Report: Sixers to Sign Jerryd Bayless
The wait is finally over, Sixers fans!
For the first time since July 2012, it appears that the Philadelphia 76ers are going to make a free agent signing. As seen in the above tweet, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press was the first to break the news, and it was later confirmed by a number of other sources, including ESPN's Marc Stein. The deal can't be made official until July 7, but according to Stein and Krawczynski, it's a 3-year deal, worth $27 million dollars.
Bayless, an eight-year veteran of the NBA, has spent time with six different teams, most recently the Milwaukee Bucks. Over the span of his career, he's averaged a tick over 8 points per game, primarily off the bench. He's also averaged nearly 3 assists, and 2 rebounds per game. Bayless is also a 41% shooter from the field, and owns a career 36.5% from beyond the arc. He's earned the reputation of being a solid offensive player, but not so much on the defensive side of the ball. His best skill appears to be in the catch & shoot department, as he ranked third in that department last season, behind only Steph Curry & J.J. Reddick. That statistic especially bodes well for the way that Ben Simmons & Joel Embiid like to pass the ball around.
As you can see in the above table, Bayless spent a pair of seasons north of the border, with the Toronto Raptors. Coincidentally enough, that was around the same time that Bryan Colangelo was the General Manager of the Raptors. This appears to be a signing, based on familiarity. Colangelo has seen Bayless play, knows what he brings to the table, and clearly felt he would be a good fit for the directions that the Sixers are currently going in.
The Sixers have been linked to multiple players prior to free agency, and a number of them are no longer on the market. Jeremy Lin signed with the Brooklyn Nets this morning, while Jordan Clarkson re-upped with the Lakers, and DeMar DeRozan went back to Toronto. Among the notable names left available, Allen Crabbe, Harrison Barnes, and Dion Waiters have the ones most linked to the Sixers. Although, there hasn't been much talk since free agency began at 12:01 this morning.
This is just the first day of free agency, and there is still plenty of time for the Sixers to make moves. However, they took a step in the right direction by signing Bayless. It's unclear what's next, but it appears that they have a number of proverbial "irons in the fire." Should be an interesting summer ahead, as the Sixers look to move past the Hinkie era.
