Getty Terrance Ferguson of the Philadelphia 76ers fights for the ball during a game against the Indiana Pacers.
In order to bring veteran floor general George Hill into the fold for the stretch run, the Philadelphia 76ers had to part with a trio of players. One of them — big man Tony Bradley — figures to get his first real shot at showing what he can do with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The other two are already looking for their next basketball homes.
According to a report on Twitter by The Athletic’s Shams Charana, wing Terrance Ferguson and center Vincent Poirier have been waived by the New York Knicks.
Ferguson & Poirier on the Move
Ferguson and Poirier had only been members of the Sixers organization for a brief time before the trade. Both were acquired in the deal that sent former All-Star Al Horford to OKC in December after he proved to be an awkward fit in Philly’s frontcourt.
And over their half-season with the team, neither saw much court time.
Ferguson appeared in just 13 games for the Sixers, averaging just 0.2 points in less than four minutes per contest. He only scored in one of those games and was largely limited to mop-up duty.
He also had two lengthy stints in the league’s health and safety protocols.
Poirier, meanwhile, similarly scored just 0.8 points and grabbed 1.4 rebounds per game over 10 appearances. He, too, logged less than four minutes per contest.
The seven-foot center was saddled with the health and safety protocols designation at one point as well.
They ended up in New York when the Hill trade was expanded to include a third team. However, the Knicks clearly never intended to keep either man on their roster.
Ferguson Still Has Upside
Although they failed to crack Doc Rivers’ rotation during their short time with the Sixers, both Ferguson and Poirier may still have something to offer an NBA team. In particular, Ferguson could potentially pay dividends for a team that is willing to work with and develop him.
The 22-year-old — who teased Alabama and Arizona before choosing the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers over college hoops — is a former first-round pick who started more than 124 games for the Thunder during his three years with the team.
He has been hit-and-miss as a shooter, but his athleticism and length continue to be intriguing.
As for Poirier, the 27-year-old was nearly as much of an afterthought with the Boston Celtics last season as he was in Philly in 2020-21. However, the French national did make an impact in Spain in 2018-19.
In 73 games for La Liga’s Saski Baskonia across all competitions, he put up 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and one block per contest while making 62 percent of his shot attempts.
Up Next for the East-Leading Sixers
The Sixers came up short against Rivers’ former squad, the Los Angeles Clippers, on Saturday, losing 122-112. And things won’t be much easier for them next time out.
Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and the rest of the crew will return to the hardwood on Tuesday with a road bout against Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets. Although Denver currently sits in fifth place in the Western Conference, the team has won 10 of its last 13 entering Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Moreover, Jokic is coming off of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans in which he logged 37 points, nine assists, six rebounds and two steals.
The Sixers-Nuggets affair will tip-off at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday night.