Despite another flat start to their post All-Star break shenanigans, the Philadelphia 76ers have turned it up on the transaction table as of late. The front office made a slew of signings to fill the final roster spot and some two-way openings, hoping to bolster the team's ammunition ahead of their last hurrah for a postseason appearance.
Just recently, the 76ers officially signed Lonnie Walker IV, who was playing in Lithuania, to a non-guaranteed, two-year contract with a team option for next season. Shortly after, the front office filled up one of their open two-way spots by adding G-League star Alex Reese, hoping to help abate the team's lack of size.
Thanks to Jared Butler's erstwhile two-way deal getting converted to a standard NBA contract, the 76ers had another two-way spot to fill up. While not as important at this point in the season, the team still ensured that their deck would be full to end the season, making yet another addition to the board.
76ers signing David Roddy to a two-way deal should raise some eyebrows
After initially signing him to a 10-day deal, the 76ers have officially decided to stick with David Roddy for the rest of the season as a two-way player.
This is a bit of a full circle moment for Roddy, who was actually drafted by Philadelphia –– albeit on behalf of Memphis –– as the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft as part of a draft day trade. Just as kismet would have it, he ultimately "returns" to the team that originally selected him and kickstarted his career.
However, this one is a bit of a head-scratcher. While Roddy is a skilled tweener who probably only needs consistent court time to start showing out, by no fault of his own, this projects to be a marginally beneficial addition for the 76ers.
Sure, two-way players are not really as integral at this juncture, but that spot could have been used to get someone who could directly address the team's weaknesses, not add to them. At 6'4", Roddy is severely undersized as a natural forward who is more of a 4 than a 3, and he is also quite negligible outside of the paint.
Lack of size and three-point shooting are among the most eye-catching issues with this roster this season, and that the front office decided to double down on the same is a clear case of a waste of resources.
No offense to David Roddy, but the Philadelphia 76ers should have looked elsewhere if they wanted some more security for their playoff push. Falling into the same trap of adding players who are rather limited in vital areas of the game is just puzzling at this point.