76ers getting "really good" PG
Newest Sixer, Phil Pressey, should be available Monday night vs. Milwaukee Bucks
MILWAUKEE – Brett Brown got extra point guard he coveted as 76ers received a 16th roster spot.
Former Boston Celtics point guard Phil Pressey is in route to Milwaukee and should arrive in time for Wednesday's night contact against the Milwaukee Bucks. He's expected to sign his contract once the flight lands and will be available for tonight's game.
"You guys are getting a really good young player and a good man," said Aaron Mintz, Pressey's agent.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder averaged 3.1 points and 2.9 assists in 13.9 minutes during the previous two seasons with the Boston Celtics after going undrafted out of Missouri. After being waived by the Celtics in July, Pressey was unable to stick with the Portland Trail Blazers this preseason.
The Sixers only had two healthy point guards: Isaiah Canaan and T.J. McConnell.
"I think Isaiah Canaan has shown he can play a little bit of 1. He can go over to 2," Brown, the Sixers coach, said after Wednesday's shootaround.
"We've unearthed something in T.J., that's just a real pusher point guard, a pass-first point guard," he added. "So I feel like what this team needs to protect ourselves as much as anything is another point guard."
The franchise petitioned the NBA for a 16th roster spot for medical reasons after Monday's 107-100 setback to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
They were able to do that because of, at the time, having four players out for at least an additional two weeks after the first three games.
Robert Covington will be sidelined for two weeks with a sprained ligament in his right knee. Tony Wroten is out until at least December and Kendall Marshall until at least later this month after suffering anterior cruciate ligament tears in their right knees. Carl Landry will be out until January with a torn ligament in his right wrist. Joel Embiid will miss his second straight season after his second surgery to repair the navicular bone in his right foot.
It was thought that recently released power forward Furkan Aldemir was the leading option to rejoin the team if the Sixers added an extra player. However, Aldemir is in talks to sign with a team in the Turkish Basketball League.
Follow and contact Inquirer 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers and on Instagram at PompeyOnSixers