Getty The Sixers have signed Haywood Highsmith to an Exhibit 10 contract, giving him an automatic invite to training camp.
The Philadelphia 76ers have signed Haywood Highsmith to an Exhibit 10 contract which guarantees the 6-foot-7 sharpshooting wing an automatic invite to Sixers’ training camp on Sept. 28. He was very familiar with the franchise having played for the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League.
The 24-year-old earns a chance to snake a roster spot once he gets to camp. If not, Highsmith will be waived and given the option to report to the Blue Coats. The move was first reported by Italian team Vanoli Cremona (via Paul Hudrick) where he signed on July 27 with an NBA exit option in his contract.
Highsmith, a Baltimore native, originally signed a two-way contract with the Sixers in 2019 and bounced between the NBA and G League. He saw action in five games for the Sixers (1.8 points in 8.0 minutes per game) while earning a reputation as a gritty “Robert Covington-level” player for the Blue Coats. He averaged 11.3 points per game in 89 contests for Delaware (33.8% from deep).
My biggest memory of Haywood Highsmith on the Sixers was him ruining this highlight reel play by Dwyane Wade in garbage time
Welcome back to Philly/Delaware t.co/EyK2X6YNTa
Highsmith went undrafted out of Wheeling Jesuit University in 2018 following an impressive college career in West Virginia. He was named Mountain East Conference (MEC) Player of the Year as a sophomore and earned MEC Tournament MVP honors. He led the Cardinals in scoring (14.5 points) and rebounding (9.4) that year while shooting 56-percent from the field.
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Highsmith Describes ‘Greatest Day of My Life’
Highsmith was no slouch coming out of college as the Division II Player of the Year in 2018, yet his path to the NBA has been a trying one. He spent the 2020 campaign overseas playing for the Crailsheim Merlins in the Basketball Bundesliga, the top league in Germany. He averaged 7.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in Europe.
But it was the first taste of NBA life that remains one of the “greatest days of my life,” per Highsmith. Even better, Highsmith scored his first NBA bucket off a pass from his G League teammate Shake Milton. He described the surreal scene in a 2019 interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia:
I’ll probably consider that like one of the greatest days of my life right now. A lot of memories, putting that jersey on and walking out to the crowd in probably the biggest arena I’ve played in since I played basketball, just joyful. From where I came from, and just to be a part of something like that. It’s just crazy to see how that happens and my family was there. One of the greatest days of my life definitely.
Haywood Highsmith’s first NBA career points! #HereTheyCome
Sixers Roster Stands at 18 Players
The Sixers are allowed to bring 20 total players to training camp. That number must be whittled down to 15 guys by the start of the regular season. The addition of Highsmith puts their roster at 18, with second-round pick Charles Bassey expected to take on of those remaining spots. He is negotiating a rookie contract, but it’s only a matter of time before that deal gets finalized.
A team source confirms Charles Bassey will be on the Sixers’ roster and not on a two-way deal. Aaron Henry occupies one two-way spot. Grant Riller will occupy the other once he’s officially signed — which the team intends to do at the end of the month.
Here is how the roster looks heading into camp: Seth Curry, Danny Green, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Andre Drummond, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, Isaiah Joe, Georges Niang, Jaden Springer, Shake Milton, Paul Reed, Filip Petrusev, Grant Riller (two-way contract), Aaron Henry (two-way contract), Anthony Tolliver.
Tolliver will be waived or traded, according to reports, and Petrusev (second-rounder in 2021) could be sent to play overseas. Stay tuned.