The 76ers waived JaKarr Sampson to clear a roster spot for a trade that might not even happen.
Philadelphia originally planned to acquire Joel Anthony in the Donatas Motiejunas deal with the Pistons and Rockets, waive Anthony and then sign another player – maybe even Sampson. The sequence would have netted the 76ers an extra second-round pick and saved them money by meeting the salary floor while paying only the remaining amount of Anthony’s salary.
But with the trade still pending, the Nuggets might have interrupted part of those plans.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports:
Sampson is like many 76ers – young and talented enough to potentially become a rotation player on a good team, but not ready to help a team win. He’s a nice addition for Denver, which also isn’t ready to win.
Philadelphia might feel a little scorned if it lost Sampson for nothing, but the chance at the pick and savings justified the move. Trades are just so rarely voided. And the 76ers can turn to their deep crop of similar players without Sampson.
