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Jonah Bolden expected to join Sixers in Vegas for summer league

Bolden signed a contract with an Israeli League team last year after there was no room for him on the Sixers roster.

Jonah Bolden poses with former team executive Bryan Colangelo (right) and co-managing owner Josh Harris during a news conference following the 2017 draft. Bolden is likely to join the Sixers in Vegas for summer league.
Jonah Bolden poses with former team executive Bryan Colangelo (right) and co-managing owner Josh Harris during a news conference following the 2017 draft. Bolden is likely to join the Sixers in Vegas for summer league.Read moreMatt Slocum / AP
    by Keith Pompey | Columnist
    Published 

All signs point toward Jonah Bolden joining the 76ers for the NBA summer league in Las Vegas.

The Sixers, through the NBA, submitted a letter of clearance to FIBA to allow  Bolden, a Maccabi Tel Aviv forward, to join their summer-league team.

Bolden is expected to get his official clearance to play in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Thursday, according to sources.

The team holds Bolden's NBA rights after selecting him in the second round of the 2017 NBA draft. In this particular case, the letter is just a formality. Bolden even tweeted today that he joining the team in Vegas.

However, the team won't list him on the roster until it gets the clearance.

The summer league starts Friday and runs through July 17 at UNLV.

>>READ MORE: Sixers' rookies Smith and Shamet are tuning out free-agency news at summer league

Former Sixers team president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo revealed on May 11 that Bolden is likely to join the Sixers for the 2018-19 season.

Lack of a roster spot was the main reason the 6-foot-10 athletic power forward didn't join the Sixers this season after being selected 36th overall.

So Bolden signed a three-year contract on July 21, 2017 with Maccabi Tel Aviv, which plays in the Israeli Premier League and EuroLeague. He averaged 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 21.1 minutes in 29 EuroLeague games, with 28 starts. Bolden shot 31.9 percent on three-pointers.

The Australian has an NBA-out clause in his contract that will allow him to join the Sixers next season. Colangelo called him a modern day big man.

"Can step out and shoot a three," Colangelo said. "His shooting numbers have gone down a little bit this year. But that we don't believe is an indication of who he is as a player or a shooter. He's a grab-and-go guy.

"He can rebound the ball very well instinctively. Can handle it in transition, make good decisions. You don't want to put him in that situation every day, but he's a grab-and-go guy that can move the basketball."

The 22-year-old averaged 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks in 23.4 minutes per game with Sixers 2017 summer-league team. He played one year of college ball at UCLA.

>>READ MORE: Zhaire Smith signs contract, officially joins Sixers' roster

Bolden has displayed the athleticism needed to contribute in the Sixers' up-tempo style of play over the summer. Although his shooting was inconsistent, he had the shooting range needed to effectively space the floor. And Bolden showcased stellar shot-blocking and pass-deflection skills the team craves.

>READ MORE: Wilson Chandler trade is where The Process meets The Reality

Shamet signed

The rookie guard's contract will have two guaranteed seasons with team options for the third and fourth seasons.  He shot 44.3 percent on three-pointers this past season at Wichita State.