As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for their upcoming training camp, the team announced four signings Monday night, though none of the players involved were restricted free agent Quentin Grimes. The Sixers instead signed forwards Emoni Bates, Jaylen Martin and Malcolm Hill, alongside point guard Kennedy Chandler, to Exhibit 10 deals ahead of their training camp, which begins Saturday, September 27.
While each of these players has spent time in the NBA, former Eastern Michigan and Memphis forward Emoni Bates will be the most recognizable name.
Emoni Bates
Bates was, at one point, the number one prospect in his class in high school. Eventually, after reclassifying and failing to meet expectations at Memphis, he spent time with Eastern Michigan before declaring for the 2023 NBA draft. Despite his struggles, the Cleveland Cavaliers took a chance on him with the 49 overall pick. Since joining the Cavaliers, he has appeared in only 10 games for them, averaging 3.7 points on 34.2% shooting from the field and 36.7% from beyond the arc.
Bates has spent most of his time in the NBA at the G-League level, where he has appeared in 37 games for the Cleveland Charge, starting 35 of them. At 6-foot-10, he has the handle of a guard and an elite shooting stroke that has led him to average 19.1 points per game. With that in mind, it is also important to note that on the Charge, Bates has shot a career 38.2% from the field and will need to continue to improve his efficiency, or lower his volume, to develop into an NBA level player.
Jaylen Martin
Jaylen Martin began his NBA career after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft. Martin, a former 4-star recruit out of Tallahassee, decided to go through the Overtime Elite instead of college. Last season, he spent time with both the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards.
With the Wizards, particularly, Martin was able to get a significant amount of playing time in his 13 games with the team, averaging 18.0 minutes per game for the squad. While Martin struggled with efficiency from beyond the arc, he was a capable rebounder for the team. He ended his time with the Wizards averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds a game while shooting 41.7% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc.
Kennedy Chandler
Kennedy Chandler was selected at pick 38 in the 2022 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs and was subsequently dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies. Chandler, a five-star recruit out of Tennessee, showed flashes of his skill at the collegiate level but has since struggled to find a home in the NBA, playing only one season with the Grizzlies, in which he appeared in 36 games.
During this stretch, he averaged 2.2 points on 42.2/13.3/46.2 shooting splits. He spent last season with the Raptors 905, the G-League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, and averaged 10.8 points and 4.4 assists on 45.3% shooting from the field.
Malcolm Hill
Malcolm Hill is the oldest of the bunch at 29 years old, but has only appeared in 24 games in his career. He carries career averages of 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game on 46.4/35.9/78.6 shooting splits, spending time mostly with the Chicago Bulls.
Hill spent his college career with the Fighting Illini after becoming a 4-star recruit in high school, eventually going undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft. After spending time overseas and in the G League, he got his first action in the NBA during the 2021-2022 NBA season, making his debut on Christmas Day 2021.
He spent last season on the Birmingham Squadron, the G-League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans, and averaged 23.4 points and 5.6 rebounds a night on 51.0/44.2/92.2 shooting splits. If Hill is able to show off his talents for the Sixers during training camp, he may very well be a key piece for the Delaware Blue Coats.
