Alex Poythress
Position: Small forward
Status for 2017-18: Unrestricted free agent
Poythress in 2016-17
After going undrafted, Poythress spent the bulk of his season with the Indiana Pacers' D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. The Kentucky product played well, averaging 18.5 points and 7.1 rebounds and earning a spot in the D-League All-Star Game.
When the Sixers were hit with a rash of injuries, Poythress was signed to a 10-day contract on April 1 (He was signed again for the final game of the regular season). In six games with the team, Poythress showed flashes, averaging 10.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 26.2 minutes a contest.
Signature game
In his lone start with the Sixers, on the final game of the season, Poythress scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed six rebounds in a little over 31 minutes in a loss to the Knicks. He also played well in the Sixers' home finale, hitting 5 of 7 from three for 15 points in a loss to the Pacers.
Looking ahead to 2017-18
Poythress is intriguing. After being highly-recruited in high school, he really thrived as a role player to Kentucky's stars during his time there. He fights for rebounds, he hustles, he runs the floor and he plays defense. If he can build off that Indiana game and improve his three-point shot, he could have a role on an NBA team.
NBA
Will that team be with the Sixers? We'll see. Poythress said he'll work out in Philadelphia/Camden, but wasn't sure if he'd be playing summer league ball for the Sixers or elsewhere.
On Poythress
"I loved him. He had a bounce, he had a toughness -- when you talk about those three cornerstones of the program: can you run, can you shoot threes, can you guard? I think he checks boxes. How well? We'll learn more about [him], but on first observation, looking at him come on the floor -- and it wasn't like he played four minutes, he played 24 minutes -- it was enough body of work for me to say he had a tremendous bounce and certainly took advantage of his first time in a 76ers uniform."
— Sixers head coach Brett Brown on Poythress' NBA debut