The Sixers have reunited with veteran guard Larry Drew II, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com, who first tweeted that the club was set to sign Drew to a 10-day contract. A formal press release issued by the 76ers has confirmed that the move is official.
Drew, who was in camp with the Heat in the fall, was waived before the regular season began and returned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Drew has been a regular contributor for Miami’s G League affiliate for the last few seasons, and this year is no exception. In 26 games with the 2017/18 Skyforce, he has posted 11.3 PPG, 7.5 APG, and 5.1 RPG.
Drew’s only NBA experience came back in 2014/15 for the Sixers. That season, he appeared in 12 NBA contests for the team, but struggled with his shot in limited minutes. Drew averaged 3.8 PPG and 3.8 APG with a .345/.154/.667 shooting line in 18.3 minutes per contest.
The timing of the move makes sense, as the Sixers are currently dealing with a number of injuries in their backcourt. In addition to long-term injuries to rookies Markelle Fultz and Furkan Korkmaz, the club also has J.J. Redick on the shelf with a leg ailment, and Jerryd Bayless has been battling a wrist issue. Drew will provide some depth and insurance at guard for Philadelphia.
The Sixers only have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, not including two-way players, so they have an open spot on their 15-man roster. As such, no corresponding move is necessary in order to add Drew.