How does Anthony Brown fit into the Philadelphia 76ers’ plans?
By Larry Mendte
Anthony Brown signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, but for him to make the team, several things have to happen first.
The Philadelphia 76ers roster seemed like it was set with 17 players signed, two of them to two-way contracts. Then the Sixers signed Anthony Brown, a free agent who played one game for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. Brown spent most of the year with the Iowa Wolves, the Timberwolves’ G League team.
So what does this mean for the 76ers roster? Probably nothing.
Keith Smart from RealGM broke the news about Brown’s signing on Twitter and described the signing as a “training camp contract.”
The Philadelphia 76ers have signed wing Anthony Brown to a training camp contract per league sources.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 29, 2018
Even though his near future with the 76ers might just be another body at training camp, that does not mean the 76ers aren’t interested in developing Anthony Brown. The team wouldn’t have signed him if it didn’t believe he was worth a look.
There is a lot to like about Brown. He was drafted out of Stanford by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 34th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Since being drafted , Brown has played in 41 NBA games for four different teams.
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 23 | LAL | NBA | SF | 29 | 11 | 20.7 | .310 | .286 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 4.0 |
| 2016-17 | 24 | NOP | NBA | SF | 9 | 0 | 15.9 | .341 | .250 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 3.8 |
| 2016-17 | 24 | ORL | NBA | SF | 2 | 0 | 8.0 | .444 | .333 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 4.5 |
| 2017-18 | 25 | MIN | NBA | SF | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Career | NBA | 41 | 11 | 18.6 | .328 | .286 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.9 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/29/2018.
Brown was a G League All-Star last year, scoring 18.9 points a game while shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc. At 6’7″, Brown would be a 3-and-D swingman.
It is just that the Sixers’ roster happens to be packed with swing players. Ben Simmons, J.J. Redick, and Furkan Korkmaz are all listed as guard-forwards on the 76ers’ official roster. Although not listed as such, you can add Robert Covington, Zhaire Smith and Shake Milton in that category.
It would seem to make sense that the Sixers sign Brown to a two-way contract, except the league only allows two per roster. Milton and point guard Demetrius Jackson currently hold both.
The best-case scenario for Anthony Brown is that he impresses coach and acting general manager Brett Brown at training camp and a spot somehow opens up on the Sixers’ crowded roster.
It’s a long shot, but it has been often rumored that Jerryd Bayless will probably not be on the roster for the start of the season. The 76ers have been actively trying to trade Bayless, but so far, no luck. If the 76ers can’t make a trade, they may buy out the remaining $8.5 million on the last year of his three-year contract.
Even that would not open up a spot on the 15-man roster for Brown. Shake Milton, a player of similar dimensions and skills, is a step ahead of Brown in Philly’s pecking order. Milton, who the 76ers acquired with a draft-day trade after the Dallas Mavericks selected him 54th out of SMU, is considered a second round steal.
If the team signs Milton to take Bayless’ roster spot, a two-way contract would be available for Brown to sign.
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It’s a lot of moving parts, but it seems to be Brown’s best possibility with the 76ers. He would play for the Delaware Blue Coats of the G League, hoping to get called up for a few games. Another year in the G League hoping for another chance at the big time is the life of an NBA journeyman.