Philadelphia 76ers Make Roster Move After Drummond, Embiid Setbacks

The Philadelphia 76ers made a roster move on Monday night.

Oct 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Lester Quinones (25) passes the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Recently, the Philadelphia 76ers have taken multiple major hits to their frontcourt. As a result, the Sixers are reportedly making a roster move and swapping players on a two-way deal.

According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Sixers plan to waive the veteran guard Lester Quinones. The follow-up move is expected to be the addition of G League big man Pete Nance, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.

Per Scotto, the move for Nance is due to the fact that the Sixers recently took hits with Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid dealing with setbacks, preventing them from taking the floor.

Sources: Philadelphia 76ers will waive Lester Quinones. The 24-year-old is a career 36% 3-point shooter who’s expected to have suitors on the market. Quinones is being waived so the Sixers can sign Pete Nance to a 2-way deal. Philly needs frontcourt depth with Andre Drummond out.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) December 3, 2024

Before the Sixers’ 2024 training camp in The Bahamas, they added Quinones on a two-way contract after he spent the last two years with the Golden State Warriors.

Last season, Quinones appeared in 37 games with the Warriors, averaging four points on 40 percent shooting from the field. From three, Quinones knocked down 37 percent of his attempts through the first 41 games of his career.

Since joining the Sixers, Quinones had just four appearances this season. With only 17 minutes of playing time to show for, Quinones scored nine points on 50 percent shooting during that stretch.

The Philadelphia 76ers are signing Pete Nance to a two-way contract, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports confirmed to ESPN. Nance, the younger brother of Hawks big Larry Nance, has been playing for the Cleveland Charge in the G-League.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) December 3, 2024

The Sixers are adding a 2023 undrafted prospect out of North Carolina in Nance. During his fifth and final season at UNC, Nance produced ten points and six rebounds per game on 42 percent shooting from the field.

Nance has just eight NBA games under his belt. Last season, he averaged three minutes on the court while under a 10-day contract. For the most part, Nance has spent his professional career in the NBA G League with the Cleveland Charge.

During the G League regular season last year, Nance produced 14 points and nine rebounds per game on 45 percent shooting from the field. He showed value as a stretch-five, hitting on 36 percent of his threes on nearly six attempts per game.

Through eight games with the Charge this year, Nance has averaged 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two blocks.

The Sixers needed to add some big man depth, as Andre Drummond is battling an ankle sprain. While he doesn’t anticipate being out for long, Drummond will miss at least three games.

As for Embiid, he’s been managing his knee injury from last season. So far, Embiid has appeared in just four games. He will miss his fifth game in a row on Tuesday night in Charlotte.