Philadelphia 76ers Announce Roster Move Before OKC Thunder Matchup

The Philadelphia 76ers added a player before the matchup against the OKC Thunder.
Jan 9, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers logo at center court before a game against the Denver Nuggets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 9, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers logo at center court before a game against the Denver Nuggets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Back in South Philly after a quick trip down to Orlando, the Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for a battle against the Western Conference’s top dogs, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Heading into the matchup, the Sixers announced they had made a roster move. Once again, the team is adding the young center Pete Nance to the roster. According to a press release, Nance is joining the 76ers on a two-way deal. He could split time between the Sixers and the Delaware Blue Coats.

It’s a quick reunion for the Sixers, who initially signed Nance back in December. On December 3, the Sixers announced he would replace Lester Quinones. Nance joined Jeff Dowtin Jr and Justin Edwards to max out the two-way slots.

Nance entered the NBA in 2023 after stints at Northwestern and North Carolina. Over the course of his college career, Nance appeared in 137 games. He averaged 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists while shooting 45 percent from the field and 35 percent from three.

During Nance’s final season at UNC, he started all 30 games. He kept up with his career averages throughout the year, producing 10 points and six rebounds per game.

Nance went undrafted in 2023. He joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA Summer League. Eventually, he played for the Cavs’ NBA G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge. During his rookie season, Nance landed short-term deals with the Cavs. He made eight appearances on the court throughout the year, averaging just three minutes of playing time.

When Nance joined the Sixers, he appeared in just one game for two minutes. He played in four games with the Blue Coats during the Tip-Off Tournament run. He had just one G League regular season game under his belt in Delaware.

During the tournament, Nance averaged 12 points on 49 percent shooting from the field. He flashes value as a stretch-four by making 46 percent of his threes on six attempts per game. Nance also averaged seven rebounds and three assists.

After the Sixers waived Nance earlier this month, he returned to the Charge in the G League. Philadelphia wouldn’t fill the open two-way spot. With a lack of depth in the frontcourt at the moment, the Sixers went back to the sophomore forward.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA