1:34pm: The Sixers’ deal with Pullen is official, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.
8:43am: The Sixers and point guard Jacob Pullen have agreed to a deal that will see Pullen attend training camp with the club, according to international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link).
Pullen, a former Kansas State standout, went undrafted in 2011 and has spent his professional career since then playing for a variety of teams overseas. Following stints in Italy, Israel, Spain, and Croatia, the 27-year-old spent the 2016/17 season playing for BC Khimki in Russia, averaging 8.9 PPG in 23 VTB United League games and 10.3 PPG in 17 EuroCup contests. He also recently attended a free agent mini-camp hosted by the Bucks.
While terms of Pullen’s agreement with the Sixers aren’t yet known, he’ll have an uphill battle to actually earn a regular season roster spot with the club. Philadelphia only has 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, but Robert Covington, Richaun Holmes, and T.J. McConnell aren’t among those players with full guarantees, and they’re essentially locks to open the season on the roster.
Finalizing a deal with Pullen would give the 76ers a roster count of 18 players with training camp around the corner.
The Sixers would be complete fools to release T.J. McConnell, although they’ve shown in the past that they’re very capable of making dumb decisions galore.
McConnell has been THE steal for this notoriously non-competitive franchise. He’s been their only PG on the roster over the last two seasons who really made the talent around him better.
After watching quite a few of last season’s Washington Huskies Pac-12 games, I haven’t seen anything from Markelle Fultz that convinces me of his ability to elevate overall TEAM play. He’s been a chucker, a slightly improved version of Tony Wroten. Yes, he scored his points – in college – but the Huskies looked beyond awful, despite having some very good talent on their roster. Any PG, whose team finishes 2-16 (.111) in conference play, should be questioned.
If the Sixers believe that Fultz and Simmons (rofl) will be able to run a winning team from the PG spot, their FO’s collective IQ is indeed in tune with their recent records.
Where in his article does it suggest that they would release TJ? All it states is they have 12 guaranteed contracts and 3 players without full guarantees that are “essentially locks to open the season on the roster”. There is no way in hell they would just cut him, he has trade value. By all means, hate away on the consensus top player in the draft this year and one of the best all around prospects ever who also was the unquestioned top prospect in his class…wow. Too bad these guys already suck and haven’t had a chance to prove anything on the court.
By a mans words be he judged.
That guy is either TJ’s dad or nuts.
He saw “very good talent on their roster” while the rest of the world saw junk.
TJ will be lucky to hold on to his roster spot.
He was useful at a point,, that point has passed.
Fultz is Wroten ???
Delusional comment.
He said Fultz is better… but that criticism is valid. Fultz has a way to go yet, and the duo with Simmons is more fascinating than proven. It will be interesting to see if the team is better this year with Mcconnell or with Fultz. Fultz might be better, but the other four on the floor might be better with Mcconnell.
But I really doubt they’re dumping Mcconnell.