Philadelphia 76ers: Charlie Brown Jr. has a second chance to stick around

Heading into the 2022 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers have 13 players signed to one-way contracts.

Now granted, only nine of those contracts are guaranteed, and it’s entirely possible that Daryl Morey works his magic and moves multiple players before the start of the regular season but barring a massive roster overhaul, it’s hard to imagine more than a third of the roster being turned over from 2021-22 to 2022-23.

Actually, that number isn’t totally correct. Yes, the Sixers do have 13 one-way contracts on their books, with nine of them guaranteed, but they also have a 14th player signed up for the forthcoming season in Charlie Brown Jr., the 10-day contract performer who signed a two-year, two-way contract which, apparently, is a thing that team can sign.

Barring the purchase of a second round pick, or some particularly good luck in the UDFA market, CBJ is a borderline lock to make the Philadelphia 76ers’ roster this fall and will have a second opportunity to prove he’s a worthy part of the team long-term.

Chris Brown Jr. has a second chance to prove his worth to the Philadelphia 76ers.

What kind of wing players do the Philadelphia 76ers need to put in place around Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, and Joel Embiid?

Well, for one thing, the Sixers need good defenders who can slow down opposing scorers. They also need good athletes who can get up and down the court while playing the passing lanes and looking for lobs, and most obviously of all, knockdown 3 point shooters who at least attempt to keep opposing defenses honest and out of the painted area.

Charlie Brown Jr., to his credit, already checks two of those boxes, and with some luck – and maybe some work with Tyrese Maxey’s shooting coach – there’s a very real chance he could round out his game enough to be called a legitimate two-way performer.

On paper, Brown has a lot going for him; he’s a ready-made on-ball NBA defender, a great rebounder from the two/three spot, and a solid ballhawk who would pick up 1.6 steals per game Per 36. While his 3-point shooting hasn’t been particularly prolific as an NBA pro, as he’s only made nine of the 42 shots from beyond the arc that he’s attempted over 41 career games, his shot looks good aesthetically and was efficient in the G-League for the Delaware Blue Coats, where he hit 40 percent of his shots from deep on 6.8 attempts per game.

And if that happens? If CBJ can translate his G-League production to the pros and become a true 3-and-D wing? Well, let’s just say Brown won’t have to worry too much about how many days of NBA activity he has left on his two-way contract – assuming the NBA reverts back to that system – as he’ll be on a full-time, on-way deal in no time.

As tough as it is to admit, the 2022 NBA free agent class isn’t particularly deep. Sure there are a few intriguing options, and the Philadelphia 76ers should be able to secure at least one solid forward to fill out their rotation, but there aren’t many premium guards who can play good defense and shoot 3s at an above-average clip, especially in the team’s price range. If, however, a player like Charlie Brown Jr. – or Jaden Springer or even Isaiah Joe – can step up to the plate and perform at a playoff rotation level, it could alleviate the need to pay up for a performer like Gary Harris and allow Daryl Morey to instead use his limited resources on another position of need.