For former Philadelphia 76ers big man Charles Bassey, this offseason has not been anything close to a sweet vacation. After spending the last three seasons playing for the San Antonio Spurs, he has not yet gotten a call to be on a roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season, casting a huge cloud on his future in the league.
Bassey, who waas drafted by the 76ers with the 53rd pick four years ago during the 2021 NBA Draft, has not yet managed to bag a significant role for an NBA ball club. He played in just 23 outings for Philly in his rookie year, and while he showed flashes early on when he suited up for the Spurs, those did not hold up for long.
In San Antonio, he was a backup center for the most part, but his role slowly waned. His inability to stay on the floor due to injuries is one thing, but he was also very inconsistent. He would be a bit of a liability on the boards against certain opponents, and although he was a very good shot-blocker, his defense was far from a standout skill.
But now, Bassey just got a new opportunity to potentially stay in the league moving forward, at least for the looming campaign.
Formers 76ers big man Charles Bassey gets a new leash in his NBA career
As first reported by Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto, the Atlanta Hawks have signed Bassey to an Exhibit 10 deal ahead of training camp, ensuring that they have first dibs on him after evaluating his performance during the preseason.
While that is not a firm guarantee on a roster spot for next season, this will the former 76ers center an opportunity to impress the Hawks, which could use some more depth at the position after losing Clint Capelain free agency and Kristaps Porzingis being oft-injured.
This is clearly a positive development for Bassey, who was actually a part of the Celtics’ Summer League camp. Unfortunately for him, Boston did not extend him an offer, so that ship has definitely sailed.
Hopefully, the former 76ers draft pick makes the most out of this much-needed opportunity so that he can stay in the NBA. Otherwise, we would be looking at another player who could have been more had he been in the right situation from the very beginning — which he was not when he was still in the city.