The Sixers are waiving Ricky Council IV, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).
Council signed a four-year, partially guaranteed deal with the Sixers in 2024, which contained a team option for the 2026/27 season. Last season, he averaged 7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.1 minutes per night.
Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports notes (via Twitter) that the timing of the move was unexpected, given that Council’s guarantee date is on January 10, 2026, and the team currently has an open roster spot if they need it to add restricted free agent Quentin Grimes.
While Council struggled with his three-point shot last season, he emerged as a reliable depth contributor, playing a team-high 73 games while bringing athleticism and energy from the wing positions.
Strange move, are they about to sign Grimes or someone else ?
Def could be a sign of that, was going to post the same
They have the math mathed currently and this was necessary. Wouldn’t be shocked if we got word in the next 48
No move necessarily on the horizon.
They just realize this guy is not a player. You don’t want to waste his time and they’re cutting him free to seek another opportunity.
Sixers mind is made up on him. They saw him firsthand. It’s a good move by the Sixers to cut him loose now instead of January 10. Kudos to Philly.
I get your point, but I think it might be a little more nuanced and a sign Grimes might sign soon. I think your right that they were always cutting him but the timing is a little funky – if it was letting him find a better opportunity than you do it weeks ago when the team was pretty much locked. Grimes make 14 which is how they usually start so the team was pretty much set, but the only reason to not cut him loose earlier is that you might wanted to keep tradeable salary if you are doing an offseason deal because the sixers don’t have much. Besides Embiid and PG which aren’t going anywhere they had Council, Oubre, Drummond and Mccain as the only othere tradeable salaries. Mccain isn’t going anywhere and Grimes is hard to due because of BYC and aggregation rule so you had Just the 3 – Oubre and Drummond equal 13m but by adding council’s 2 it actually made a lot more targets possible.
Them dumping council now instead of week’s ago (or holding longer) means they are not needing for salary matching in trade and thus probably have locked on their starting roster which is most likely the current 13 under contract plus Grimes and will wait to in season for any further trades.
Nothing here to see. No effect on the salary cap. Grimes when he signs will bring roster to 14. Sixers most likely go into season with one open roster spot.imo.
To elaborate, he “brings athleticism and energy.”
OK so that means there’s no great defense as evidenced by zero blocks and zero steals. The average is less than one per game in each category, even when playing supporting minutes.
But more importantly the kid can’t shoot, couldn’t shoot, and has never shot well.
To stick in the NBA you have to be very good in all categories.
If not, then you have to be elite in at least one category.
You have to have a premium skill set that a team can plug-in for a few minutes and get the job done when the score or the situation finds it necessary to implement your consistent contributions.
But as I said above the Sixers do a nice job here by cutting him loose today instead of January 10.
The world is wide open for him to find another opportunity here or anywhere else and it’s a lot easier in the summer than January 10 with full rosters here and worldwide.
Yea never thought he would make the 6’ers roster but teams wait just in case they can use his money in a trade, kinda shady but understandable and for the players most times its a free roll at like 3 Mill so they play along
Agents def need to look to get their players earlier cut dates moving forward. There’s just so few spots now avail you don’t want to get caught when the music goes off
Unfortunately looking deeper under the hood I think we will see the opposite happen and teams being able to put the boot down against player agents will become even more popular/easier –
Im sure Hoops rumors will have a fantastic article soon on the sneaky amount of non guaranteed money that agents conveniently left out the first 48 hrs of their clients new contracts which means 90% of people will forget the real contract. Its getting a little to close to NFL contracts Imo which I dont think the NBA wants to go down that road as well as I
It’s not strange at all…he’s not going to get many developmental opportunities, it’s an empty roster spot to give more flexibility.
Very inefficient offensive player who can’t shoot and plays out of control a lot. He does however have some defensive ability.
Nice way of putting it.
Obviously making room for a Ben Simmons signing.
Great Googly Moogly No!!!!!!!
Isn’t his 25-26 contract guaranteed tho? So they are wasting 2.2M of salary cap?
2025–26 Ricky Council contract not guaranteed.
Okay, Basketball Reference didn’t show that and I was having trouble navigating spotrac
Yes, and I love basketball reference for practically all that stuff. But it doesn’t show whether a contract is guaranteed or not.
They do show options such as player option or team option with that little red dot, but you have to go elsewhere to do a little deeper dive.
Kyle Lowry is gold.