Daryl Morey, 76ers Make Latest Roster Move Official

The 76ers have a new member in their front court.

On Saturday, Philadelphia 76ers’ President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced that the team officially signed sophomore forward Kenneth Lofton Jr.

The young veteran joins the team on a two-way contract, filling the void of Javonte Smart, who was waived to clear up the third two-way slot. Lofton joins Sixers rookies Terquavion Smith and Ricky Council IV as the squad’s third two-way player.

The Texas-born forward spent his two seasons in the NCAA playing for Louisiana Tech. Over the span of two seasons, he appeared in 65 games. In his second season, Lofton averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. He declared for the 2022 NBA Draft, making it through two rounds without getting selected.

Soon after, Lofton signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. Similar to a handful of undrafted players across the league, Lofton started with a two-way deal before getting converted into a standard contract. 

In his rookie season with the Grizzlies, Lofton appeared in 24 games, averaging seven minutes of playing time. He put up five points per game while connecting on 53 percent of his field goals. Meanwhile, in the G League, Lofton dominated by putting up 20 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists per game.

At the end of the 2022-2023 NBA G League season, Lofton earned several notable accolades, including Rookie of the Year, All-NBA G League First Team, and an NBA G League All-Rookie Team selection. 

This season, Lofton appeared in just two games for the Grizzlies’ affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. He accounted for 24 points and 11 rebounds per game. Then, in 15 games with the Grizzlies, he produced just three points and two rebounds per game in an average of seven minutes of action.

After getting waived by the Grizzlies, Lofton will have a chance to split time between the 76ers and the Delaware Blue Coats. Next week, Delaware returns to the court to officially begin the regular season phase of the 2023-2024 run with a matchup against the Capital City Go Go. Barring any unexpected changes, Lofton should make his Delaware debut then.