Just a day after they acquired forward Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers in a blockbuster six-player trade, the Philadelphia 76ers made another move on Thursday to bolster their bench.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Sixers are acquiring wing player James Ennis from the Houston Rockets, in exchange for the draft rights to swap 2021 second-round picks.
To make room for Ennis on the 15-man roster, Philadelphia will reportedly waive guard Malachi Richardson, who they acquired in a trade on Wednesday afternoon from the Toronto Raptors.
As previously mentioned, with the addition of Ennis, it gives the Sixers another wing player off the bench that needed. In the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, it was reported that Philly was searching the market for a wing player and a center.
In 39 games this season with the Rockets, the 28-year-old swingman is averaging 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game. Ennis is also shooting 50 percent from the field and 37.3-percent from three-point range on three attempts per game.
While this move for Ennis might come as a surprise to many, the Sixers were actually interested in the 6-foot-7 forward last summer during free agency.
At the time, ESPN’s Ian Begley reported that the Sixers along with the Rockets and Brooklyn Nets were interested in signing him. However, Ennis chose to sign a two-year deal with Houston.
With the Sixers, Ennis should see a slightly expanded role as the team lacks depth due to their trade with the Clippers. If Philly does not opt to re-sign veteran swingman Corey Brewer and does not make any more trades, expect the former Long Beach State product to take some of those minutes.
