The Philadelphia 76ers faithful is probably still fond of former fan favorite Georges Niang, but he has been completely silent for quite some time now. That, however, could stand to change as a fresh rumor points to him receiving some interest from teams as a free agent –– a surprising but welcoming development for someone who did not see the floor at all last season.
Niant could be back in the league soon
According to Marc Stein (subscription required), Niang is garnering interest in the open market from teams believed to be pursuing LeBron James. That technically includes the 76ers, although Stein did not laser in on them. Nevertheless, this news is quite surprising given that Niang is basically banking on his body of work from more than a season ago.
Niang started the 2025-26 campaign with the Utah Jazz after getting traded twice last summer, but he never suited up for the team. He was then shipped away to the Memphis Grizzlies before the trade deadline, but he was waived not long after. Basically, he never suited up on the hardwood for a single minute all season long.
Niang receives suprising lifeline
Despite sitting out for a year, it is understandable why teams continue to register interest in acquiring his services. After all, he is one of the better snipers in the league as a career 40 percent 3-point shooter. In his last full campaign, he averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per outing while draining 40.6 percent of his triples. That's solid.
In conjunction with Stein's report, it also makes a lot of sense that the LeBron pursuers have Niang on their radar. The veteran will not cost a lot to pry away from the open market, and if there is one thing that James' teams have always thrived with, it is having knockdown shooters like Niang who can take advantage of LeBron's playmaking.
Heck, even a team like the 76ers would benefit from having Niang on board. While there are many clear red flags with him, such as his lack of foot speed and athleticism and feeble defense, he is heady enough as a player to cover up those weaknesses to a degree. But most importantly, he is someone defenses simply cannot ignore.
Anyhow, it is definitely pleasant to hear Georges Niang receive some positive news in his quest to return to the league. And just like how productive he was when he was still with the 76ers, any team that gets him will be lucky given his on and off-court value.
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