The 76ers made a big decision regarding two-way player Kenneth Lofton Jr.’s contract after their win over the Hornets.
THE Philadelphia 76ers, Friday night, made a change to its roster after its well-deserved 121-114 victory against the Charlotte Hornets. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Sixers have decided to give up two-way player Kenneth Lofton Jr., after just three and a half months with the team, opening up a two-way roster spot for someone who could conceivably be of greater help to the team during the stretch run .
THE The 76ers signed Lofton to a two-way contract following waivers in December 2023, when the Memphis Grizzlies surprisingly waived the 21-year-old forward from Louisiana Tech to free up a place on the list for Bismack Biyombo. The second-year big man was named G-League Rookie of the Year last season, although Lofton quickly became indispensable to Memphis.
With the 76ers, Kenneth Lofton Jr. ran into the same problem of not being able to establish himself as a regular in the rotation. Since joining the team in December, Lofton has played a total of nine minutes in two games, filling in unnecessary minutes in two games separated by 16 games. What makes it difficult for Lofton to get playing time in Philadelphia is the presence of Joel Embiid, Paul Reed and Mo Bamba, all of whom would get minutes above him when healthy.
Still, it appears Lofton is becoming the NBA’s version of MLB’s Quad-A player — the player too good for the minors, but someone who can’t solidify himself as a big-time player. Despite his mediocre statistics in the NBA, he tore apart the opposition in the G-League; in 29.8 minutes per game with the Delaware Blue Coats, Lofton averaged 27.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 58/32/75 from the field.
Kenneth Lofton Jr.’s level of production in the G-League should mean that teams with open two-way spots (like the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks) could consider bringing him in.
Now, it’s unclear how the 76ers will use their open two-way spot. This decision will be almost negligible in their quest to maintain a strong position in the Eastern Conference standings anyway. After all, two-way players are not eligible to play in the playoffs.
About the Author
Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he is a very sports-traumatized person. He now writes about sport as a form of therapy.
