last played for the French basketball team JDA Dijon Basket.
NCAA seniors
Daryl Reynolds, Forward
Power forward Daryl Reynolds is a 6-foot-9 235 pound Villanova graduating senior. On one hand, he played much of his game in the paint, never shooting from three-point range. On the other hand, his shooting accuracy remained strong, as he averaged 67 percent shooting from the floor.
Kaleb Tarczewski, Center
Center Kaleb Tarczewski is a 7-foot-0 235 pound four-year graduating senior from the University of Arizona. He has a solid overall game for a big man, and could easily parlay his presence on the summer league into a G-League or Two-Way Contract offer. Averaging 56.1 percent from the floor, and pulling in 9.3 rebounds his senior season, Tarczewski has plenty of NBA potential.
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The team must find one more player to add to the roster and finalize it relatively soon. As a matter of fact, the 76ers begin summer league play on July 3, 2017 in Utah.