Report: Sixers waive Justin Anderson

The Sixers had one more decision to make with regards to their final roster spot that came down to Justin Anderson and Vincent Poirier. In somewhat of a surprise, it seems like the Sixers finally made their decision, waiving Justin Anderson.

The team is also waiving Frank Mason III.

All signs seemed to point to Anderson getting the final roster spot, as he was given an extra non-guaranteed year on his contract that was absent among other training camp players. This move pretty much sets in stone that Vincent Poirier will make the final roster.

Why did they choose Poirier — when they have three centers that are arguably better than him — over Anderson? I would speculate that it has to do with his contract. Poirier is on a fully guaranteed deal, meaning they owe him $2.6 million if they were to waive him. As I’ve detailed before, his contract is technically on the books for over $9 million when factoring in the luxury tax.

It’s very possible the Sixers sought out a deal in which they tried to salary dump Poirier to another team but just couldn’t find one for the time being.

It’s important to look at both sides of this, however, and it’s entirely possible that the Sixers were impressed with Poirier’s limited minutes. I can say that he didn’t look awful in his limited preseason sampling. It’s a given that Joel Embiid will rest throughout this season, as the schedule is compacted with a slew of back-to-back games. I’m just not entirely sure that they need Poirier when they already have Embiid, Dwight Howard, Tony Bradley, and Paul Reed on a two-way deal. It seems a bit excessive, to say the least.

The Simba era has come to an end yet again in the city of Philadelphia. We wish Justin Anderson the best going forward.