If a casual NBA fan asked a die-hard Sixers supporter about players whose tenure in Philly never matched expectations, the response would be simple – “How much time do you have?”
The Philadelphia 76ers have had a fair share of busts over the years. Going back to the 1990s, the team has drafted and traded for players that came with massive hype. Coming to this historic franchise, built brick-by-brick by all-time greats like Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson, the following list of players could not quite land their role with Philly. No matter how much or little they committed themselves to the Sixers, the bust players never really proved themselves to the fans and franchise.
There are several reasons why these players did not fill the shoes they were expected to fill. Whether it was immaturity, injuries, bad chemistry, or being on the tail end of their career, the busts on this list are merely a reflection of their basketball ineptitude while they were in Philly. Some went on to play for other teams, meandering through the league on paths to nowhere. One went on to win a championship.
No matter what happened when they left the 76ers, one thing they have in common is the forgettable experience they had for themselves while they were here and the unremarkable performances they left on the floor. Several busts actually had a decent run in Philly, but as fate would have it, they did things to impede their progress and wrote their ticket out of town.
Craig Claxton: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
Speedy Claxton (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Craig Claxton in the summer of 2000. If you did not grow up watching the Sixers during this time, you might be wondering, who is Craig Claxton? You might’ve heard of him before with his unique nickname.
Coming out of Hofstra University, better known as Speedy Claxton, this number one pick for the Sixers arrived with the hope of backing up Allen Iverson and possibly even blossoming into something more significant. Unfortunately, he had a rough start to his career.
Going into his rookie year, where Philly went on their historic NBA Finals run against the Lakers, Claxton wound up with an injury that put him on the bench for the entire season. While the 76ers took the East by storm that year, Claxton had to rehab his knee and watch his new team’s success from afar.
When he finally was able to play in 2001-2002, he did what most rookies do the first year. He struggled. He averaged a modest seven points and three assists as a role player. He did have excellent speed to match his name, but his shooting was subpar, and he never quite solidified his role enough for the Sixers to want to keep him on the roster.
He ended up being traded to the San Antonio Spurs before the next season, and luckily for him, he won a championship ring that same season with Hall of Fame players like Tim Duncan, Tony, Parker, and Manu Ginóbili. Claxton went on to earn $37 million as an NBA player. However, the promise that he presented to the Sixers never came to fruition.
Zhaire Smith: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
In 2018, the Phoenix Suns selected an athletic wing player out of Texas Tech. He had such speed and agility that it caught the attention of former Sixers coach, Brett Brown. The Sixers traded for him on draft night. With superb quickness and defensive potential, Zhaire Smith was enough of a prospect to trade away Mikal Bridges, whom Philly had just drafted.
Smith was definitely Brett Brown’s pet project, where he was expected to help bolster the Sixers’ perimeter defense. It’s easy to look at how Bridges and Smith traveled different paths in the NBA and place blame on Brett Brown for committing to the Texas Tech prospect. The reality is that nobody knew that Smith would not pan out for Philly, while Bridges would go on to have a grand career launch with Phoenix. What was even more unexpected was the medical issue Smith had in his rookie season.
While out to dinner one evening, Smith ingested ingredients from a meal that caused him to have a severe allergic reaction. A peanut allergy that almost took his life impeded any progress related to his basketball career. As tragic as the experience was for him with not being able to play for the Sixers initially, he’s lucky that he lived to see another day.
Despite playing for the Sixers in the regular season, and even getting minutes in a playoff series versus the Celtics, things just didn’t work out for Smith the way anyone had hoped. He ended up being traded to Detroit and currently is out of the NBA. He did earn a little over $5 million in the league, and he is still young enough to give basketball another try.
Chris Webber: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
One of the most celebrated college players in the early 1990s, Chris Webber entered the NBA as the top prospect of his class. Drafted number one out of the University of Michigan, Webber had an immediate impact on the Golden State Warriors. His career truly launched in Washington after being traded from the Warriors to the Bullets in 1994.
Then, he went on to have his most playoff success with Sacramento from 1998 to 2005. Once the Kings’ realized they could not advance in an ultra-competitive Western Conference in the early 2000s, they pulled the trigger and traded him to Philadelphia for Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas, and Corliss Williamson.
His fit with Allen Iverson seemed complementary and injected hope into the Sixers fan base. Yet, the tandem never quite meshed to generate any kind of true success.
Statistically, he put up decent numbers in his only full year with the team during the 2005-2006 season. Although he averaged 20 PPG that year, he shot an abysmal 43 percent from the field. Not ideal for your starting power forward alongside Iverson.
Chris Webber came to Philadelphia near the end of his career around the same time that Allen Iverson’s window with the Sixers was closing. The two infamously did not make a public appearance for Fan Appreciation Night near the end of the 2006 season, and it was pretty much the end of Webber’s stint with the Sixers.
Webber was brought to Philly with hopes of helping the team advance further in the playoffs. In the end, he became just another aging star whose “good enough” was not even close to what the team needed. The Sixers failed to qualify for the playoffs that season despite Webber making the most he’d ever earn in his 15-year career. Even though he made over $20 million in his only full year in a Sixers uniform, Philadelphia waived Webber in January 2007.
Nerlens Noel: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
In 2013, Jrue Holiday became an All-Star for the 76ers. That same year, he was traded to New Orleans in exchange for Nerlens Noel. Holiday would go on to win a championship with Milwaukee and make the NBA All-Defensive Team five times. Noel? Let’s just say he never became effective at his position, and it all started in Philadelphia.
The Kentucky forward did have promise entering the NBA. A defensive specialist with length and rim-protecting instincts at the collegiate level, Noel was brought in right before Philly drafted Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor.
To make matters worse, Noel did not even play his first season. Due to injury, his career hit an early speed bump. Any subsequent hiccups in his career came at the expense of his own poor attitude and bad decisions.
As documented in Yaron Weitzman’s book, Tanking to Top, Noel was not maturing the way the Sixers front office had hoped. Incidents that included drug use and tardiness would soil his reputation and add dysfunction to an already fractured franchise during the early “Process Years.”
In a Sixers uniform, Noel averaged 10.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. Since leaving Philly, he’s played for five teams, and his value has plummeted. He may be more well known for his unwise choice to decline a lucrative long-term contract than his actual career.
Noel’s presence in Philly essentially launched the era that Sam Hinkie has been revered for, depending on who you talk to in the fan base. His lack of production and longevity as a Sixer simply adds to the list of busts in the past few decades.
Jahlil Okafor: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
Jahlil Okafor rode the wave of college success until reality set in, and that wave crashed after getting drafted by the Sixers. Although he won a national title with the Duke Blue Devils, Okafor has struggled in his NBA career, which started in Philadelphia.
Where do we start? Out the gate, his promise as a player became dubious the moment Sixers fans realized he was the third center selected by Sam Hinkie in consecutive years. With Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid already on the roster, Okafor was far from the logical choice at the number three spot in the NBA Draft.
Most Sixers fans were hoping the team would select D’Angelo Russell to be the floor general and complement the previously mentioned centers, but he went to the Lakers with their second pick. From day one, it was Jahlil Okafor’s team with Joel Embiid sitting out the 2015 season.
Despite averaging 17 points and leading the team in scoring his rookie year, he grabbed an underwhelming seven rebounds per contest. In addition, his defense was atrocious, and his conditioning was questionable.
His on-court woes were compounded by his off-court shenanigans. In his rookie season, Okafor got into several physical altercations, one in Philly and one in Boston, mainly due to intoxication. His driving violation for speeding 108 MPH over the Ben Franklin Bridge surely did not improve his stock.
Some may come to his defense, lamenting his early struggles were in part because of the team’s historic losing season. Yet, he attended one of the premier universities, led by a Hall of Fame coach with the most prestigious program in college basketball. His pedigree was solid. His decisions were not.
With what started as a hopeful career with the Sixers, Okafor was doomed from the beginning. The franchise was still tanking for higher draft assets. Then again, he’s had chances with other teams to salvage his career, but his 10.4 PPG and 4.7 RPG numbers, along with sketchy defensive skills, have made him a liability. In 2021, Okafor was waived by Brooklyn and Atlanta in a span of just two months.
After earning $21 million and playing six seasons, Okafor is currently not on an NBA roster.
Evan Turner: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
There are plenty of prodigious NBA players drafted number two overall. Jason Kidd, Kevin Durant, and Ja Morant come to mind. In the 2010 NBA Draft, the 76ers would have no such luck with their first-round, number two pick.
Evan Turner had an impressive college career at Ohio State. During his junior season, he averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. He led the Buckeyes to a Big Ten Tournament victory and advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to Tennessee. The Sixers were in need of another wing player to help Andre Iguodala with scoring and playmaking. Turner had the tools and experience, but things got off to a slow start for him.
For a rookie to average, less than double digits in scoring is expected – unless you’re selected second overall ahead of dozens of other prospects. In his first year, he barely averaged seven points. He also averaged 3.9 boards and 2.0 dimes. He only played 23 minutes a night, but that is no excuse for a number two pick not to produce.
He did boost his scoring average to 17 points by the 2013 season, but his shooting percentages were abysmal. From the field, Turner shot just 42 percent and a putrid 31 percent from beyond the arc while playing in a Sixers uniform.
He was an integral part of the 2011 playoff run where the Sixers defeated a Derrick Rose-less Bulls team only to lose to a stacked Celtics team in the conference semifinals. Though he averaged double figures in the Boston series, Turner was traded in 2014 with Lavoy Allen for an injury-plagued Danny Granger and a 2015 second-round pick.
Turner had a stellar career at Ohio State, but his NBA career could not match his college success. Over a ten-year span in the NBA, he managed to accumulate $98 million in salary with several teams.
Andrew Bynum: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
So, up to this point, none of the players mentioned were expected to have as much of an immediate impact as this next player. Coming from a Los Angeles Lakers squad that had won two championships, Andrew Bynum checked off many boxes for the 76ers going into the 2012 season.
He was a double-double, rim-protecting center with youth on his side and untapped potential. Playing behind Kobe Bryant with the Lakers, Bynum was never the main focus of the offense. In Philly, he would have been featured by coach Doug Collins as a skilled interior player with a number of ways to score. Unfortunately, Bynum never suited up. Why?
We all know the story. One that baffles 76ers fans to this day. Apparently, Bynum went bowling and somehow injured his knee. That’s it. A bowling injury spoiled one of the most anticipated debuts for a Sixers center in quite a while. The hype was so enormous that the Constitution Center was rented out by the Sixers to introduce Bynum to the city.
With the Sixers, he took his money and ran. His overall attitude toward his new franchise ultimately reflected his true character, which was notorious for being selfish and lazy. Had he possessed the maturity and desire to play for the Sixers, maybe the “Process” never happens. It is debatable.
What is certain is that Andrew Bynum will go down as one of the most infamous athletes in the city for being a top bust who never even played. After Philly, he had quick stints in Cleveland and Indiana. Bynum played only eight seasons but racked up over $72 million despite playing 82 games only once throughout his career.
James Harden: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
When the trade went down, many thought the Sixers pulled a fast one on the Brooklyn Nets. In the end, it was James Harden who pulled a fast one on the Sixers. Although Ben Simmons has not panned out for the Nets at this point, one could argue that Harden’s off-season drama and inept playoff performances, when it mattered most, could have deeper implications than Sixers fans can imagine. Where did things go wrong?
The anticipation for the All-NBA Top 75 point guard to play alongside Joel Embiid was as thick as Harden’s beard. He arrived in Philly saying all the right things. He was all about winning and making life easier for Embiid, which is true of the regular season. He was a good soldier, doing what was best for the team, taking less money so Daryl Morey could sign complementary pieces like P.J. Tucker and Danuel House, Jr. Then, the playoffs changed everything.
While Harden did put up two 40+ point games versus the Celtics in the conference semifinals, he was atrocious in the other games, especially games six and seven. While Embiid struggled with a knee injury, Harden was nowhere to be found on the court, shooting poorly and turning the ball over.
His relationship with Doc Rivers soured, and not too long after that his relationship with Daryl Morey went even further south. When James Harden publicly called Morey a liar while on a marketing campaign in China in the summer of 2023, Sixers fans were waiting to see how he would handle his contract situation. It’s been a mess ever since.
Harden was fined $100,000 for his comments by the league, but he remains steadfast in his position of never wanting to play for Philadelphia again. One would think the league leader in assists, playing with the most recent MVP, would be a sweet situation. Not for Harden. Clearly, he wants more money and more years than Morey is willing to offer.
This was just another case of Philly getting an All-Star player in a trade who is past his prime. As Sixers fans suffer in the limbo state Harden has caged them in, he is hoping for a change of scenery. For Sixers fans, the feeling is mutual.
Markelle Fultz: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
Shooting is one of the first skills a kid learns when introduced to the game of basketball. For Markelle Fultz, he forgot this lesson at the worst time. He lost his ability to shoot right after NBA Summer League play just before his regular-season debut. How could he forget how to shoot?
Before answering this, it is important to note how much the franchise went through just to acquire him in the 2017 NBA Draft. The previous year, Joel Embiid was shut down due to injury, and the Sixers went on to win only 28 games. Their cellar-dwelling status in the Eastern Conference standings gave Philly another ideal draft situation.
The front office would eventually trade their number three pick to move up to number one. Boston selected Jayson Tatum and the Sixers picked Fultz. To this point, the two could not have had a more different career as far as individual and team success is concerned. The center of it all? Shooting.
So, the shooting woes of Markelle Fultz have been well documented, discussed, and debated. Did he injure his shoulder? Was it a mental case of the yips? We may never know the truth. Ardent Fultz supporters give him the benefit of the doubt, sympathizing for a young 19-year-old who developed a hitch in his free throw shooting form. Those on the other side point to peculiar instances where his shoulder seemed fine.
There was the time when Fultz was heaving trick shots from beyond half-court at the practice facility. There was also the time when he was recorded doing cartwheels on concrete. The debate did not last long because he was soon traded to the Orlando Magic for Jonathan Simons and draft picks.
Though one of those picks would translate to the Tyrese Maxey 2020 draft selection by Philly, the Markelle Fultz dilemma is one of the most confusing and disappointing situations in the Sixers’ history. It is right up there with the top bust in franchise history.
Ben Simmons: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
Some said there’d never be another Oscar Robertson until Magic Johnson arrived in the NBA. Then, some said there’d never be another Magic until Lebron was drafted. Some declared there’d never be another Lebron until Ben Simmons entered the 2016 NBA Draft.
Wait a minute. Wait. Just. A. Minute. We know how ridiculous the Ben Simmons saga unfolded, but what makes him the greatest bust in Sixers history? It’s all about hype, right?
If Simmons had it his way, he would have declared for the NBA a year prior, propping himself up as too good to play at an amateur level in the NCAA. The LSU Tigers saw Simmons display his raw talent for one season, and he racked up numerous highlights. He could pass, rebound, and run the break better than any guard at his level. He was crowned LeBron 2.0, and his athleticism was unmatched. Then, came the summer league. Sound familiar?
Like Fultz did the previous year, Simmons showed out in Las Vegas, demonstrating superb court vision, tenacious defense, and even the ability to shoot from the perimeter! The Philly fan base was ready to run up the Rocky steps and climb the William Penn statue after witnessing what Simmons did in summer league. Then, the regular season came. Sound familiar?
Once his debut came and went, and weeks turned into months of the 2017 season, it became apparent that the 76ers not only had one guard afraid to shoot jump shots – they had two! The Ben Simmons shooting quagmire is one of historic proportions. After winning NBA Rookie of the Year, his numbers began to decline, especially his scoring. If there was ever a more diffident shooter in the NBA, Ben Simmons would give that player a run for his money.
Yes, Simmons was an amazing passer and an All-Defensive player while in Philly. However, he never committed himself to adding a perimeter shot to his skillset. The frustration for fans who’d see him warm up shooting threes before games left them perplexed. His infamous summer workouts in upscale Los Angeles gyms made Sixers fans even more incredulous. So much for not needing to attend college to refine his offensive game.
The red flags went up as fast as fireworks when he filmed a documentary during his freshman year at LSU. The audacity to declare himself too good to play at the college level pointed out how immature and haughty he was as a young player who had yet to win anything other than individual accolades.
The city of Philadelphia has had to put up with many awkward trade requests and team turmoil over decades, but the Ben Simmons situation takes the cake.
After the Atlanta debacle in the 2021 playoff series where Simmons shot a historic low 34 percent from the free throw line and was afraid to dunk on Trae Young, the writing was on the wall. His time in Philly was up, and the hold-out unceremoniously began.
At the time, I was one of few people who said Simmons should be traded while he had value, but fans scoffed at the idea. They were under the spell of Simmons’ athleticism and potential only to be faced with the inevitable.
Simmons and other assets were sent to Brooklyn for James Harden, and the 6-foot-10-inch point guard with so much promise ended up being the biggest bust in franchise history.
Agree with the list order? Is there a player missing? Let us know in the comment section.
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