The Philadelphia 76ers weren’t able to address the backup center position before the NBA trade deadline, so they had to turn their sights to the buyout market. ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the Sixers have addressed that issue by signing center Dewayne Dedmon for the remainder of the season.
Dedmon started this season with the Miami Heat and after a blow-up with Head Coach Erik Spoelstra, he seemed to be on the way out. The Heat eventually traded him to the Spurs, where he worked on a contract buyout to become a free agent and have a chance to play for a contender. Dedmon averaged 5.7 ppg and 2.7 rpg in just under 12 mpg.
Dedmon was a solid contributor on the Heat the previous two seasons, but this feels like a move three years too late. It feels underwhelming and hopefully doesn’t turn out the way the De’Andre Jordan signing was last season. One can assume there weren’t going to have other options in the buyout market if they signed Dedmon. There were rumors that the 76ers were interested in Nerlens Noel, but a buyout may not be imminent for Noel.
Is he an upgrade for the 76ers?
Dedmon is an upgrade from Montrezl Harrell but not necessarily an upgrade from Paul Reed. When given consistent minutes, Reed has shown that he can make an impact defensively and athletically for the 76ers. One thing Dedmon does bring is spacing and the ability to hit outside shots. He is currently shooting just under 30 percent from three-point range this season after shooting 40 percent last season. The only thing the 76ers can hope for is that this experiment goes better than in years past.
