Jalen McDaniels Joins Sixers Rival in Free Agency

Jalen McDaniels finds his next destination.

The Philadelphia 76ers will lose another prospect on the open market. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Jalen McDaniels will join the Toronto Raptors. 

Heading into the 2023 free agency period, McDaniels was one of the key Sixers to keep an eye on. Prior to his run in Philadelphia, McDaniels had quite a few teams monitoring his situation with the struggling Charlotte Hornets.

Considering McDaniels was in the final year of his contract, several contenders wanted to take on his services. The Sixers landed McDaniels through a multi-team deal at the trade deadline. Philadelphia gave up the veteran Matisse Thybulle along with a draft pick.

When the Sixers landed McDaniels from Charlotte, the team made it clear they hoped they could get him to stick around long-term. However, that wasn’t a guarantee for the 25-year-old, who was rumored to be generating interest from several organizations once again.

During his first three-season stretch with the Hornets, McDaniels averaged seven points, three rebounds, and one assist while hitting on 36 percent of his threes. In his final 56-game stretch with the Hornets, McDaniels averaged 27 minutes on the floor, putting up 11 points per game while shooting 32 percent. 

Since landing with the Sixers, McDaniels appeared in 24 games, averaging 18 minutes on the court. Prior to his first NBA playoff run, McDaniels put up seven points per game while hitting on 40 percent of his threes. 

Although he fell out of the rotation deep in the playoffs, McDaniels averaged 13 minutes on the court in eight games. During that time, he accounted for two points per game, hitting on 33 percent of his threes. 

The Sixers were expected to be in play to retain McDaniels. However, he's set to join the Raptors on a two-year deal.