The Philadelphia 76ers were one of the most active and aggressive teams this offseason on the NBA free agency front. Hoping to build a championship contender around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers added and re-signed several quality free agents highlighted by the blockbuster acquisition of Paul George. But the 76ers had a solid 2024 NBA Draft as well. Amid a strong Summer League showing, Philly officially inked second round pick Adem Bona to his rookie contract as per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
While currently playing in Summer League, Bona signed a standard contract with the 76ers guaranteeing that he will be a part of the team's playoff roster. Had he signed a two-way contract, he would not have been able to be active on the playoff roster and would have been limited in how many NBA games he could play.
Bona's rookie contract will be for four years and worth around $8 million. During Summer League action so far, Bona has been averaging 6.3 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. He's played in both the Utah Summer League and Las Vegas Summer League.
Bona was the No. 41 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He spent two seasons at UCLA and had actually tested the NBA Draft waters in 2023 before deciding to return to college. The 6 foot 8 inch big man has a lot of potential on the defensive end of the floor as well as on the glass.
It's not clear, though, what Bona's role will be next season in terms of the rotation. The 76ers have Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond who are ahead of him on the depth chart at center. Bona will likely see plenty of time in the G-League next season with the Delaware Blue Coats.
76ers hoping for championship run
Last season, the Sixers had to fight through the Play-In Tournament to make the postseason. They ultimately finished as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference after defeating the Miami Heat, but they were defeated by the New York Knicks in the first round in six games amid Embiid not being 100 percent.
With Maxey's emergence as a legitimate star and Embiid's yearly questionable health, it's not surprising that the 76ers are trying to maximize their title window as best as they can. They signaled that they are all in for a championship when they signed a third star in George in free agency.
In addition to George, the 76ers also signed veterans Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, and Caleb Martin while re-signing key players in Kyle Lowry and KJ Martin. The team also has a capable young player in Ricky Council IV waiting in the wings for a spot in the rotation, and 2024 first round pick Jared McCain should also be in contention for regular rotation minutes. The team still has a few roster spots open that they'll likely fill with minimum contracts.
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