Spencer Hawes left the Sixers' practice facility Thursday afternoon for the final time. He was carrying a cardboard box with his name written in marker on it and a few belongings inside.
Hawes was informed earlier in the day that he had been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Earl Clark, Henry Sims and two second-round draft picks.
"The limbo was the toughest part,” Hawes said. “You hear your name so much floated here, floated there. It is nice to have it resolved in that regard.”
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Hawes said in his gut he felt he was going to be traded.
He came to Philadelphia via a trade in June of 2010. He was a 21-year-old kid who, with the help of two different coaching staffs, developed into a coveted starting NBA center.
“The organization gave me a wonderful opportunity,” Hawes said. “I was only 21 years old and I came here and was able to point my career in a different direction. And then Coach [Brett] Brown gave us all the freedom to expand our games and improve and it has all really helped me out.”
Hawes leaves with a touch of sadness. He won’t miss the Sixers 15-40 record, but will miss his teammates.
NBA
“That’s the hardest part -- the teammates and the friendships you make,” Hawes said. “That is what you remember the most.”
Hawes’ new teammates are on a roll. The Cavaliers have won six games in a row, and while their record is just 22-33, they are only three games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“They have been playing really well recently as we can attest to based on the other night,” Hawes said, referencing the Sixers’ 114-85 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday. “It will be fun to be part of that and make the most out of this stretch run.”
It was during the postseason that Hawes enjoyed wearing a Sixers jersey the most. In his first year here, the Sixers were taken out in the first round by the Miami Heat in five games. His second season, they advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games.
Earlier this season in a victory over Milwaukee, Hawes hit a turnaround, buzzer-beating three off one foot to send the game into overtime. Asked if that shot was the highlight of his Sixers career, Hawes instead pointed to the playoffs.
“Playing in the playoffs is a different kind of animal,” Hawes said. “The opportunity to play in the postseason for a couple years was pretty special.”