Earlier this week, the Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in a challenging situation as their injury report was crowded with players dealing with physical setbacks and illnesses. As the NBA changed the rules a bit and allowed teams to sign players to a ten-day contract using the hardship exception, teams have been acquiring players for additional depth over the last week.
The Sixers made a few changes over the last few days. First, they waived the second-year guard Grant Riller, who opted to undergo surgery on his shoulder. The Sixers signed former Seton Hall standout Myles Powell to replace Riller using their vacant two-way player slot.
Then, the Sixers recalled their second-year forward/center Paul Reed from the Delaware Blue Coats and transferred Powell and the rookie two-way guard Aaron Henry to the main roster ahead of Philadelphia's Monday night game against the Boston Celtics on the road.
And lastly, the Sixers signed former Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets guard Tyler Johnson to a ten-day deal. On Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Sixers intended to bring Johnson on. However, he wouldn't join the team as early as Monday.
On Wednesday, though, the Sixers made the acquisition official as Daryl Morey, and the Sixers put out an official statement.
Morey Officially Welcomes the New Member
The Sixers become Johnson's fourth NBA franchise. The 29-year-old guard got his start with the Miami Heat after they signed him following the 2014 NBA Draft. Although he spent some of his early days in the NBA's developmental league, Johnson carved out a nice role for himself with the Heat throughout his tenure there.
After playing in Miami for five seasons, Johnson found himself traded to Phoenix. During his second season with the Suns, Johnson was waived. Eventually, he inked a deal with the Brooklyn Nets and spent the rest of the 2019-2020 season in Brooklyn along with the entire 2020-2021 run.
Although Johnson didn't find a new home prior to the start of the 2021-2022 season, he'll get an opportunity to showcase himself with the Sixers over the next two weeks.
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