Sixers Officially Sign Darius Bazley To 10-Day Contract

The Philadelphia 76ers have officially signed forward/center Darius Bazley to a 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release.

Bazley, 23, is 6-foot-8 and is in his fifth pro season. He’s represented by power agent Rich Paul.

Rather than play college basketball or join the G League, Bazley opted to work out on his own following his high school career, then enter the NBA Draft when eligible.

He was selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 23 overall pick in 2019, then traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder a week later.

Bazley was traded to the Nets last summer, then waived before camp. Since then, he’s been playing extremely well for the Delaware Blue Coats of the G League. Delaware is the Sixers’ G League squad.

“Entering his fifth NBA season, Bazley is coming off a 38-point, 15-rebound game and averaging 21 PPG and 10 RPG as one of G League’s best,” wrote Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Bazley carries NBA career averages of 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds, though he hasn’t appeared in more than 43 games since 2021-22. Last year, he appeared in just seven games with the Phoenix Suns. This year, he’s appeared in none.

But the Sixers can afford to give him a chance, given that they need another big man in the absence of reigning NBA MVP and All-Star center Joel Embiid.

Philadelphia (32-22) has lost seven of 10 and sits in third place in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers host the New York Knicks on Thursday.