The Philadelphia 76ers certainly appear to be far from finished with shocking everyone this offseason. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the team is poised to keep Jabari Walker for the upcoming season, which is completely wayward from what most fans and pundits alike expected given that the forward did not have a fully-guaranteed contract.
With the 76ers signing LeBron James and working on adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, it became incumbent upon the front office to free up the necessary roster spots to accommodate those flashy additions. Dalen Terry, whose contract for next season was non-guaranteed, got the initial axing. But instead of Walker being the next cut, the team made the decision to trade away Johni Broome, the seldom-used incoming sophomore whom people otherwise expected would stay for another go-round.
The 76ers are about to shock everyone with rumored Jabari Walker decision
Walker fared well for someone who started the previous season on a two-way contract –– something reinforced by the fact that he saw his deal eventually converted into a standard one. However, given the nature of his contract and his expected role next season, there was every reason to believe that he was going to be the inevitable roster cut to usher in the team's latest additions.
Of course, only time will tell if keeping Walker is the right call, but this probably hints at the front office opting to shore up their depth in the frontcourt without breaking the bank. His $2.6 million salary is largely non-guaranteed until January 10, but Stein noted that the 76ers nevertheless prefer to keep him in the fold. That speaks volumes as to the front office's strong preference for him as a role player.
No one is going to call Walker a standout from last season, but he was quite serviceable for the most part. In just under 12 minutes a night, he registered averages of 4.3 points and three rebounds –– the latter of which cements his biggest strength as one of the best board-crashers on the team despite being undersized at 6'7".
The 76ers probably also liked what they saw from the soon-to-be 24-year-old on the defensive end. He was an agile and versatile stopper for his position, and with the team set to play faster, becoming more disruptive on defense should also be their identity. Walker should be able to help in that regard in spurts.
Anyhow, the 76ers bucked yet another popular prediction this offseason. Hopefully, it pays off for their title bid next season.
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