Sixers GM Sam Hinkie likes to point to Robert Covington, whom the team signed in mid-November last year, as symbolic of the value in trolling the fringes of the NBA’s talent pool for overlooked talent. The team has had other successes, notably with camp invitee T.J. McConnell, but it’s taken a lot of work to sort through the chaff. A whopping 45 players are no longer with the Sixers after having appeared on their regular season roster at some point since the team hired Hinkie in May 2013, and only 16 of them, barely more than a third, are still in the NBA. Eleven of the 45 are playing overseas, 10 are in the D-League, six are free agents and two have announced their retirements.
Hinkie inherited Lavoy Allen, Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young, so if you discount them, he’s cycled a dozen current NBA players through his regular season roster. A few, like former Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams and Ish Smith, have played prominent roles for other NBA teams this season, but none is approaching stardom.
This list of ex-Sixers who’ve appeared on the team’s regular season roster during Hinkie’s tenure includes players who never actually suited up for the team, like Andrei Kirilenko, but it doesn’t include camp invitees or players who passed through the team’s hands during the offseason. Still, it demonstrates the volume of moves the team has made and the lack of eye-popping names involved. Their current whereabouts are noted, with bold text marking those still in the NBA:
- Furkan Aldemir — playing in Turkey with Darussafaka Dogus
- Lavoy Allen — with Pacers
- James Anderson — with Kings
- Kwame Brown — free agent
- Lorenzo Brown — playing in D-League with Pistons affiliate
- Michael Carter-Williams — with Bucks
- Earl Clark — playing in D-League with Suns affiliate
- Jared Cunningham — with Cavaliers
- Brandon Davies — playing in Italy with OpenJobMetis Varese
- Dewayne Dedmon — with Magic
- Larry Drew II — playing in France with AS Monaco Basket
- Tim Frazier — with Trail Blazers
- Drew Gordon — playing in France with Chalons-Reims CB
- Danny Granger — free agent
- Jorge Gutierrez — playing in D-League with Cavs affiliate
- Spencer Hawes — with Hornets
- Chris Johnson — with Jazz
- Darius Johnson-Odom — playing in Turkey with Trabzonspor
- Andrei Kirilenko — retired
- Malcolm Lee — free agent (scheduled to try out for Nes-Ziona of Israel, international journalist David Pick reports via Twitter)
- Eric Maynor — playing in Russia with Nizhny Novgorod
- Luc Mbah a Moute — with Clippers
- K.J. McDaniels — with Rockets
- JaVale McGee — with Mavericks
- Darius Morris — free agent (suffered offseason foot injury)
- Arnett Moultrie — playing in Lebanon with Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut
- Byron Mullens — playing in D-League with Heat affiliate
- James Nunnally — playing in Italy with Sidigas Avellino
- Daniel Orton — playing in D-League with Warriors affiliate
- Phil Pressey — playing in D-League with Jazz affiliate
- Jason Richardson — retired
- Ronald Roberts Jr. — playing in D-League with Raptors affiliate
- Glenn Robinson III — with Pacers
- Thomas Robinson — with Nets
- Alexey Shved — playing in Russia with Khimki
- Henry Sims — playing in D-League with Pistons affiliate
- Ish Smith — with Pelicans
- Adonis Thomas — free agent (suffered season-ending wrist injury)
- Malcolm Thomas — playing in D-League with Lakers affiliate
- Ronny Turiaf — free agent
- Evan Turner — with Celtics
- Jarvis Varnado — playing in Italy with Banco di Sardegna Sassari
- Casper Ware — playing in China with Tianjin Ronggang
- Elliot Williams — playing in D-League with Warriors affiliate
- Thaddeus Young — with Nets
This was a great Post, just amazing turnover during this era
Thanks, Chris!
This guy does’t have a clue as a GM
Lavoy Allen, Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young.
Some of those players were flipped for future draft picks.
In limited minutes, Christian Wood is also a keeper.
How does the success of Covington, McConnell and Wood versus the driftwood compare to the rest of the NBA and their hit rate versus all the second round picks from 50-60. That’s what we’re talking about here: the hit rate on players that weren’t even second round picks.
Last, is anyone suggesting the Sixers should’ve built around these guys? Should they have signed free agents, like Lou Williams, Brandon Bass and Metta World Peace. Maybe trade some of their second round picks for a veteran presence to help Okafor, like Roy Hibbert.
Edit: Lavoy Allen, Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young. Is anyone suggesting the Sixers should’ve built around these guys? Should they have signed free agents, like…..
How does this compare to the “average” team during the same timeframe? I agree that the number is astonishing, but some context would help too
The best 15 players from that group wouldn’t come close to making a competitive team.