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Philadelphia 76ers: Who got cut?

Owen Nelson|
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 4: Furkan Korkmaz
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 4: Furkan Korkmaz

The 17-man roster for the Philadelphia 76ers must be set by October 16. Who will get cut by the 76ers? And as they have made it official, who got cut?

What began as my prediction to the Philadlephia 76ers resulted in an article straddling the fence of “what I expected” and “what they did”.  But rather than rewrite the article to make me appear much wiser than I am at times, I’m sticking to the original story.  As such, you can catch my why reasons behind roster moves and compare them to what the team actually did.

In rereading, I think it turned out A.O.K. I hope you agree:

After an up-and-down preseason, I don’t feel there will be any surprises on who makes the final roster. The Philadelphia 76ers signed James Michael McAdoo to a two-way contract, meaning he won’t get cut as he’ll spend most of this season down in the G-League for the Delaware 87ers. In addition, the 76ers signed veterans Kris Humphries and Emeka Okafor, as well as inexperienced players in James Blackmon Jr. and Jacob Pullen.

Guaranteed spots

Players who have a zero percent chance of getting cuts are as follows: Jerryd Bayless, Robert Covington, Joel Embiid, Markelle Fultz, Richaun Holmes, Amir Johnson, Furkan Korkmaz, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, T.J. McConnell, J.J. Redick, Dario Saric and Ben Simmons. This shows that there are already 12 roster spots that are locked up, leaving only three spots left.

Related Story: Any surprises left for Philadelphia 76ers roster?

I can’t see a world where these 12 players get cut or get traded to slim the roster down. Bayless and Redick were paid big bucks to provide much-needed floor spacing, as well as veteran presence. Covington is a top-five perimeter defender in the league, there’s no chance he’s not on the roster to start the year. The rest of the players offer the potential that could make the 76ers a force in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

Fringe players

On one hand, there are the seven players who are on the cusp. Each is fighting for the remaining three spots: Justin Anderson, James Blackmon Jr., Kris Humphries, Emeka Okafor, Jahlil Okafor, Jacob Pullen and Nik Stauskas. James Michael McAdoo is a Two-Way contract.

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Waiving  Anderson would be both a shock and surprise, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibilities. Additionally, I really like J. Okafor, but I suspect trade talks will emerge to pull him off the roster before the season starts. Stauskas is a ‘Process veteran’ but he has failed to show significant improvement during his time with the team. Humphries only scored a total of three points in three preseason games. E. Okafor and Pullen both only averaged a shade over two points per game — not a great showing. Lastly, Blackmon Jr. really struggled with his shot throughout the preseason.

So, cut or no cut?

Ultimately, I would vote for the outright release of  E. Okafor, Humphries, Pullen and Stauskas before the season starts. E. Okafor and Humphries simply do not bring enough veteran presence to compensate for poor production.  In fact, the 76ers added very productive veterans in J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson this offseason.

Furthermore, Pullen  hasn’t shown enough NBA quality to me. He may, however, be able to cut a career for himself down in the G-League. He may end up as the second Two-Way contract player for the team.

Perhaps the most surprising waiver in my mind should be Nik Stauskas. I just don’t think the Canadian has done enough to prove that he belongs on this stacked team.  Yes, he ended strong with 11 points. But I can’t see how he gets consistent playing time, especially when his shot isn’t falling. Maybe a fresh start with a new team is what Stauskas needs.

Next: The cultural and basketball importance of Joel Embiid

Predicted final roster

Point guard: Simmons, McConnell, Bayless

Shooting guard: Fultz, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Blackmon Jr. (Stauskas in, Blackmon Jr. Out)

Small forward: Redick, Anderson, Korkmaz

Power forward: Covington, Saric, Johnson

Center: Embiid, Holmes, Okafor

Two-Way Contract: McAdoo and ? (Pullen In)

As you can see, I wasn’t far off the mark. Blackmon Jr. waived, Stauskas, Jahlil Okafor, and Pullen remains with team.  It appears as though McAdoo and likely Pullen will be the Two-Way Contracts this year.

And they did convert Pullen to that Two-Way contract. In retrospect, it makes sense. The team only has T.J.McConnell on the roster as a TRUE point guard. Pullen gives the team some bonus depth at a position they scrambled to fill at times just last season.