Former Philadelphia 76ers Guard Gets Shot With Pacers' G League Squad

A former Philadelphia 76ers guard will join the Indiana Pacers' G League squad.

Dec 31, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Karim Mane (4) fights for the rebound with Philadelphia 76ers guards Tyrese Maxey (0) and Dakota Mathias (33) and Isaiah Joe (7) during the fourth quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports | Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this week, a former Philadelphia 76ers guard signed on to join the Indiana Pacers. Although Dakota Mathias inked a deal with Indiana, he found himself waived on Thursday afternoon.

Indiana’s decision to waive Mathias didn’t come as a surprise. When the veteran inked a contract with the Pacers, he signed with an Exhibit 10 deal. Typically, that leads to a path down to the NBA G League.

Mathias is quite familiar with the developmental league. Prior to joining the Sixers in 2020, Mathias played for the Texas Legends, an affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.

When the Sixers recruited Mathias, they brought him on with a two-way contract.

Mathias picked up eight games of action with the Sixers. Averaging 15 minutes on the court, he produced six points per game on 40 percent shooting from the field. While his playing time was limited, Mathias made plenty of noise with his clutch three to seal the deal against the Miami Heat in January 2021.

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Not long after, Mathias was waived. The following season, he landed with the Memphis Grizzlies for a six-game stretch. The 2021-2022 season would be his last appearance at the NBA level. Since then, he’s had runs in the G League, Liga ACB, and Basketball Bundesliga.

This summer, Mathias competed for the Pacers’ Summer League squad. He showed enough to intrigue the Indiana Mad Ants. Perhaps, a strong G League stretch with a new squad could be enough to get Mathias another opportunity to play at the NBA level.

Mathias’ last G League run included a 31-game stretch for the Memphis Hustle. He produced 16 points per game on 40 percent shooting from deep. The veteran also accounted for four rebounds and three assists per game.

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