76ers Bringing on Myles Powell to Replace Grant Riller

The Philadelphia 76ers will add a new member to their roster via the newly vacant two-way slot. Through the first few months of the season, the Sixers kept the same two players on two-way deals in rookie wing Aaron Henry and second-year guard Grant Riller.
But Riller's health struggles throughout the first few months have made it challenging to keep the former Charlotte Hornets draft pick on board. During Philadelphia's first preseason game of the year, Riller suffered a knee injury. As it turns out, he tore his meniscus and opted to undergo surgery.
That decision kept Riller off the floor for a while. And when he finally returned, it wasn't long before he went out again with another setback.
After suffering a shoulder injury a few weeks ago, Riller has opted to undergo surgery once again. He's expected to miss 4-6 months worth of action, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Now that Riller will be out for an extended period of time, the Sixers have found a replacement.
Bringing on Another Member...
With Riller expected to miss multiple months, the Sixers have decided to waive the second-year guard. Per Scotto's report, Riller's decision to undergo surgery and miss an extended period of time mixed with the rise of COVID cases in the NBA led the 76ers to move on.
While a return to Philadelphia won't be ruled out for Riller and the Sixers, the team has found a replacement for the time being in former Seton Hall standout, Myles Powell.
According to Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice, the Sixers will bring on Myles Powell to fill their vacant two-way slot. The Trenton, New Jersey native spent his first NBA season with the New York Knicks organization.
The Sixers plan to waive Grant Riller and are signing former Seton Hall guard Myles Powell to a two way contract, a source tells @thephillyvoice
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) December 18, 2021
Expected to be official tomorrow
After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, Powell inked a deal with the Knicks. Although he didn't register any regular-season playing time in the NBA, Powell spent 13 games with the Knicks' G League affiliate in Westchester last season.
This year, Powell played in one game with Westchester. During his lone outing, Powell spent 34 minutes on the court, draining six of his 20 shots. He wrapped up the game with 15 points, five rebounds, and two assists. The chances of Powell garnering any playing time with Philadelphia's main roster is slim. However, he'll likely get started with the Delaware Blue Coats as soon as possible.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia
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