The Philadelphia 76ers are in the midst of a nightmare season and they are far out of the playoff race. The best they can hope for is to see some young players step up and see what they can do.
This has led them to add a young big man to the roster. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the 76ers have given a 10-day contract to free agent center Colin Castleton.
Castleton first came into the NBA as an undrafted free agent signing of the Los Angeles Lakers. He spent the entirety of last season with the Lakers and spent most of the year on the South Bay Lakers of the G League. He did play minutes in 20 regular season games.
The Lakers decided against bringing him back this season and he’s been bouncing around the NBA. The former Florida standout started the year with the Memphis Grizzlies and recently got a couple of 10-day deals with the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 7.4 rebounds a game in 10 games for the Raptors.
Considering where the 76ers are at, this could be a good chance for Castleton to get some solid minutes. At 24, he could still have some upside but needs to prove he deserves a full NBA contract.
Maxi Kleber Nearing Return?
The Lakers have been playing very well ever since the Luka Doncic trade but there’s still a glaring need for a big. Jaxson Hayes is playing some of his best basketball but the team doesn’t have good depth behind him.
Maxi Kleber was part of the Doncic trade but he was injured at the time of the deal. There were questions if he’d be able to play again this season but things are looking up.
Kleber was seen at an April 2 practice running drills and getting some shots up. The Lakers will likely have an update on his return timeline soon and getting him back on the court would certainly help.
Kleber has never been a massive impact player but he’s 6-foot-10 and a decent 3-point shooter for a big. At worst, he’d provide an upgrade at backup center over Alex Len. He’s also very comfortable with Doncic as he’s spent his entire career playing with the star guard.
Joel Embiid Getting Surgery
As previously noted, this has been a rocky year for the 76ers. Star center Joel Embiid was ruled out for the season back in February and the team got even more bad news.
According to an April 2 X post from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Embiid has to get surgery.
“Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next week, a team official tells ESPN,” Charania wrote. “Embiid was ruled out for season in late February as he and the 76ers met with doctors to determine the best treatment to alleviate his knee issues.”
The early portions of Emiid’s career were ruined by injury and now he’s getting derailed again. It remains to be seen if he’ll be healthy enough to play once next season starts.
