Although the Philadelphia 76ers did not make a selection during Thursday night’s 2023 NBA draft, the organization remained active.
After trading its first-round selection to the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden deal and forfeiting its second-round pick because of tampering violations, Philadelphia entered Thursday without a draft choice and did not trade back into the draft. The team has signed three undrafted players to two-way contracts.
A new leader in Philadelphia:Philadelphia 76ers hired real doctor as head coach. What you need to know about Nick Nurse
All three players will have the chance to earn a roster spot with the 76ers or the Delaware Blue Coats, the organization’s affiliated G-League team.
Here are the top things to know about each of the 76ers’ signees:
Terquavion Smith
Smith spent two years at North Carolina State as a shooting guard before he declared for the draft. He led the Wolfpack in scoring last season, pouring in 17.9 points per game on 38.0% shooting from the field and 33.6% shooting from beyond the arc.
It didn’t take long for Smith to adjust to the college level, as he made the All-ACC Rookie Team as a freshman in the 2021-2022 season when he averaged 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
Standing at 6-foot-4, Smith made headlines in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament when he dunked over 7-foot-1 Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Ricky Council IV
Council played at Wichita State for two seasons before transferring to Arkansas for his junior campaign in the 2022-2023 season. He started in 29 of 36 games for the Razorbacks, scoring a team-high 16.1 points per game.
One of Council’s most noteworthy attributes is his athleticism. At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, he has no problem attacking the rim and finishing with authority.
Council is the youngest of three boys in his family, all of whom share the name Ricky Council with their father, the original Ricky Council. He also has an older sister named Rhianna.
Azuolas Tubelis
A Lithuania native, Tubelis capped off his three-year career at Arizona averaging 19.8 points per game this past season. He made All-Pac 12 first team in both his sophomore and junior seasons, helping lead the Wildcats to a 61-10 record over those two years.
Standing at 6-foot-11, Tubelis would be the second-tallest player behind Joel Embiid if he made the 76ers’ roster.
Like Philadelphia’s other two UDFAs, he can be explosive near the basket.
