Sixers converting Javonte Smart to two-way contract, per report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers are converting 24-year-old guard Javonte Smart to a two-way contract, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday.
The team announced Friday night after its preseason finale win over the Hawks that it waived Ricky Council IV and David Duke Jr.
Smart, Terquavion Smith and Azuolas Tubelis are now the Sixers on two-way deals. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is known to have a flexible approach with those two-way spots, which tend to be filled by young players who will move back and forth between an NBA team and its G League affiliate. Paul Reed has easily been the Sixers’ best two-way signing during Morey’s tenure in Philadelphia.
Smart played for the G League’s Birmingham Squadron last year and averaged 13.6 points and 3.1 assists during the regular season. He’s previously been a two-way player for both the Bucks and Heat and had 17 NBA appearances between those teams in the 2021-22 season.
The 6-foot-4 Smart capped the Sixers’ preseason with a three-pointer, improving to 6 for 9 from long range in exhibition play. He also had six assists, three turnovers, three rebounds and three steals over his 33 total preseason minutes.
The Sixers saw much more of Smart in summer league, where he displayed talent as an on-ball defender, ran the team’s offense, and regularly contributed in multiple areas. The team signed Smart to an Exhibit 10 contract after he averaged 15.3 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds across summer league. He committed just eight turnovers over eight games.
The Sixers’ G League affiliate is the defending champion Delaware Blue Coats. With Coby Karl promoted to an assistant coaching role on new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse’s staff, Mike Longabardi will lead Delaware this season.
Longabardi is a longtime NBA assistant who’s often served as a defensive coordinator. He’s been with the Sixers throughout training camp and the preseason and found Nurse’s efforts to promote collaboration between the Blue Coats and Sixers encouraging.
“It’s been amazing,” Longabardi said last Saturday. “This is my 21st year in the NBA, my first year being a head coach, and having been with the main team and seeing the opportunities that the G League coaches have had, this has been the best by far.
“(Nurse) has really done an unbelievable job of helping me and helping our guys so we have these relationships already built. So when they do come on assignment, they know who I am — so it’s not going to be something shocking.”