Kendall Marshall to 76ers: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction
The Philadelphia 76ers were a disappointing 24th in the league in assists last season, so they added a pass-first point guard Wednesday with the signing of Kendall Marshall, according to NBA.com.
Rotoworld.com noted it was reportedly a “four-year pact worth more than the minimum,” but “only the first season is guaranteed.” The Rotoworld.com report also pointed out it was a change from recent practices from Philadelphia’s perspective:
"This is still a significant signing by the Sixers, who have been loathe to commit to players over the past few years. Marshall tore his ACL in January and it's unclear whether he'll be ready to start the season, but we'll have a clearer picture of his health once training camp begins. Once healthy, Marshall stands a good chance to earn the starting PG job ahead of Tony Wroten and Isaiah Canaan.
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The ACL tear will likely limit Marshall’s early contributions, but he is not that far removed from his 2013-14 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers in which he averaged nine assists a night with an impressive 3.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in 54 games. He only played 14 minutes a night for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014-15.
Marshall is still well known from his college days as a member of the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he tallied an ACC-record 351 assists in 2011-12 and won the 2012 Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard.
The 76ers traded Michael Carter-Williams last season and need more experienced depth at the point guard position. Isaiah Canaan only boasts two years of experience in the league, while Tony Wroten has been in the NBA three seasons.
Wroten led the team last year with 16.9 points a night, but he is more than capable of playing shooting guard alongside Marshall. The former Tar Heel is a pass-first point guard who can set up Wroten and the rest of the scorers when healthy.
