Free agent forward Nemanja Bjelica has agreed to a one-year deal, $4.4 mid-level exception with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
His former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, had withdrawn a qualifying offer, making him a free agent, which allowed the Sixers to entertain the signing.
Bjelica had a coming out party last season, putting up 6.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, starting in 21 of his 67 appearances with the team.
The 30-year-old shot a strong 46 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from deep, and a clean 80 percent from the foul line.
His role would be similar to Ersan Ilyasova's last season — a stretch-four that could spot up from deep and knocks down shots as Ben Simmons collapses the defense.
Bjelica is likely to play under starter Dario Saric while seeing some time at center with smaller lineups, despite being an average defender.
The Sixers are faced with a dilemma, now with 17 players on the roster, including the non-guaranteed salary of T.J. McConnell and Richaun Holmes, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. Teams can carry a maximum of 20 players heading into the offseason but must trim down to 15-player maximum before the regular season starts.
Follow Us
Subscribe