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Gerald Henderson Reportedly to Sign with 76ers: Contract Details, Reaction
July 5, 2016
Gerald Henderson accepted a reduced role with the Portland Trail Blazers last season, but his contributions as a defender and veteran leader have reportedly earned him a shot with the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, Henderson's deal with the Sixers is worth $18 million over the next two seasons. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical confirmed the agreement.
Even though Henderson averaged a pedestrian 8.7 points and 2.9 rebounds last season, he left a positive impression in Portland, where he provided a defensive spark off the bench and served as a strong voice on the floor and in the locker room.
"I'm a guy who's going to put my arm around you and I'm going to be like, 'You need to work, you need to get better, and I'm going to support you,'" Blazers point guard Damian Lillard said, per the Oregonian's Joe Freeman. "He's like, 'I don't care, this is what has to happen.' And you need guys like that around. He's earned guys' respect."
Henderson also made strides as a three-point shooter during his lone year in the Pacific Northwest. After canning a meager 33.1 percent of his treys throughout the 2014-15 campaign, Henderson kicked his conversion rate up to a career-high 35.3 percent thanks to some efficiency from the corners.
Henderson also attempted a career-high 1.9 threes per game last season—up from a mark of 1.7 the season prior. If that trend continues, Henderson could morph into a supplementary three-and-D weapon off the pine. However, that's likely Henderson's ceiling at this point. With seven NBA seasons to his name, the Duke product is a known commodity.
The 28-year-old guard will also provide some veteran guidance as the 76ers organization attempts to begin turning the corner and climbing the standings after an extended rebuild. And since most of the team's depth is in the frontcourt at this stage, he should see pretty consistent minutes.
Ultimately, he'll provide some juice in a pinch and won't shy away from defending the opposing team's best perimeter scorer, but he's rarely going to score in bunches, since voluminous scoring efforts aren't part of his defined niche.