TITLE: Middleton Heads to Wizards in Six-Team Sign-and-Trade; Sixers Envision Bigger Role for Simons; Rookie Brown Impresses Nets
SLUG: middleton-wizards-six-team-trade-simons-sixers-brown-nets
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Washington, D.C. — Forward Khris Middleton is returning to the nation’s capital on a three-year, $17.6 million contract arranged as a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The agreement will be bundled into a six-team transaction involving the Wizards, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Bucks, Clippers and Pistons. As part of the larger deal, Washington will send veteran guard D’Angelo Russell and future second-round draft considerations to Memphis, Charania reported.
Middleton, a three-time All-Star, averaged 10.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season while splitting time between Washington and Dallas. Josh Robbins of The Athletic noted that only the first season of Middleton’s new contract is fully guaranteed.
Sixers Look to Expand Simons’ Responsibilities
The Philadelphia 76ers see newly acquired guard Anfernee Simons as more than a scoring spark, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice reported. Simons, one of the league’s most accurate three-point shooters behind Tyrese Maxey, is expected to bolster the team’s perimeter attack.
Addressing concerns about Philadelphia’s small backcourt, Simons told PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck that collective effort can offset size disadvantages. “When a team has a common goal of competing on that side of the ball and stays connected, I think a lot of those things can be mitigated,” he said, citing lessons learned during a stint in Boston.
Brown’s Fourth-Quarter Burst Highlights Nets Debut
No. 6 overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter and dished out four assists in his first Summer League appearance, drawing praise from Brooklyn Summer League coach Dutch Gaitley.
“He’s electric. He showed his ability to get downhill,” Gaitley told the New York Daily News. While it was only one exhibition game, the performance offered an encouraging glimpse of a key piece in the Nets’ rebuilding plans.
Source: Hoops Wire
