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After seemingly settling on a 15-man roster coming out of Summer League, the Philadelphia 76ers have shaken things up once more, waiving third-year wing Ricky Council IV, according to an official statement from the team.
“Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced today that the team has waived Ricky Council IV,” The 76ers wrote. “Council IV appeared in 105 games (12 starts) over two seasons with the 76ers, averaging 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 14.6 minutes per game.”
Now, on paper, this decision isn't too surprising. The 76ers have been locked in restricted free agent discussions with Quentin Grimes for weeks now, and have basically put all other team-building avenues on hold, minus minimum contract deals, as they work through the contract negotiation weeds.
And yet, saying goodbye to Council IV is a bit of a bummer all the same, as he once looked like a seriously promising player who could be a bench glue guy on a good team.
Initially landing with the team as a two-way player out of Arkansas, Council IV flashed in garbage time and as a member of the Delaware Blue Coats, showcasing athleticism off the bench for a team that was largely lacking in that department. Though his stats in 2024-25 were largely junk, playing big minutes in April and May for a 76ers team firmly out of the playoffs, he still scored in double digits 13 times during the final two months of the season, including an impressive 20-point performance in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Sure, Council IV was a downright bad 3-point shooter, falling 10 points below the league average with a putrid 25.8 completion percentage, and his defense was more bad than good, but in the NBA, 6-foot-6 players wings with positional versatility are always in demand, especially 23-year-olds with room to grow.
If RC4 stuck around for the 2025-26 season, he likely would have been relegated to the bench, as the 76ers added a number of quality wing players like VJ Edgecombe, Johni Broome, Trendon Watford, and even Jabari Walker, who would likely play over him. Factor in Grimes' eventual return as a big-minute wing, and there just wasn't a spot for Council IV moving forward, even if another NBA team might be willing to give him a shot moving forward.
