Sixers Make Trio of Roster Moves Following Preseason Finale

Sixers make flurry of moves following preseason finale

On Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up their preseason schedule with a win over the Atlanta Hawks. As they now begin preparing for the regular season, the front office has begun trimming the roster. 

Not long after the victory over the Hawks, the team issued a press release that David Duke Jr. and Ricky Council IV had been waived. Council was brought in on a two-way deal, while Duke was signed after spending the first two years of his career with the Brooklyn Nets. 

Both players got to appear in three of the four preseason games, albeit in small samples. Council averaged 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds, and Duke averaged 2.3 points and 1.0 rebounds. Upon being waived, they are now free agents and can sign with any team they choose. 

Along with parting ways with two players, the Sixers opted to promote another. On Saturday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the team is converting Javonte Smart's deal into a two-way. He will now have an opportunity to split time between the Sixers and Delaware Blue Coats this season. 

The Philadelphia 76ers are converting guard Javonte Smart to a two-way contract, Dan Frank of @LiftSportsMngmt tells ESPN. Smart had stops with Milwaukee and Miami since leaving LSU in 2021.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 21, 2023

The 6-foot-4 guard already has some NBA experience under his belt. Last season, he appeared in 13 games for the Milwaukee Bucks and four for the Miami Heat. Smart entered the league after going undrafted out of LSU. 

As the Sixers continue to gear up for the regular season, they still have some decisions to make regarding the roster. One player needs to be cut to trim the roster to 15 before the action gets underway on Thursday.