Plenty of Philadelphia 76ers fans remember watching Shake Milton play for the team between 2018 and 2023. He was a mainstay on some of the earlier Joel Embiid teams, and a contender for Sixth Man of the Year back in 2020-21. Now, he's playing overseas, but he just recently suffered a major setback after breaking his hand.
Rory Maher of Hoops Rumors recently reported the news. He writes: "Former NBA guard Shake Milton has a broken bone in his left hand and has traveled to the United States to undergo surgery, according to Pedrac Saric of Serbian outlet Meridian Sport (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Milton, who plays for Partizan Belgrade, is expected to miss around three months. The 29-year-old is having a disappointing year for the Serbian club in his first stint in Europe, Carchia notes."
Milton left the NBA last summer when he signed a two-year contract with Partizan Mozart Bet of the Basketball League of Serbia on July 24. Now, it appears he's run into a worst-case scenario with his new team in incurring this injury. It sounds like he'll be back by springtime, but that's not the ideal way to start your first year with a new team on a new continent.
Shake Milton encountered a rough injury with his new team
From Philadelphia’s perspective, Milton’s injury serves as a reminder of what the organization looked like half a decade ago versus what it looks like now. While Shake had some memorable moments during his time in the Sixer uniform, this roster is now much more deep and built out than it was while he was in the city.
That's an important bit of context when revisiting Milton’s arc. His best moments in Philly came during years when the Sixers needed internal development to really be a strong contender. He filled his role admirably at times and even showed flashes that were truly valuable during long regular seasons. But the team has since moved toward a more defined hierarchy.
The reality is that the 76ers aren't really chasing what Milton offers at this point in time. They're looking for defensive accountability and secondary creation that shows up in a big way in April and May. The bar is higher now than it was back then.
For Milton, the injury complicates what already felt like a transitional chapter in his playing career. A strong season overseas could have reopened pathways to get back to the NBA. Instead, his timeline pauses at the worst possible moment, forcing him to regain rhythm rather than build momentum. But he can rest assured that plenty of fans back in Philly will be cheering him on as he recovers and gets back to action.