Sixers Waive Two-Way Guard Grant Riller, Who Opts to Undergo Surgery

Staying healthy has been a struggle this season for Sixers' two-way signee, Grant Riller. When the former Charlotte Hornets draft pick landed with the 76ers

Staying healthy has been a struggle this season for Sixers' two-way signee, Grant Riller. When the former Charlotte Hornets draft pick landed with the 76ers over the offseason, there were high expectations for him.

Riller picked up some playing time during Philadelphia's first preseason game, and it ended up becoming his last. During his first set of action in a Sixers uniform, Riller suffered a knee injury. He was diagnosed with a torn meniscus the next day, and Riller opted to undergo surgery.

As expected, Riller's preseason was finished, and his 2021-2022 NBA G League debut would be delayed as the recovery process would keep him off the court for some time. Eventually, Riller returned to action with the Delaware Blue Coats, though.

However, Riller's return wouldn't last long. A few weeks back, the 76ers guard suffered another setback. According to the Sixers, Riller suffered a shoulder injury. At first, it seemed he wasn't going to miss too much time as the organization planned to re-evaluate him in a week.

A week later, Riller wasn't quite ready to return yet. Although the team considered Riller to be "progressing well" and even noted he participated in practice, his return wasn't anywhere in sight. Now, we know why.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Riller has opted to undergo surgery on his shoulder. With that decision, Riller is expected to miss 4-6 months worth of action. The second-year guard's latest setback will now lead to him parting ways with the 76ers, making his stint in Philadelphia and Delaware short-lived.

Grant Riller is having shoulder surgery, agent Scott Nichols told @HoopsHype. Riller is expected to miss 4-6 months. That timeframe and rising Covid cases across the NBA contributed to the 76ers waiving him from his two-way contract. Riller could return to Philly when healthy.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) December 19, 2021

Per Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice, the Sixers intend to waive Riller. According to Scotto's report, Riller's multi-month absence and rising COVID cases contributed to the Sixers' decision to clear up a two-way slot on the roster. While this decision doesn't guarantee this is the end for Riller and the Sixers -- the 24-year-old guard will temporarily find himself as a free agent while he works on getting healthy.

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