Get to know new Sixers addition Dewayne Dedmon after buyout deal
The Philadelphia 76ers made a move at the deadline by sending out Matisse Thybulle in order to get below the luxury tax line and free up some space to make some additions to their roster. They made a move on the buyout market on Monday morning to bolster their bench.
They added veteran big man Dewayne Dedmon and signed him for the rest of the season in order to add some size to their bench unit. He stands at 7 feet tall and he brings that aspect to the backup center spot after turning to smaller players such as Montrezl Harrell and Paul Reed.
On the season, Dedmon is averaging 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds for the Miami Heat before he was sent to the San Antonio Spurs and then bought out.
Get to know Dedmon and what he can bring to the Sixers when he does step on the floor for his new team:
Dedmon's profile and career thus far
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Dedmon entered the league in 2013 playing for three trams in his rookie season, including the Sixers, and he has career averages of 6.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks. He does bring the size the Sixers need, but at 33 years old, one does have to wonder how much the veteran out of USC has left in the tank. His net rating on the season is a minus-12.5 and the Heat averaged 13.8 points fewer per 100 possessions when he was on the floor on offense.
Dedmon on offense
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The hope is that Dedmon can be a roller off the screen for James Harden off the bench while knocking down the occasional 3-pointer. He’s only shooting 29.7% from deep in the 2022-23 season, but he did shoot 40.4% in the 2021-22 season albeit on fewer attempts. When considering the low number of attempts, one has to assume that teams will be fine with letting him launch a trailing 3 or two per game.
Dedmon on defense
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Defensively, one has to wonder how much Dedmon can move on that end of the floor. He stands at 7 feet tall and that’s great, but he also has to be able to move. His defensive rating with the Heat was minus-1.4 so the question remains of how much he can help the Sixers on defense. On the positive side, he does have the size so that will give coach Doc Rivers an alternative to the smaller Harrell and Reed.
