Philadelphia 76ers To Sign Veteran Center

DeAndre Jordan is expected to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

Barring an unlikely waiver claim before the 5 PM ET deadline today, center DeAndre Jordan is expected to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Lakers waived Jordan on Tuesday and Sixers have an open roster spot and desire to add another backup center.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 3, 2022

When the Los Angeles Lakers waived Jordan, it was immediately reported that the 76ers were the front-runners. Now, barring any sudden waiver claim by another team, the veteran center will be joining them.

It was important for the 76ers to add a backup center to their roster. They traded away Andre Drummond to the Brooklyn Nets in the big James Harden deal, so they needed a new player to take over his former role. Now, once Jordan officially joins Philadelphia, they will be getting just that. 

Jordan isn't going to challenge Joel Embiid for his starting job, but he is still a very good option off the bench. In 32 games this season with the Lakers, he averaged 4.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists. It's been a down year for him, but it's also important to note that his playing dropped off dramatically in LA. He averaged just 12.8 minutes per game, while he averaged over 20 in each of the last 13 seasons.

It will be interesting to see how Jordan plays with Philadelphia. With them looking to win a championship, it certainly doesn't hurt to add another grizzled veteran to the roster. 

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