The Philadelphia 76ers announced Friday afternoon that there would be a jersey number swap after the NBA trade deadline.
Sixers’ backup center Andre Drummond, who initially wore No. 1 with the franchise when he initially played for the team during the 2021-2022 NBA season before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets as a part of the James Harden acquisition. When Drummond eventually returned this past offseason, he chose to wear the No. 5, as his previous number was already worn by Sixers forward KJ Martin, who was acquired when the Sixers traded Harden away on Oct. 31, 2023.
With Martin being traded away to the Utah Jazz in a salary-saving move, Drummond’s former number opened back up. This opening perfectly coincided with an opportunity for the Sixers’ newly acquired Quentin Grimes. Coming from the Dallas Mavericks, Grimes wore No. 5 previously, and it was announced that he would wear No. 25 upon his arrival in Philadelphia, most recently worn by Lester Quinones, Danuel House, and Ben Simmons.
Grimes will retain the No. 5, which he played the best basketball of his young career while wearing. Drummond, meanwhile, initially referred to the switch to No. 5 as an opportunity to “represent change.” With how his season has gone, largely due to injury, he surely wouldn’t mind a bit of a change back.
