Philadelphia 76ers: Sixers Part Ways with Hollis Thompson

In a relatively smaller scale move, the Philadelphia 76ers have parted ways with 4th-year player Hollis Thompson today.

With the impending return of Ben Simmons getting closer and closer, Bryan Colangelo needed to shed someone off the roster for his superstar. That player ultimately wound up being Hollis Thompson, the longest serving member of the current roster. Thompson didn’t appear to be in the team’s long-term plans, so this seemed the best moment to cut ties with him.

There can be a few factors as to why Thompson was let go. First off, the salary guarantee deadline was approaching. The team would have been on the hook for his full-season salary (over $1 million) if he was retained beyond January 10th. Second, Thompson’s minutes played and 3-point percentage are the lowest they’ve been in his NBA career this season. With the influx of young players and next year’s draft picks looming, Thompson looked surplus to requirements.

More from Philadelphia 76ers

While most fans won’t look back on Thompson’s tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers as beautiful, there was a quiet reliability about him. Thompson shot almost 42% from the field, and 39% from three as a Sixer. Given this team’s well-documented shooting problems, Thompson was always one of the players who could be relied upon to make a shot when needed. Given his limitations on the defensive end, combined with his ineffectiveness to do much outside of shooting, this was the best time to move on.

More importantly, Thompson’s departure opens up time for first-round pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Luwawu’s minutes have been slightly increasing the last ten games, playing around 11 minutes per night in that stretch. With the promise he holds, it’s ultimately a wise move from Sixers management to give him more minutes. Given Thompson was one of the best shooters on the team, Luwawu-Cabarrot will need to step up and justify his first-round selection. If he can step in and provide immediate offense, he will be apart of this team going forward into next season at least.

Next: Sixers vs. Wolves, Who Has The Highest Ceiling?

Fans of “The Process” will miss Hollis Thompson and what he ultimately stood for. 39% shooters from outside rarely sit around in the free-agent pool, so it would surprise no one if Thompson was signed by another team shortly. Realistically, the expectation should be for him to receive a 10-day offer from someone, or finish the year in the D-League. Regardless of his future, all Sixers fans will wish nothing but the best for Thompson in his future playing endeavors.