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The Philadelphia 76ers signed Grant Riller to a two-way contract on Wednesday. The team waived Rayjon Tucker to open up a slot for the 6-foot-2 combo guard from the College of Charleston.
The Sixers are hoping they found a diamond in the rough in Riller, a high-volume scorer who drew very loose comparisons to Damian Lillard coming out of college. His highest ceiling probably translates better to Derrick White or Lou Williams. Riller averaged 21.9 points per game in back-to-back seasons at Charleston while shooting 35.6% from three-point range. He also ranked tops in assists (134), field-goal percentage (53.8%), and free-throw percentage (80.6%).
His strengths include shot creation (Sixers badly need that) and drawing contact at the rim. He can easily pull up from anywhere on the court or outsmart you with his footwork. However, Riller is prone to mental lapses on the defensive end despite recording 165 career steals in college.
Here is a scouting report (via Hornets blog, At the Hive):
Riller is a professional bucket getter, who isn’t afraid to deploy every move in his arsenal to get around his defender. Riller is a fun player to watch. His film takes me back to the hoop mixtape days of guys just crossing each other out of their sneakers. He is a skilled player who knows what his game is and is comfortable with the way he scores.
The Florida native was originally selected in the second round of the 2020 draft by the Charlotte Hornets. The 24-year-old saw action in seven games during the 2020-21 campaign where he averaged 2.6 points in 3.9 minutes per game. He was ruled out of the Hornets’ summer league finale with a bum shoulder. The injury isn’t thought to be serious, though.
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Tucker Beloved Among Sixers Veterans
Tucker’s name continually came up when Sixers players talked about guys pushing them in the gym. Tobias Harris called him his “sparring partner” during 1-on-1 sessions after practice. First-round pick Jaden Springer also referred to Tucker as “my guy” when rattling off a list of veterans he was leaning on. His presence will be missed in the Sixers’ locker room.
Tucker inked a qualifying offer with the Sixers on Aug. 4 before heading to the Las Vegas Summer League. He was a healthy scratch in Tuesday’s finale against the Utah Jazz. He played 15 games in the G League bubble last year for the Delaware Blue Coats: 19.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists per game.
Sixers Beat Jazz in Summer Finale
The Sixers (3-2) beat the Jazz 103-98 in the summer-league finale out in Las Vegas. Springer paced the team with 21 points, with Aaron Henry scoring 17 and Mitch Ballock adding eight.
Paul Reed followed up his 27-point, 20-rebound night by going for 17 points and 10 rebounds versus Utah. The “out the mud” star earned All-Summer League second-team honors, adding to his growing list of accomplishments that include NBA G League MVP.
“My biggest takeaway (from summer league) was staying composed through everything,” Reed told reporters, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Everybody’s out there trying to prove themselves and get their buckets. Sometimes it can get kind of frustrating. But stay composed, keep playing hard and find different ways to get my buckets.”
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