Report: Philadelphia 76ers will sign forward Ersan Ilyasova

Entering the business end of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers will reportedly sign a former Sixer in forward Ersan Ilyasova.

Having already signed one former member of the Atlanta Hawks off waivers, the Philadelphia 76ers have decided to make it a double.

Following the signing of veteran shooter Marco Belinelli, the Sixers are reportedly on the verge of signing another veteran marksman in forward Ersan Ilyasova. Unlike Belinelli, Ilyasova is a former member of the Sixers as well, having played 53 games with the team in 2016-17.

In 46 games this season as a member of the Hawks, Ilyasova averaged 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 25.6 minutes per game. A career 36.6 percent shooter from 3-point range, Ilyasova has converted at a 35.5 percent clip on 3.7 attempts per game this season.

News of Ilyasova’s impending signing was first reported by Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports:

At 6’10”, the Turkish native’s ability to stretch the floor is certainly among the chief reasons for Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo to bring aboard the 10-year veteran. This season with he Hawks, Ilyasova registered seven games of three or more 3-pointers, including two games of hitting five triples.

Having been a relatively recent member of the Sixers should ensure a smooth transition for the 30-year-old. Although it was a brief stint, Ilyasova nonetheless made a noticeable impact, starting 40 of the 53 games played in averaging 14.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in 27.3 minutes per game.

Furthermore, he has the added benefit of playing alongside center Joel Embiid, having played in 29 of Embiid’s 31 games last season.

As a returning Sixer, Ilyasova’s primary role will be in backing up second-year forward Dario Saric. However, due to his 6’10” frame, being able to pinch-hit and play as a stretch-5 is another option head coach Brett Brown is bound to pursue, as Brown himself alluded to shortly after the Sixers acquired Ilyasova last season:

"“He can maybe do some 5 in a pinch because he’s actually big, he’s got wide shoulders and good wingspan.”"

As currently constituted, the Sixers’ bench is among the worst in the league from an offensive standpoint. Through 57 games, the Sixers were 26th in points per game and dead last in offensive rating. The additions of Belinelli and now Ilyasova are certainly no coincidence.

While role players such as Amir Johnson, Trevor Booker and T.J. McConnell are extremely admirable competitors and valuable contributors, they are nonetheless limited offensively in their inability to stretch the floor. Furthermore, perimeter players such as Jerryd Bayless and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot have simply not provided the consistent impact that coach Brown would’ve expected.

To give an example of Ilyasova’s sublime capabilities, you need only look at his premier game from this season. In 28 minutes of action, Ilyasova posted 26 points on 9-of-9 shooting from the field, including 5-of-5 from long range. Since the 1963-64 season, only three players have achieved this unique feat (26 points on nine or less shots, shooting 100 percent from the field while hitting at least five triples):

• Tim Perry
• Sam Perkins
• Ersan Ilyasova

Interestingly, Perry performed this feat during the second of his four seasons with the Sixers.

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Having had their seven-game win streak come to a halt at the hands of the Washington Wizards, the Sixers will be looking to re-acclimate Ilyasova to his new surroundings as they look forward to making a push for the postseason.