Georges Niang Explains Why He Signed With Sixers

With all the Sixers talk this offseason being centered around Ben Simmons, their moves in free agency did not generate much buzz. Along with retaining Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz, Daryl Morey managed to upgrade the second unit. 

One of the small moves made by the Sixers was signing Georges Niang. The 27-year-old spent the last four seasons in Utah and is coming off his best year as a pro. 

Outside shooting is the main area of Niang's game that stands out. Last season for the Jazz, he shot an incredible 42.5% from deep on just over four attempts per game. Both being career-highs for the sharpshooting forward. 

Recently, Niang appeared on the Noble and Roosh show to discuss an array of topics. Among the things talked about was his process during free agency this summer. 

Niang did not mind playing in either conference but wanted to play for a contender. He admitted that when Morey reached out to him about joining the Sixers, he was very interested. 

"When Philadelphia came calling and valued the things that I do with shooting and being a bigger body, that was something that excited me," said Niang

In today's game, good shooting is worth its weight in gold. Following his best season shooting the ball, multiple teams in need of a sharpshooter eyed his services. What ultimately convinced Niang to sign with the Sixers was speaking with head coach Doc Rivers.  

"It really came down to Doc Rivers calling me and being like, hey, I value what you do, and this is how I'm going to use you. Doc did a good job of telling me how he'd use me and how our team is going to be a team to compete at a high level," Niang said. 

Rivers admitted at the end of last season that he felt the lineup got small at power forward when Tobias Harris came off the floor. At six-foot-seven, Niang should be able to help rectify that problem. Not to mention his lights-out shooting should help the spacing issues that gave the bench unit trouble last season. 

While his signing was viewed as a lateral move, Niang should be mentioned among the top breakout candidates for the Sixers this season.

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.