Philadelphia 76ers should sign Chasson Randle to two-way deal
By Pete Sawan
After being released by the New York Knicks, former Philadelphia 76ers guard Chasson Randle makes sense for the final two-way contract.
With media day spreading through the NBA like wildfire, the Philadelphia 76ers enter this season with a ton of intrigue. You have the likes of Joel Embiid (for more than 31 games?), Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz set to take the league by storm. On top of that, the free agent acquisition of J.J. Redick seems like the perfect fit, both in personality and on-court ability. These four pieces alone make the Sixers a must-watch team in the Eastern Conference.
On top of that, you have returning players like Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Richaun Holmes, and Jahlil Okafor in the rotation. But hey, don’t forget about Jerryd Bayless, who only played three games last season. He had trouble dealing with his previous wrist injuries, but will hopefully make an impact this season.
With that said, the Philadelphia 76ers still have a final two-way contract spot that they could offer. They already gave the first one to one James Michael McAdoo. He will hopefully provide depth during garbage time for the Sixers. Nevertheless, one spot remains. To me, that spot should go to guard Chasson Randle.
Now, most fans don’t remember much about Randle. Well, he spent a short amount of time with the Sixers. He spent eight games with Philadelphia, where he averaged 5.3 points per game on 40.0 percent three-point shooting. In Philly, he played an average of 9.3 minutes per game, which doesn’t say much. Ultimately, he would be released in order to complete the Nerlens Noel– Justin Anderson trade earlier this year. He would end up signing with the New York Knicks afterward.
On the bright side, he’s back on the market. Randle was released by the Knicks in order to complete the recent Carmelo Anthony trade. Apparently, teams see Randle as dead weight. Anyway, he’s available to sign with any team as a free agent. To me, he would make a great addition as the final two-way contract player.
Think about it, he fits a lot of the criteria you need to be considered a “two-way” player. First, he has less than four years of NBA experience (one year). Next, given the amount of depth the Sixers have at the point guard position, Randle makes perfect sense. As a player who already has familiarity with head coach Brett Brown’s system, Randle would be an instant “plug-and-play” guy in garbage time.
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In the grand scheme of things, this move makes sense. Signing Chasson Randle to a two-way contract would solidify him as someone the Philadelphia 76ers could plug in during any 45-day period. On top of that, he could spend time with the Delaware 87ers and hone his craft some more. Honestly, this move would make the backcourt that much better. For instance, in the event that Bayless needs a game off due to wrist soreness, or Fultz (although I really hope not) hurts his ankle, you have someone who can come off the bench and contribute to a degree. Yes, Randle doesn’t have much going for him other than offense, but it couldn’t hurt, right?