UCLA Basketball: Adem Bona Signs Long-Term Deal with Sixers During Summer League

Philadelphia evidenty likes what it's seen out of the No. 41 overall pick and ex-UCLA great.

Mar 13, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Adem Bona (3) dunks against the Oregon State Beavers during the second half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Former two-year UCLA Bruins center/power forward Adem Bona, selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 41 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, is inking a four-season, $8 million rookie-scale deal with the team, his reps at Banner 1 and Roc Nation Sports inform Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Per Charania, the 6-foot-10 big man is averaging 6.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 blocks across just 22.7 minutes a bout for the 76ers' Summer league squad in Las Vegas. Bona was an All-Pac-12 First-Teamer, the Pac-12 Defensive pLayer of the Year, a two-time Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honoree, and the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year during his time with the Blue and Gold.

Beyond individual accolades, the defense-first, rim-rolling big man was a key contributor, as a freshman, on a 31-6 UCLA squad that made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen in 2022-23. Last year's model, comprising seven true freshmen (including many international players) and eight new players overall, failed to gel on the floor, and though Bona anchored a solid defense, the team couldn't get much cooking on the other end of the hardwood. UCLA finished with a losing record for the first time in Mick Cronin's run, 16-17, and missed the NCAA Tournament entirely. Bona declared for the draft after the year concluded.

Last year with the Bruins, Bona averaged 12.4 points on 58.8 percent shooting from the floor and 69.6 percent shooting from the charity stripe, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals a night.

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