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NBA Announces 4 Former Sixers as Finalists for Yearly Award

Multiple Sixers are in the running for an NBA award.
Mar 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Mar 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Earlier this week, the NBA revealed the 12 finalists for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. The Philadelphia 76ers don’t have any players in the running, but four of their former players could earn the honor.

According to the NBA, the award recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other players, and commitment and dedication to the team.

At one point, the Sixers employed a handful of the nominees, with the two most recent players being Tobias Harris and Nic Batum. Last year, the Sixers acquired Batum in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The veteran forward was one of the returning pieces from the James Harden/PJ Tucker package back in October of 2023. Batum played in 57 games for the Sixers, averaging six points and knocking down 40 percent of his shots from three. After his short run with the Sixers, Batum went back to LA in free agency.

As for Tobias Harris, he spent a good chunk of his career playing for the Sixers. During the 2018-2019 NBA season, Harris was traded from the Clippers to the Sixers. He signed a five-year deal with the Sixers in 2019 and played throughout the entire duration of the contract. When he hit the free agency market last summer, Harris signed a two-year deal to pick up a second stint with the Detroit Pistons.

Nic Batum and Tobias Harri
Mar 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is fouled while driving for a score past Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum (40) and forward Tobias Harris (12) to tie the game at 104 in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The final two on the list are Al Horford and De’Andre Jordan. Back in 2019, Horford wrapped up his first stint with the Boston Celtics. His departure from Boston was a major talking point, since he went and joined the Sixers on a multi-year deal. Despite inking a hefty contract with the Sixers, Horford was traded after one year. He made a stop in Oklahoma City before getting sent back to Boston.

Jordan had the shortest stint with the Sixers of them all. After his 32-game showing with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-2022, the veteran center reached a buyout before signing with the Sixers. Jordan appeared in 16 games with the Sixers, averaging 13 minutes off the bench. After his run in Philly, Jordan joined the Denver Nuggets, a team he’s been with for the past three years now.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

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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