As things stand, the Philadelphia 76ers are set to embark on their long journey to the Middle East, as they get ready to participate in the NBA’s Abu Dhabi Games, with a pair of matches against the New York Knicks in early October.
The pair of matches will kick off the Sixers’ preseason slate of games, which comes after what was a long off-season for the organization, their longest in seven years, given the lack of playoff action last year. While this generally means that the team has its roster set, this isn’t the case, as Philadelphia made a move on Sunday afternoon.
Apr 1, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Marcus Bagley (35) during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images
It was revealed by a team official on Sunday that the Sixers had signed Marcus Bagley to an Exhibit 10 contract before subsequently waiving him. There’s the expectation that he’ll join Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
This expectation to appear in the G League isn’t anything new for Bagley, who has made a name for himself in the Chase Fieldhouse over the last few seasons, ever since he went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft. In the last two seasons for Delaware, the 23-year-old has appeared in 54 matches, averaging 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game across 23.8 minutes on the court.
Apr 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Marcus Bagley (35) controls the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The former Arizona State forward hasn’t just made himself known in Delaware, as he was awarded with several appearances for the Sixers towards the tail end of last season, when the injury bug had ravaged the roster. In the ten appearances that Bagley made, which include four starts, he would put up 6.7 points per game on 39 percent shooting from the field.
These averages include the back-to-back double-doubles that the 23-year-old recorded in April, with the first coming against the Atlanta Hawks, in which he’d record 20 points and ten rebounds, and the second coming against the Chicago Bulls, in which he’d drop ten points and grab 15 rebounds.
If Bagley is to go back to Delaware, he’d do so coming off a season in which he took a big step in his court time, as well as his production, averaging a career-high 9.3 points per night. With the Blue Coats having quite the shaky season, finishing with a record of 14-20, which saw them miss the playoffs, it’d be one to certainly build off of in the coming months once the G League season is underway.