Between countless injuries and tanking, the Philadelphia 76ers rostered 30 players throughout the 2024-25 season. As is the case with most lottery-bound teams, many of the 76ers’ players from last season are yet to find a new home in the league. Typically, the two biggest options for fringe-level NBA players are the G-League or an opportunity overseas. In a shocking, but fun development, multiple former 76ers are teaming up to do the latter.
Today, Marc Stein reported that Jeff Dowtin Jr. is signing a two-year contract with EuroLeague club Maccabi Tel Aviv. Along with Dowtin, former 76ers Lonnie Walker IV and Oshae Brissett are also taking their talents to Maccabi. It’s unclear whether this reunion is simply a coincidence or if it was premeditated. Either way, players re-connecting overseas after having played for the same NBA team the season prior is a cool story that you don’t see too often.
The 76ers believed in Dowtin
Originally, Philadelphia signed Dowtin to a two-way deal on March 2nd, 2024 after being waived by the Toronto Raptors near the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign. With the 76ers struggling to remain healthy, Dowtin got an increased opportunity in the final stretch of that season. As a result, his two-way contract was converted into a standard NBA deal for the rest of the year.
Then, Dowtin showcased a sound ability to run Philadelphia’s offense during the 2024 Summer League. In need of a steady reserve point guard, the 76ers inked him to another two-way deal for the 2024-25 season. Amidst Philadelphia’s downward spiral, Dowtin once again played a bigger role in its rotation. He participated in a career-high 41 games – notching 15.1 minutes each night.
Through two seasons with the 76ers, Dowtin averaged 6.4 points per game on 49.6% shooting from the field. He also chipped in two assists per game, 1.5 rebounds per game, and shot 41.6% from beyond the arc on 1.7 attempts per game. On the surface, these numbers seem okay for someone who is developing into an NBA player through the two-way process.
Why didn't Dowtin pan out?
However, when you factor in that Dowtin is 28 years old, the margin for growing pains becomes a lot smaller. Oftentimes, he only found sustained success playing on the Delaware Blue Coats and in non-consequential basketball with the 76ers. When tasked with real NBA minutes, his skill set unfortunately didn’t translate at the rate Philadelphia needed.
Hopefully, he, Walker, and Brissett can remedy the weaknesses of their games and receive an opportunity in the NBA in the future. Guerschon Yabusele did just this in Philadelphia last year, so who’s to say it can’t happen again?