In a two-way contract, the Sixers sign guard Jeff Dowtin Jr.
The Sixers signed guard Jeff Dowtin, who has played well in Delaware and knows Nick Nurse, to swiftly fill their open two-way position.
The Sixers confirmed on Saturday that guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. had taken Kenneth Lofton Jr.’s place, having discarded the two-way big man almost 13 hours earlier.
Although it was unexpected to let Lofton go, Dowtin and the Sixers have a lot of connecting the connections. The 26-year-old point guard has played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors, and most recently, the Toronto Raptors under Nick Nurse. In actuality, Dowtin played a significant portion of 2022–2023 with Toronto under a regular contract, filling in as Nurse’s backup point guard in a few games towards the end of the season.
Once further proving his close relationship with Nurse, the Rhode Island product signed a G League contract with the Delaware Blue Coats after being waived by the Raptors ahead of the 2023–24 season. For Delaware, Dowtin has performed admirably in 16 games. He has shot 48.3% from the field and 38.4% from three, averaging 18.1 points and 5.6 assists a game.
One of the main reasons Dowtin is likely liked by Nurse and the Sixers is because he manages the basketball. Just 1.4 turnovers per game are his average. This season, Nurse has made it clear on multiple occasions how much he values assets, turning teams around, and having players with low turnover rates. A reliable floor general, Dowtin will organize the team and manage Nurse’s sets the way they should be managed, which may come in handy should Kyle Lowry, who will turn 38 this summer, need a vacation.
With the arrivals of Lowry and Cameron Payne, it seemed the Sixers would have an abundance of guards. De’Anthony Melton’s back spasms forced him to leave Tuesday’s game in Boston, which somewhat diminished that depth. Nurse stated prior to Friday’s game that he didn’t think Melton’s season was over, but he was unable to give a specific end date.
It makes sense for the Sixers to add a reliable guard with NBA experience, even if they weren’t impressed with Lofton’s potential. With the addition of Terquavion Smith, Ricky Council IV, and Dowtin, all three two-way slots are now full. Two regular roster places are still available for the team. Although it is likely that Council will eventually get a normal contract, the Sixers may choose to wait on that for budgetary reasons. It would still make sense for the team to sign an experienced big man at some time, even though the market isn’t particularly strong.
To sum up, the Sixers’ roster is far from final.
