After drafting Baylor guard VG Edgecombe with the third overall pick and Auburn big man Johni Broome with the 35th pick, the Sixers
were not yet finished adding to their roster, signing Wake Forrest star Hunter Sallis to a two-way contract.
Sallis went undrafted in 2025, though that is in part a reflection of desiring this deal in Philadelphia and not solely reflective of his abilities or lack thereof. Often, undrafted free agents who sign suspiciously quickly after the conclusion of the draft already have an agreement with a team in place. This leads to the players’ representation contacting teams in the second round to ensure they do not draft said player.
While Sallis is far from the perfect prospect, there remains a lot to be intrigued about.
Sallis is a lengthy ball-stopper with potential to impact the game defensively both on and off the ball in the future. Offensively, he’s a more than capable ball-handler with an elite midrange shot—52.3% on midrange pull-ups his senior year—and a strong finisher, shooting 61.9% at the rim in halfcourt.
This season, Sallis struggled mightily shooting from three-point range, making just 27.7% of his attempts. However, he is one year removed from shooting over 40% on 185 attempts. That junior year, admittedly, is the anomaly in his career, but it was also on the highest three-point attempt rate of his career.
Hunter Sallis joins a suddenly crowded swingman group in Philadelphia headlined by Paul George and featuring No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe, previous undrafted rookies turned success stories Justin Edwards and Ricky Council, and likely returning players Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre, and Lonnie Walker.
The former Demon Deacon will likely spend much of his rookie season in the G League with the Sixers’ affiliate team, the Delaware Blue Coats.
