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Sixers Set to Face Former Guard for First Time as Rivals

New York Knick Shake Milton will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

Justin Grasso

Sixers Set to Face Former Guard for First Time as Rivals
Sixers Set to Face Former Guard for First Time as Rivals /
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On Sunday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will battle it out against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. For the first time as rivals, the Sixers will face their former guard, Shake Milton.

Seeing Shake Milton in a different uniform this season was odd for Philadelphia. After he was acquired during the 2018 NBA Draft, Milton was a feel-good story in Philly as he went from a second-round pick two-way player to landing a standard contract and having a steady role beyond the NBA G League.

For the first five years of his career, Milton played for the Sixers. While most of his time was spent as a reserve, Milton had a key role in the team’s rotation from 2019 up until last season. 

Unfortunately, Milton struggled to garner steady minutes in the postseason. After averaging 13 minutes per game during the team’s 2022 run, Milton saw the court for just six games in 2023, averaging fewer than four minutes of playing time.

When the 2023 offseason came around, it was apparent the Sixers would part ways with Milton. Heading into his first free agency, Milton inked a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Minnesota wouldn’t become a long-term home to Milton. After just 38 games, the Timberwolves traded Milton ahead of the deadline. In a two-team transaction, Milton landed on the rebuilding Detroit Pistons.

With the Pistons for eight games, Milton averaged 16 minutes in four of those outings. For the other half, he collected DNP statuses. Eventually, Milton and the Pistons agreed to a buyout, which opened up the door for Milton to test free agency once again.

The New York Knicks came calling for the former Sixer. On Sunday, Milton will suit up for the Knicks for the second time this season against the team he started with.

The Atlantic Division rivals are set to battle it out at 7 PM ET on Sunday. 

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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

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