Sixers Call Up Another G League Prospect

Although the Philadelphia 76ers were one of the first teams to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak back in November, the hits keep on coming for them as we enter the

Although the Philadelphia 76ers were one of the first teams to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak back in November, the hits keep on coming for them as we enter the new year. Therefore, the Sixers continue adding temporary depth.

On Tuesday night, Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice reported that the Sixers planned to ink NBA G League standout Braxton Key to a ten-day deal using the hardship exception. On Wednesday, the Sixers made it official.

Per a team press release, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced that the Sixers would be signing Key for the time being. The former Virginia standout comes from the Sixers' G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

Key becomes the fifth member of the Blue Coats to get called up to an NBA main roster this season along with Charlie Brown Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Jarron Cumberland, and Shaquille Harrison.

Some Background on Key. . . 

The 24-year-old North Carolina native is no stranger to the Sixers. In addition to playing for their G League affiliate, Key was also a member of Philadelphia's Summer League team out in Las Vegas months ago.

Prior to his start in the NBA, Key played four years in the NCAA, with stints at two different Universities. First, he played at Alabama for the 2016-2017 season. After playing at 'Bama for two seasons, Key transferred to Virginia, where he played his final two seasons in college. 

After entering the 2020 NBA Draft, Key went without getting his name called. Eventually, he landed on the Blue Coats last year after getting selected during the NBA G League Draft last year.

This season, Key has been one of many standouts on the Blue Coats. He started in eight of the 15 games he appeared in. Spending an average of 26 minutes on the floor, Key put up 13 points per game while draining 46-percent of his shots. Along with scoring, Key averaged 7.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks. 

Key now becomes the second member of the Blue Coats to earn a ten-day deal with the Sixers this season. If all goes well on the COVID-19 testing front, the Sixers expect Key to be available on Wednesday night when they take on the Orlando Magic.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.