Waiving George Hill
In a surprise move, the Philadelphia 76ers elected not to exercise the team option on George Hill‘s contract. Considering the uncertainty surround Simmons at the time and the fact his contract was worth over $10 million next year if it became fully guaranteed, this was a bad move. Philly could have used him for added depth at point guard or as contract filler in a possible Simmons trade.
Grade: F+
Signing Rayjon Tucker
I wrote in the past that I thought re-signing Rayjon Tucker was a waste of a two-way contract. He hasn’t shown much improvement on the offensive end. The spot should be used in a position of need and on a player who has more upside. However, keeping continuity on a pretty good roster has its merits.
Grade: D+
Signing Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond is an upgrade over Dwight Howard. Drummond is one of the few players in the whole NBA who is a better rebounder than Howard and he’s just an overall better player at this point. He’s also in his prime and being a backup on a really good team is a great way for the former All-Star to show that he’s still a valuable player. Philly signed him for one year and $2.4 million. He can be a great fill-in starter whenever Joel Embiid misses games.
Grade: B+
Signing Georges Niang
It was clear that Mike Scott just didn’t have anything left in the tank at the end of last season. As a result, they were able to sign Georges Niang for two years and $6.8 million. Niang has been improving each year he has been in the NBA and there’s no reason not to believe he won’t take another step this season.
Grade: A-