Sixers, Jerryd Bayless agree to $27 million deal
Jerryd Bayless is in, Ish Smith is out. The 76ers went into free agency looking to add a point guard. They got one on the first day. Bayless joined the team Friday, agreeing to a three-year, $27 million deal according to league sources.
SALT LAKE CITY - Jerryd Bayless is in, Ish Smith is out.
The 76ers went into free agency looking to add a point guard. They got one on the first day. Bayless joined the team Friday, agreeing to a three-year, $27 million deal according to league sources.
The Sixers can't comment on the deal until it becomes official. Players cannot sign free-agent contracts until July 7.
The team also added former Sixers head coach Jim O'Brien as associate head coach. The team was still working on the detail of his contract on Friday. O'Brien was coach Brett Brown's choice of the candidates.
Bayless is a solid acquisition, as the eight-year veteran can play both guard positions. The Sixers, however, lost Smith, one of the team's favorite players shortly after the free-agency period began at 12 a.m. Friday.
Smith agreed to a three-year, $18 million deal with the Detroit Pistons. He will backup Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson. The Sixers wanted him to be their backup point guard.
Meanwhile, the Sixers had several conversations with Oklahoma City restricted free agent Dion Waiters and also reportedly expressed interest in Jamal Crawford and Portland Trail Blazers restricted free agent Allen Crabbe.
The team will most likely strike out on their primary targets in free agency _ DeMar DeRozan and Golden State Warriors restricted free agent Harrison Barnes. DeRozan agreed to a five-year, $139 million contract Friday to remain with the Toronto Raptors. The Warriors intend to match any offer that Barnes receives from a team, now that it appears Kevin Durant will return to Oklahoma City.
But the Sixers fill a need with the acquisition of Bayless, who is reuniting with Sixers president Bryan Colangelo.
He played for the Toronto Raptors during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons when Colangelo was president and general manager.
Bayless, 27, averaged 10.4 points, 3.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 28 minutes this past season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Sixers will be his eighth NBA stop after being the 11th overall pick out of Arizona in the 2008 draft.
His best season came with the Raptors in the strike-shortened 2011-12 campaign. He averaged a career-best 11.4 points to go with 3.8 assists while shooting 42.3 percent. Bayless started 11 of 31 games played.
In addition to being solid from the three-point and foul line, the Sixers are getting a good locker room guy and leader. He's also something familiar with the culture Colangelo is trying to establish with the Sixers.
But the Sixers are far from making acquisitions. The Sixers' plan to have many moving parts this offseason via trades and in free agency.
They want to have a face-to-face meeting to squash the concerns about the South Philly native coming back home to play in front of family member and friends. The Sixers want to make sure that a negative environment doesn't follow Waiters, who had to deal with tragedies to family members and friends.
The shooting guard, who really wants to play for the Sixers, has other options.
He also received calls from the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets shortly after Friday morning's free-agency period began.
He is scheduled to meet with the Kings on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Sixers reported interest in Crawford doesn't make a lot of sense. The 36-year-old shooting guard is looking to finish up his career for an NBA championship contender. The Sixers are seasons away from being competitive. It's also unlikely that Crabbe will come to Philly. The Trail Blazers are expected to try to match any deal he receives.
Smith wanted to re-sign with the Sixers, but knew it wasn't a guarantee. And he wasn't going to sit around and wait.
The Sixers had told Smith that they wanted him to come back as a reserve. However, Smith did not hear from the team by 3:30 a.m., a source said, and that's when the North Carolina native accepted the Pistons' offer.
Summer League roster
Ben Simmons, Timothe Luwawu, T.J. McConnell, Richaun Holmes and Christian Wood are the headliners of the 76ers' summer league roster.
The 15-member team will compete in the Utah Jazz Summer League on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Then the Sixers will travel to Las Vegas to participate in the NBA Summer League. Their preliminary games are on July 9, 10 and 12. The tournament format runs from July 13 to 18.
Simmons, a power forward out of Louisiana State, was the first overall pick in the June 23 NBA draft. Luwawu, a shooting guard from France, was taken 24th overall. Meanwhile point guard McConnell and power forwards Holmes and Christian Wood were rookies on last season's team. Wood is an unrestricted free agent.
They will be joined by former another former Sixer in James Nunnally, along with Bryon Allen, Javon McCrea, Alex Caruso, Maodo Lo, James Webb III, Kwame Vaughn, Levi Randolph, Shawn Long and Tomasz Gielo.
Billy Lange will be the head coach in Utah, while Lloyd Pierce will be the head man in Las Vegas.
kpompey@phillynews.com
@PompeyOnSixers
www.philly.com/sixersblog