Getty Cam Thomas #24 of the Brooklyn Nets and Charles Bassey #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers vie for the ball during the 2022 NBA Summer League.
Spirits are extremely high surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers. The team has looked impressive in both of its preseason matchups and the new additions have already flashed their abilities. However, the looming reality is that there are still some harsh decisions that need to be made. The Sixers’ roster currently has 17 players and must cut down to 15 ahead of the regular season start. There is some speculation that the Sixers revealed their hand in the preseason as a few players notably did not see the floor.
In total 16 Sixers players saw the court in the Sixers’ preseason victory over the Cavaliers. Julian Champagnie and Charlie Brown Jr were two of the players who received minutes but are on two-way contracts and thus do not count on the 15-man roster. However, Charles Bassey and Isaiah Joe were not given an opportunity which is a concerning sign. Trevelin Queen, whose Sixers future also looks grim, also missed the matchup but is in concussion protocol after hitting his head on the court in the first preseason game.
The Future of Charles Bassey and Isaiah Joe
The Sixers drafted Joe with the 49th pick in the 2020 draft and Bassey with the 53rd pick in the 2021 draft. Neither of the two has seen much NBA opportunity during their time with the franchise. Bassey has played 168 total minutes on the floor with the Sixers while Joe has clocked 992 minutes through his two seasons. Each has had some solid moments when given the chance, but it has been limited when these opportunities arrived. Both Joe and Bassey did see minutes in the first preseason games and looked solid.
Isaiah Joe are you kidding me
The business side of things certainly comes into play with these decisions and it is important to note that Joe’s contract is non-guaranteed. This means the Sixers will not be on the books to pay him anything if the team elects to cut him. Bassey has a $74,742 guarantee on his contract if he is released, but this is a small amount by NBA standards. Paul Reed is the only other player on a non-guaranteed deal but he almost certainly has earned a roster spot.
The biggest indictment on the young players is the new additions that the Sixers have brought in. Players like De’Anthony Melton, Danuel House, and Montrezl Harrell are set to compete for the same minutes and are more ‘win-now’ options for the team.
How Will Sixers Roster Shake Out?
It is only a preseason game and could be meaningless, but it certainly is not a great sign for the young players to not see any time at all. To each of their credit, they were in the weight room immediately following the game with Joe also returning to the court to put some shots up.
Charles Bassey and Isaiah Joe wasted no time getting in the gym following last night’s preseason game in which neither saw the court 😤
The possibility of Daryl Morey working out a trade to solve the roster issues also cannot be ruled out. Condensing the roster by flipping two or three players for another rotation piece would make a great deal of sense if there is a team out there willing to make the move. For the time being, each player will take advantage of every opportunity that they are given. There are still two more preseason games to provide each player with an opportunity, but competition on the roster is as tight as it has ever been. The unfortunate reality is not all players cannot be kept, and two of the talented youngsters may find themselves on the outside looking in.