The Philadelphia 76ers will continue their wheeling and dealing this season by waiving Trevor Booker in order to sign Ersan Ilyasova, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Philadelphia will waive forward Trevor Booker, clearing the roster spot to sign Ersan Ilyasova, league source tells ESPN. He agreed to a buyout.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 28, 2018
Ilyasova, who was recently bought out by the Atlanta Hawks, is the second veteran the Sixers have picked up in the buyout market. Interestingly enough, their other addition, Marco Belinelli, was also bought out by the Hawks.
The veteran big man actually spent part of last season with the Sixers, after they acquired him in early November in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was then sent to the Hawks at the deadline. The Sixers are obviously a much different team this season, but Ilyasova's familiarity with the franchise should help with his transition.
Philadelphia will be hoping that Ilyasova -- a career 36 percent 3-point shooter -- will help improve their spacing and outside shooting. As a team, the Sixers are currently 16th in the league, making 36 percent of their 3-pointers.
As for Booker, he won't be a free agent for long. According to a report, the Indiana Pacers will pick him up as soon as he clears waivers.
Trevor Booker will sign a minimum deal with the Indiana Pacers for the remainder of the season, once he clears waivers, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 28, 2018
The hardworking big man averaged 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds over 33 games with the Sixers since joining the team earlier in the season via the Jahlil Okafor deal. His numbers, though, were a result of a sharp decline in playing time as compared to when he was in Brooklyn. He played just 15 minutes a night off the bench for the Sixers, while getting about 22 minutes per game for the Nets.
Booker will be a nice addition for the Pacers, and give them some added frontcourt depth. He should be able to help them on the glass, where they currently struggle. Entering Wednesday's slate of games, they're 19th in the league with a rebounding rate of 49.7.