Sixers waive Ricky Council IV and David Duke Jr.

Following the Philadelphia 76ers’ 120-106 win over the Atlanta Hawks in their preseason finale, the team waived a pair of players, announced via Sixers PR (and subsequently reported by The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey):

Neither Council IV or Duke Jr. appeared in tonight’s game against the Hawks after participating in the first three preseason contests. With the transactions, the Sixers’ roster drops from 21 to 19 players, which still includes two-way contracts Terquavion Smith and Azuolas Tubelis, and Exhibit 10 signing Javonte Smart.

The Council IV move is unexpected, as the 22-year-old was an immediate two-way signing after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft. The 6-foot-6 wing’s elite athleticism flashed across eight Summer League games with Philadelphia. However, the outside shot (or lack thereof) continued to be a concern; he shot 1-of-17 from three-point range in Summer League play. Council IV attempted no three-pointers in 25 minutes of preseason play. Nevertheless, waiving him likely means the Sixers have someone else in mind for one of the two-way spots, or else they could have continued to wait and see what might develop without impacting the main roster limit. Also, Tubelis is still around?

David Duke Jr. being waived is less of a surprise, as he was on an Exhibit 10 deal with the club. We may see the 6-foot-4 guard with the Delaware Blue Coats before too long. He could get a bonus of anywhere between $5,000 to $75,000 by signing with Delaware under the Exhibit 10 terms.

The Sixers still have some moves to make before the roster is finalized by opening night. We’ll await further word in the days to come.