On the morning of the July 29 draft, the Sixers sent $2MM to the Pelicans in order to acquire the No. 53 pick, which they used later that night on Western Kentucky big man Charles Bassey. However, a month-and-a-half later, Bassey is one of the only 2021 draft picks who remains unsigned.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported two weeks ago that Bassey planned to sign his one-year, non-guaranteed minimum-salary tender from the 76ers. He hasn’t officially accepted that deal yet, leaving the door open for the two sides to come to a longer-term agreement. However, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic details, the Sixers and Bassey remain at an impasse in their negotiations.
Bassey isn’t upset about being selected by Philadelphia or concerned about a possible lack of playing time behind veteran centers Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond, according to Bodner, who says the dispute between the rookie and the team is “purely contractual.”
As Bodner writes, Bassey and his camp made it clear to teams before the draft that he wasn’t interested in signing a two-way contract, and that he’d be seeking a multiyear deal with a two-year guarantee. Sources tell The Athletic that there was one team willing to meet that asking price if Bassey had gone undrafted, which the 76ers and other teams were aware of at the time of the draft.
While the Sixers are willing to give Bassey a spot on their 15-man roster and not just a two-way deal, they’ve only been willing to guarantee his salary for one season on their three-year offer, says Bodner.
In short, Bassey is seeking a contract that matches the offer he believes he would’ve received if he had gone undrafted, while Philadelphia believes it’s offering a deal that’s more than fair for a player drafted at No. 53.
A multiyear guarantee is rare for a player selected that late in the draft — No. 51 pick Brandon Boston did get a two-year guarantee from the Clippers this year, but everyone else picked in that range, including Luka Garza (No. 52), Sandro Mamukelashvili (No. 54), and Aaron Wiggins (No. 55) signed two-way contracts. Besides Boston, no player selected after No. 43 this year has received a full multiyear guarantee. A year ago, the lowest draftee to receive a two-year guarantee was another Sixer: No. 49 pick Isaiah Joe.
According to Bodner, Bassey has been working out at the Sixers’ training facility and has impressed the coaches and front office personnel who have seen him in action, so he should be in the team’s plans for 2021/22 whether he accepts his one-year tender or works out a longer-term agreement.
If he signs the one-year tender, Bassey would be eligible for restricted free agency in 2022, which would give him the opportunity to bet on himself at that point. If he were to accept Philadelphia’s current offer instead, the 20-year-old would be under team control for two more years, but with no real security, since his salaries for those years would be non-guaranteed.
Interesting, if he had been drafted, the offer would have been tampering. Wonder if this sort of ‘pre-draft negotiation’ will continue and include graduating high schoolers, especially with developmental rosters to fill, making this more like baseball negotiations, possibly including signing bonuses?
Not sure if it would definitely be tampering. I’m sure as the draft gets close to ending, calls are being made to guys who look like they will be undrafted offering them contracts, summer league spots, etc. Basically saying “if you don’t get drafted, here’s what we’re willing to offer you”. Happens in the NFL too. It’s why you see a flurry of UDFAs being signed shortly after the draft concludes. I’d imagine that most well-run teams are plotting their UDFA signings after their last draft pick/by the middle of the second round.
Morey is going to end up making the sixers a non-playoff team at this point. How did he get a job after the disaster he did with the rockets?
Lol. It’s clear u didn’t watch Morey career in Houston.
A second round pick, almost undrafted guy hardballing like this is odd to me. The sixers are bring more than fair and should let him sign the one year deal if he feels so strongly
Have you ever seen Bassey play?
Give him 2 years at $0.9 million each
Why not?
Yes. Along with most other teams, hence where he got drafted. I’m not saying he’s garbage by any means. He has value just no leverage. Ever heard of KJ McDaniels? I see similarites
I know all about KJ & his game couldn’t be any more different than Bassey. How would you describe Bassey’s game & his skillset?
Well he also was a second round pick who signed a one year deal with the sixers because he thought he was being undervalued. Then kinda bounced around afterward. As I said I see a similarly in the career move and a possible foreshadowing of the same trajectory as KJ. Their skillets aren’t that similar so it’s kind of irrelevant to what I’m referring to with my previous comment.
I’ll ask again. As someone who has watched him play, how would you describe Charles Bassey’s game? What are his strengths & weaknesses from what you’ve seen?
What’s so tough to understand?
He let it be known that if he wasn’t going to be drafted he had a two-year guaranteed contract on the table. So if you draft him, beware that you should be willing to match that, right? Sixers are the Knuckleheads here. Unbelievable.
Totally agree with everything except Philly being knuckleheads. They can take their time with Bassey. He continues to be an asset either way. They don’t need him anytime soon & could very well be waiting on possibly using him in a Ben Simmons trade (possibly to Atl)
True ! Good point.
Ben Simmons & the rights to Charles Bassey to Atl for DeAndre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Danilo Gallinari, Atl’s 2023 1st & a 2025 pick swap
What drugs are you on? Lol
Use your words & explain why you disagree
according to street rumors
Cavs offer Sexton, Rubio, Osman and no pick for Ben
Wolves did not offer Dlo.
Why don’t the Sixers let Bassey use Ben Simmons’ private bathroom? I think that would smooth things over!!!!
It’s an understandable position by the player, and one more players drafted in the back half of the 2nd round should think about. The last paragraph says it all. It’s his right to get a non-guaranteed 1 year deal vs what in effect is 1 year guaranteed deal with 2 option years (worse actually since he can be released mid-year). The issue is what’s better for him, not what players in his position generally do.
The first year (at 930K) of a rookie minimum contract being guaranteed (vs not) isn’t all that meaningful since it’s very unlikely that he’ll be cut before the deadline to do so in year 1. If he is cut, he’s an UFA (not a RFA). If not he gets the same first year salary and then, going into year 2, he’s an RFA (if he gets a QO, i.e., guaranteed prior to the season) or an UFA (if he doesn’t). Now, if there were even partial guarantees on the 2nd and 3rd seasons (which have a much higher annual value), then it’s a different equation.
and this is why he went to western kentucky. he just finds a way to make it hard to deal with him. reminds me of my guy royce white.
Wait lol, you’re saying he went to Western Kentucky for what reason exactly?
Sankara are you Charles Bassey?